Maria Bauman

Maria Bauman is the associate artistic director of Urban Bush Women (UBW). Prior to this role, she served as an apprentice with UBW beginning in 2002, eventually transitioning into a company member, associate artistic director for community engagement, a UBW guest performer, lead facilitator, and consultant. Maria now “creates dance & creates community” at the helm of UBW’s BOLD (Builders, Organizers and Leaders through Dance) program and as an assistant to Jawole Zollar in the dance studio and on tour. She weaves her identities as a choreographer, dancer, facilitator and educator together to strengthen UBW’s performance and touring work, develop community partnerships, deepen education practices, support company members, and help people move and sweat together as an expression of connection and liberation. 

Maria has facilitated learning for students in venues such as Peridance, Long Island University, the American College Dance Festival, and on behalf of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. She is also the former arts coordinator of El Puente. She works closely with the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond on Understanding and Undoing Racism workshops for arts communities and is a WOW Café Theatre collective member, which is a theater space by and for women and transgender artists. She is also on the Laundromat Project’s Artists + Community Council. 

She is also the founder of MBDance, creating duets and small group dances from a sense of physical and emotional power, a desire for equity, and a fascination with intimacy and relationships.