Intimacy Choreography For The Entertainment Industry

What Is Intimacy Choreography?

Intimacy Choreography, used by Intimacy Coordinators and Directors, is an artistic practice in both the creation of movement which simulates intimate moments on stage and screen and the maintenance of safety and boundaries for those who facilitate the creation of these stories. With Intimacy Coordination and Direction, cast and crew are no longer forced or coerced into engagement in nudity, simulated sex acts, or other intimate moments of performance.

A great Intimacy Choreography can navigate actors’ boundaries to tell a vulnerable, hyper-exposed, intimate story, collaborating with Directors and Production to ensure the vision for the project is truly achieved. 

What We Do

Great question! We do a lot of things. Every project is different, but here are some ways we can help:

1. Work with producers, directors, or stage managers to audit the script for nudity, intimacy, hyper-exposure, or liability and help find support. 
2. One-on-ones with artists to communicate expectations and explore boundaries to address possible challenges and identify practical support solutions.
3. Support responsible content disclosures and safe audience experiences
4. Identify and coordinate costume, wardrobe, hair, and makeup needs impacting nudity and simulated sex or sex-adjacent acts.
5. Create movement/choreography for everything from hugs and kisses to simulated intercourse.
6. Support closed set guidelines.
7. Dramaturgy or presenting research to help the room understand the nuance of specific challenges presented in the script.
8. Act as a presence to center consent and mitigate power dynamics.
9. Step in and change movement, masking, barriers, etc if there is a need for boundary adjustment, choreography change, or other challenge.
10. Support cast and crew with deroling and closure practices as needed.

As artists and choreographers who are trained in intimacy choreography, mental health, and the arts, we can be especially helpful if a project contains:

1. Themes or depictions of hyper-exposure of mental health or substance use challenges
2. Trauma, violence, or heightened emotions
3. Intimacy/or hyper-exposed work (inculding simulated sex, nuditiy, or other activities)
4. Experiences that may be close to the artists’ own experiences.

Though our work is different wherever we go, we know one thing for sure: we are intentional, not careful. Our work helps make stories better and more compelling. 

Safer sets. Safer stages. Kick-ass stories.

FAQ