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I am thrilled to be writing a 3-part series for DanceGeist Magazine about Power Dynamics in Dance.
The first part was released earlier this week in the February issue. Read it here. Catch part 2 about disrupting and divesting from harmful patters in March. Part 3 in April will look at consent-based practices.
The ezine is free, but does require a subscription. Get yours here.
I was thrilled to be interviewed this summer by Boca Magazine about my work on Theatre Lab’s To Fall In Love and Intimacy Direction in general.
The title cracks me up because I’m really the only one in Dade/Broward/Palm Beach doing this work! It’s easy to be premier that way! But huge shout out to my mentor Dan Granke in Tampa. Technically still South Florida, and they are much more gifted than I.
The piece appears in the February 2021 issue. Here’s a link to the online ezine!
Photo by Wide Eyed Studios.
Misuse of Power in Movie Sex Scenes. The Guardian. 31 January 2021.
To be clear, I find this piece HIGHLY problematic.
It’s presentation would suggest that women cannot abuse power- this is obviously untrue.
It invisibilizes non-binary intimacy coordinators, who definitely exist.
I include it here because it is getting shared a lot, and it does have a good summary of the role of an Intimacy Coordinator.
Phoebe Dynevor on Intimacy Coordination for Bridgerton. Backstage. 22 January 2021.
Congrats to my friends and colleagues Enric Ortuño and Lizzy Talbot for their work as the Intimacy Coordination team on Netflix’s new Bridgerton Series.
'Bridgerton' star says 'intimacy coordinator' helped craft those sex scenes everyone is talking about. CNN. 29 December 2020.
Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor praises intimacy coordinator for ‘fun’ sex scenes. iNews UK. 29 December 2020
I had the pleasure of speaking with Lauren RE Larkin on Sancta Colloquia very early in the pandemic. We talked about how what I know from training in intimacy direction applies to my work as an educator and all our lives as humans.
CW: sexual abuse, religious content
Intimacy Directors More Important than Ever. An Interview with Gaby Labotka in the Chicago Reader
What Intimacy Direction can Bring to Dance. Dance Magazine. September 2020.
What Playwrights can Learn from Intimacy Directors. A conversation with Gaby Labotka for Howlround. September 1, 2020.
What It’s Like To Be A Black Intimacy Coordinator In The Era Of Consent And Political Resistance. An interview with Tenice Divya Johnson and Sasha Smith. Elle Magazine. September 8 2020.
Back in July I got to be a guest on the Wilzig Erotic Art Museum’s Thursday afternoon Tea and Sex sessions, talking about intimacy direction!
Here Melissa and I discuss the “what it is”. This is just the first few minutes of an hour-long conversation and interactive session with participants.
Nicole Perry is a guest on the Wilzig Erotic Art Museum's Tea and Sex Thursday afternoon session with Melissa Blundell-Osorio discussing what is intimacy dir...
And this is one of those times!
Jimmy Chrismon, an intimacy direction colleague, hosts ThedTalks, a theatre education podcast. He interviewed me about intimacy direction and Momentum Stage. Check it out here: https://thedtalks.com/podcast/
I have a few more podcast appearances coming up. Stay tuned!
Intimacy Direction in a time of Physical Distance. Emily Snyder for HowlRound.com . Nicole was interviewed for this piece, but sadly no quotes were used.
Vice News Mini-Documentary on Intimacy Direction. July 30, 2020.
Sharon Stone Speaks about Intimacy Coordinators and Moments that Made her Uncomfortable on Set. Indiwire. July 2020.
Momentum Stage has just launched a new course I wrote combining my training in intimacy choreography, the Laban/Bartenieff Movement System and my years as both an educator and creator of movement.
This is to offer teaching options for those who are either encouraged or mandated to not touch in teaching. This is not a class about touching student. It is a class to consider IF touch is necessary, HOW do we teach without it (or very little of it), and WHEN/IF it is necessary, to make very specific choices in our type of touch in order to be as effective as possible with that touch.
Read MoreJune 22, 2020. Alicia Rodis named one of Indiewire’s Influencers.
June 22, 2020. Nicholas Hoult (The Great) “Intimacy Coordinators: a Good Thing for the Industry”
June 14, 2020. Claire Warden wins Drama Desk Special Award for Intimacy Direction.
June 3, 2020. MSU takes Academic Lead on Intimacy Direction.
Well, that’s a really bold question, as we have no idea what just being on stage looks like right now!
But, in the past week I’ve had a couple of conversations about this, and I do have some thoughts.
Even if we’re “back to normal”, there are going to be performers, directors, and administrators that are more wary of intimacy, especially if those intimate moments would cause a meeting of soft tissues like kissing. I am already in the habit of choreographing a “Plan B” for kisses that can be done in case of actor illness, and understudy stepping in, etc. A good intimacy director/choreographer should have been providing these all along, and they, the director, and the actors involved should all feel just as confident about the story-telling involved in those moments as they do with the kiss. See my earlier post about Plan Bs.
It is possible that bringing on an Intimacy Director/Choreographer is part of a company’s safety plan. This was raised in a conversation hosted by Directors Lab West yesterday with Ann James of Intimacy Directors of Color and Carly D. Weckstein, an independent sex educator and Intimacy Director (check out the convo here). Bringing in an ID could be a way a company says to their community that they take the physical and mental health of their performers and production crew seriously, and are hiring people with specials skills in doing that.
Both of these thoughts lead me to #2.
Intimacy Directors/Choreographers are Movement Specialists. And movement is still going to be on stage, even if physical contact is not.
Intimacy Directors/Choreographers are movement specialists (or at least they should be). They have been trained in movement for the stage. Sometimes this aspect gets lost in the more “news-worthy” part of the job- gaining consent, establishing boundaries, hopefully avoiding lawsuits for the company, etc. I came to this work after 10 years of choreographing. I have a Bachelor’s degree in dance. I have studied movement at an even deeper level by obtaining my Laban certification. When I train with IDI, IDC, or TIE, we are given feedback not just on our ability to put best practices in communication into use, but in our choreographic abilities. My job is make sure the story is told, and told well, and that the director and actors feel confident in the performance.
I believe my in-depth knowledge of movement will make me more of an asset to confident story-telling on the stage, even if the actors must remain apart or not fully physically engaged in the intimacy.
I do believe my role will still be necessary when we get back in space together. For safety and for the sake of the story, I think it will be even more necessary! We’ll see if the industry agrees!
I’d love your thoughts- whether you are a performer, director, producer, or audience member- what would seeing this role in a playbill mean to you pre-Coronavirus? Would it mean the same, or something different after? Leave me a comment!
The Making of a Monster
One cool thing to come out of this time of physical distancing is all of the recorded/broadcast theatre being made available. This is especially awesome for shows I would not typically have the opportunity to see, like ones in London! So last night, I watched both versions of the National Theatre’s much-talked about new Frankenstein, starring Benedict Cumberbatch (BC) and Johnny Lee Miller (JLM). These broadcast recordings are available on the National’s Youtube channel until May 7 and 8, depending on the version.
What’s so talked about in this play, you ask? Besides Sherlock on the stage, of course. Well, it’s that the 2 leading men would swap parts, one night playing The Creature, another night the creator. Handling 2 parts of this size, at the same time is pretty amazing, in and of itself. And as a story-telling device, the interchangeability of creature/creator is an interesting concept, especially when you remember that in Frankenstein, the word “monstrous” is used to refer to the Doctor, not his experiment. But, as a movement analyst, I’m going to talk about the specific movement choices made by the actors when they played The Creature, and what that brought to the production.
What is important to know about Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis is that this is an observational technique. That means that the observer (me) still has all their own preferences and interpretations about what they are observing. I have reasons for believing that my observations are correct, however, until I actually speak to the actors and their movement director about the choices made, I have no way of knowing if I’m “right”. This production did have a movement director, Toby Sedgwick, who is an incredible master of movement (A movement director is a position I don’t see a lot of theatres employ, and he is a great example of what having one can bring to a production!). I’ve never spoken to him, so I’m not sure how much of a “score” he gave the actors, or what that score was.
***SPOILERS AHEAD***
I started watching the version with BC as The Creature first. In the first 6 minutes, my movement analyst brain was freaking out! Once The Creature is out of “the womb”, he moved through Irmgard Bartenieff’s Patterns of Total Body Connectivity. Bartenieff gave names to Patterns she saw humans move through to achieve what is considered healthy, coordinated development. These don’t happen linearly, so much as overlapping and intertwined, and the ones that come before underpin the ones that come after. The PTBCs are:
Breath
Core-Distal
Head-Tail
Upper-Lower
Body-Half
Cross-Lateral
It is in Cross-Lateral that humans have access to the full 3-dimensionality of their bodies, and coordinated movement. Significantly, in terms of analysis, JLM’s Creature gets to Cross-Lateral movement about a full minute before BC’s Creature does. It is my guess that this is why I, and several of my friends “like” BC as The Creature more. His Creature spends more time discovering himself before moving out.
While he does explore all 6 PTBC’s in his opening scene, BC’s creature spends much of it, and much of the show, in Upper-Lower. This Pattern is where we “get work done” and builds our sense of “personal power”- an incredibly resonant movement choice for The Creature. Upper-Lower helps us push and pull, towards or away, in order to achieve a goal. There is a developing sense of intention. This is why I think BC’s Creature works so well- he is working to achieve a goal, and it is hard work! But, the movement is able to be upright and obviously human-like, without being fully what we identify as human. He only hits the full Cross-Laterality of his movement in moments of extreme (I’m thinking of his spiraling leap in the Scotland lab, in particular).
BC makes really clear choices in the Body category. JLM work in the category of Effort, particularly his choices as regard to Time. The Time element relates to our decision-making, and JLM embraces the Sudden side of the polarity, which totally works for a Creature acting only on impulse. There is no reflection, research, or weighing of options. This gives a sense of urgency to his Creature. The show with BC in The Creature role feels like a developing power struggle- the Doctor losing it as The Creature gains it. The show with JLM in The Creature role has a sense of urgency to it, when it all gets resolved feels more important. I believe this choice drives the scenes he’s in as well, picking up the pace of the entire show.
JLM demonstrates incredible flexibility and fluidity. Which doesn’t quite resonate for The Creature, for me. However, Frankenstein’s line about “balance” when he and The Creature interact after William’s death does better fit this version of The Creature. JLM’s Creature’s movement being more fully developed as Cross-Lateral, with fine motor skills, makes his Act 2 lines about “assimilation” ring even more true. And, therefore makes his following actions even more heinous.
If you want to continue to analyze: A place to really see these different choices (Upper-Lower v. Time Effort) at play, besides the opening, is the fight between The Creature and Frankenstein after Williams’s death: BC over-powers, JLM out-maneuvers.
So. Is one of them “better” than the other? Totally subjective and relates to your preferences. They each embody their character from what I would call a “different category of the system”, and each actor’s choice gives us a very different Creature and story. I’ve set out why I think each actor’s choice works, and I do have a preference! I’d love to hear your thoughts on these 2 versions of the characters and production. Please leave a comment!
25 April 2020. Sexy Beats: How “Normal People”' ‘s Intimacy Coordinator Works. by Sian Cain for The Guardian.
21 April 2020. Claire Warden Receives Drama Desk Awards Special Award for Intimacy. See list of all nominees and awards at the link.
12 April 2020. The Stake Were Really High: The Stars Bringing Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’ to Life. by Claire Armistead and Johanna Thomas-Corr for The Guardian.
4 April 2020. Creating Scenes of Intimacy Safely, Seamlessly, and Convincingly on Stage. by Aaron Krause for Theatrical Musings.
Please check out the guest post I wrote for the Consent Awareness Network!
Momentum Stage is pleased to be an Ambassador for the Consent Awareness Network.
Times-Union. Choreographing Intimacy for a New Era in Theater by Tony Pallone. 24 March 2020.
HowlRound Theatre Commons. Intimate Reform. by Ann James. 19 March 2020
Denton Record-Chronical. The Look of Love. by Lucina Breeding. 19 March 2020
Provokr. Creating Initmacy. by Amanda Jane Stern. 9 March 2020
The BBC. The Women Helping Hollywood Shoot Safer Sex Scenes. by Valeria Perasso. 7 March 2020
The New York Times. Review of “The Hot Wing King”. by Ben Brantly. 1 March 2020
Tonight should start the 2nd weekend of 2 shows for which I had the honor of creating the intimate moments. Island Song at Measure for Measure Theatre Company and To Fall in Love at Theatre Lab. Both are currently postponed, due to coronavirus limitations in Florida.
But, I wanted to take this moment to talk about Intimacy Direction/Choreography, because this outbreak raises questions that may not be considered when it comes to staging or performing intimacy in shows. What happens if a performer is sick? Can we still tell the story effectively and well?
Whenever I choreograph intimacy that includes a kiss, I always choreograph a Plan B. As one of my mentors, Tonia Sina reminds us, “Kissing is the most dangerous thing you can do onstage.” Unlike stage weapons, the soft tissues and bodily fluids are quite real. It’s my job as the Intimacy Choreographer to develop this, not the actors’. It’s my job as the Intimacy Choreographer to rehearse, to make sure the actors are confident in it, and that tech knows what to expect if we go to Plan B. Last week, in one of the shows, we had to employ our Plan B. It took 0 extra rehearsal time, because it had already been set. All it took was a check in with the actors and stage managers at call time.
I also had a significant case of NOT having to employ plan B, because of how I staged the intimacy. (I hope Island Song reopens, and you get to see it, so I’m going to remain slightly vague about what happens.) Island Song has a number in which every member of the cast is involved in intimacy, in some way, except for 1. Most of them with another member of the cast, some of them alone, but they are all onstage, in various states of undress, involved in various acts of intimacy. What is significant about this number and it’s staging is that not only is the sex simulated, the kissing is too. All of it— and there’s a lot.
There exists currently only 1 review of the show, and I don’t know that it will ever be published. But NOTHING in that review makes me think the critic felt it was “fake”, “inorganic”, “inauthentic” or less than.
I created that scene to look like a lot of people enjoying physical intimacy— while keeping my actors safe. Part of my decision making was purely creative choice. I wanted the couples to all start the same, and then diverge into various acts. Part of my decision making was time related. I had a lot of people to choreograph, so having something repeatable cut down on my teaching time, giving me an efficient rehearsal. Part of my decision was safety- if I can make actors and the story look good, while keeping them safe, why wouldn’t I?! I don’t give them real swords so “the audience believes the story”. Staged correctly, I don’t need to give them real kisses either.
Now, not every stage nor every story allows for that. This one did, and I took advantage of it. And on Thursday night last week, I was very, very glad. The actors were able to do their choreography confidently, with no changes. And they looked awesome. Again, I really hope Island Song is able to come back, and you can go see. Then you can tell me if you agree!
If you are a director or an actor that has never worked with an Intimacy Choreographer/Director before, I hope this gives you a different perspective. It’s not just about harassment or abuse. Directors, we really can make your job easier. Actors, we can help you stay healthy. We can help the people who want to do a good job confidently go out and do their jobs.
When we’re all able to get back to making art together again, I hope you’ll think about hiring an Intimacy Choreographer/Director, even if it’s “just a kiss”.
And, just in case you hadn’t heard, currently, Theatrical Intimacy Education is recommending that NO shows go forward with intimacy, in rehearsal or in performance.
Medium. Setting the Stage for Sexual Abuse. By Randy Ginsburg. 27 February 2020.
Montana Kaimin. Intimacy coaching: Keeping actors safe behind the scenes. By Maghan Jones. 26 February 2020.
The Edmonton Journal (Canada). Special Director on Hand to Manage Scenes of Intimacy. 21 February 2020.
The Mail Tribune (Oregon). The ‘Sacred’ of OSF’s Intimacy Director. 17 February 2020.
Oregon Live. Oregon Shakespeare Hires First Full-time Intimacy Director ahead of 2020 Season. 17 February 2020.
CBS Sunday Morning How intimacy coordinators oversee romantic movie, TV scenes. . 9 February 2020.
The Pulse (an NPR Podcast). How Movies Move Us. The segment with Alan Yu includes an interview with Intimacy Director Colleen Hughes. 7 February 2020.
Intimacy Coordinators on Set in Israel. 6 February 2020.
The Lyric Stage (Boston) interviews their Intimacy Director to learn more about the work. 4 February 2020.
The Age (Melbourne, Australia). Rules of engagement: How actors and directors create intimacy on stage. By Louise Rugendyke. 1 February 2020.
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