A native of Houston, Texas, Paul Appleman began his training at Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy. During his ballet education, Paul trained with Doug Varone, Garth Fagan, Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin and David Dorfman, whom he would later dance for.
Paul has worked heavily with RDA companies, particularly in the southeastern region. He is the former school director of Gwinnett Ballet Theatre where he also taught for 6 years. While living in Atlanta he became the founder and Artistic Director of Atlanta Dance Project, a professional modern dance company, and he danced and taught for Atlanta Ballet.
Before returning to Houston, Paul moved to Panama City, Panama to manage and operate the largest ballet school within the city, STEPS: Panama.
Paul was last the Director of Dance Education at KIPP: Sharpstown. Currently, Paul is working with Houston Ballet focusing on education and outreach.