Paul Gilliam, a 2008 Josie Award winner, began his ballet training in Ardmore, Oklahoma. After high school, he trained at the University of Oklahoma for one year, and then spent spent 2 years studying at Houston Ballet Academy under Claudio Muñoz. He then went on to dance professionally for 19 years, spending one year with Oregon Ballet Theatre, three years with Montgomery Ballet, and fifteen of those years with Dayton Ballet. During his years with the Dayton Ballet, he performed in several memorable roles, including  Escamillo in Carmen, Renfield in Dracula, Peter in Peter Pan, D’Artagnan in The Three Musketeers, and the comedic role of Ugly Stepsister in Cinderella.

Paul teaches at many local schools in Dayton and Cincinnati and has been a guest teacher at Houston Ballet Academy, Leatherstocking Ballet, and Northern Plains Dance. He has choreographed pieces for Dayton Ballet II, Northern Plains Dance, Stivers School for the Arts, and Dayton Dance Initiative. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Dance at Wright State University. He has been Assistant Ballet Master for Dayton Ballet for the last three years and officially joins the Dayton Ballet Artistic Staff as Ballet Master for the 2021-2022 season.