Paul Tillman

A native to Dallas, Texas, Paul began his dance training at Dallas Ballet Center and performed with Dallas Ballet Company, under the Direction of Brent and Judy Klopfenstein. While in Dallas Ballet Company, Tillman toured to Europe to perform with Young! Tanzommer throughout Austria. He was also a full scholarship recipient of Ballet Austin, Orlando Ballet and later where he finished his training at Boston Ballet School.

Paul's professional career spanning over 15 years was mostly spent at Ballet Arkansas where he spent 13 seasons. He has performed leading roles in many classic ballets as well as works by Fredric Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, George Balanchine, Agnes De Mille, Christopher Wheeldon, Ma Cong, Darrell Moultrie, Alice Klock and Florian Lochner, Ashley Green, Yoshito Sakuraba, Michael Beardon, Michael Fothergill and many others. Tillman's freelance work has taken him all over the country. One of Paul's favorite Guest Artist jobs was performing The Nutcracker and various classics with Tupelo Ballet, for nearly 10 years.

As well as performing, Paul has been a dance educator for 15 years. He has taught at many studios and intensives across the country. Most recently he was Education Director at Rock City Dance Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. Paul and his wife Megan Tillman started their own elite ballet training program called Tillman Dance for students in the central Arkansas area, based out of Ballet Arkansas' main street studio.

One of Paul's passions in dance is choreography. He has had the opportunity to choreograph on Ballet Arkansas several times. While choreographing for Ballet Arkansas, Paul has had the honor to collaborate with Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, under direction of Geoffry Robson, three times. He also choreographed a full length ballet production of Peter Pan for Blackbird Academy of Art in Conway, Arkansas.

Paul is also a set designer and has built sets for productions such as Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Sleeping Beauty and the Nutcracker.

Paul and Megan are very excited to start the next chapter of their career as Associate Artistic Director of Tupelo Ballet and Tupelo Academy of Dance Arts.