Paula Mares

Territories and movements

Her technical foundation was built at the Royal Academy of Dance, where she immersed herself in the rigor of Classical Ballet. But her body always sought plurality: alongside the pointe shoes, she allowed herself to be shaped by Lyrical Jazz, Contemporary Dance, the mystery of Belly Dance, and the pulse of Brazilian popular dances.

This richness of movement became her passport to the world. Through musical variety shows, she took her art beyond Brazil's borders: performing in Spain and Portugal in 2003, exploring the nuances of Italy and France in 2005, and arriving in Dubai in 2007.

Roots and research on Brazilian soil

Back in Brazil, she continued her journey alongside names such as Charlie Linhares and João Piray. Since 2010, she has found a space of residency and creative ferment in Cia Repentistas do Corpo.

Over more than a decade, her work has spilled beyond the boundaries of the stage: performances, yes, but also research and the conception of new productions. The classes and workshops she teaches are vital extensions of this work, where the research of the body becomes teaching and constant exchange.

The ring: where dance gains height

Her first experience with circus was born of a challenge: choreographing an acrobatic silks number for a dance festival. From then on, she never left the heights again. Her path through the world of circus began backstage, as a producer, quickly evolving into choreographing group numbers. Circus runs on a unique dynamic: you teach what you know while learning what you need — and in that exchange, she mastered the lyra, embraced the enchantment of working as a magician's assistant, and finally discovered herself as a clown.

Circus became her guide across Brazil: Alagoas, Recife, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Rio de Janeiro and countless towns in the interior of São Paulo. She has collaborated with companies such as Circo Show, Circo Spacial, Circo Alegre, Circle and Taci Produções, alongside projects with Sesc and various event agencies.

From one act to six productions

In 2010, her solo research took shape with ProAC funding for the staging of "Lá Silla". What began as a single act blossomed, in 2014, into the production "Os Devaneios são Dela", directed by João Piray — a work in which the languages of circus, dance and physical theatre met in symbiosis. Out of this process came six productions that toured clubs, public squares and Sesc units.

Meeting the beginning again

Theatre came to her carrying the disciplining rigor of dance and the physical demands of circus. Immersing herself in its study brought a feeling of absolute renewal: the deeper she went, the more she realized the vastness of what she still had to learn. It was, in essence, a fresh start — a "starting from zero" that filled her with new ideas.

In this constant search from course to course, she found the pedagogical project of Cia da Revista, a milestone that led her to join Grupo XPTO. There, a whole new universe revealed itself through puppet and object theatre: since 2018, this partnership has yielded intense research, materialized in six productions and nine performances.

From playwriting to the children's stage

Expanding her work into writing, she wrote the dramaturgical adaptation of "Pupilas: De Quem é Esse Ovo?", a project bearing her signature, directed by Matheus Monteiro. In 2025, she joined Cia Guarda-Chuva, taking part in the children's production "Toda Mamãe é Noel". Theatre is that eternal state of learning and discovery, where every character allows her to be someone else and, at the same time, more herself.

The matter of the stage

Her work as a costume designer was born of a need both practical and poetic: to give material form to her own projects. Over time, this skill overflowed and gave rise to her Ateliê, a space dedicated to shaping the dreams of fellow artists seeking support for their productions.

All told, that's 25 years of experience in this field — two decades devoted to her own creations, including two ProAC award-winning projects and six productions, alongside making props and accessories for countless events. Over the last five years, the Ateliê has become established as a hub of creative production for renowned partners and companies. Creating a costume or a prop is more than dressing a body: it is building the very identity of the scene.

Personal projects: the autonomy of creation

In Paula's creative universe, the hand that writes and the body that performs are the very same ones that stitch the scene together. Her personal storytelling and clowning projects come to life through costumes conceived and made entirely by her — textures and colors designed to speak to the audience and give visual depth to the characters she inhabits.