Intimacy and Movement Direction

with Teniece Divya Johnson, Coral Messam, and Rocío Mendez, moderated by Lenée Voss

How do we allow for safety and presence in the most vulnerable moments of performance? How can the close encounters we witness in moments of joy, embrace, tension and conflict be rooted in a trauma informed and culturally sensitive approach? This conversation gathers intimacy and choreography directors who act as bridges between story and performance in theater, film and television production. These panelists work to create cultures of care and consent during production, one of the most important yet often overlooked elements of staging intimate and consensual encounters for audiences. Bringing their depth of experience from dance and fight choreography, stunt performance, sensual and sexual sequencing, they will discuss the gendered and racialized nuances of ongoing consent, the work of helping recenter actors in their bodies, and the challenges of working across industry as they allow for deeper and safer connections on screen and in live performance.