Intimacy Choreography for Live Performance
The work of Intimacy Direction and Choreography advocates for performers, using consent based practices to help craft choreography for nudity or hyper-exposed work, simulated sex acts, and/or intimate physical contact in live performance.
As an Intimacy Choreographer I advocate for performers and help creators realise their artistic vision. My work as an Intimacy Choreographer spans live performance across Theatre, Dance and Opera and Circus. I am based in Bern, Switzerland, have a MA in Contemporary Art Practice and bring my extensive experience in professional dance and theatre contexts to the work of intimacy. In 2024 I was the recipient of the Off-Stage Stipendium to research Intimacy Direction in Dance Contexts. I carry out this research with practitioners from the fields of performance, inclusive dance, pedagogy, concert dance, curation and academia to better understand the role of intimacy in their work.
The work of Intimacy Choreography or Direction is a complex and often underutilised discipline in dance contexts. Dancers already have a deep generational practice and expert knowledge of touch and tactile instruction. Part of the work of Intimacy Direction looks to the culture in which this work takes place, recognises and names the hierarchal structures there and strives to normalise boundary and consent based practices for everyone involved. Intimacy Direction, in addition to existing care practices in dance, supports both the well being of artists and the quality of their art.
Being a dancer, I recognise the need for vulnerability and trust in any choreographic process, and how consent forward practices help make that possible. I also recognise artistic process navigates unknowns and sometimes discomfort which in turn supports the idea of defining thresholds or boundaries before they are reached. I offer workshops to introduce the work of intimacy, trauma-informed communication and consent-forward practices to professional dance, theatre, opera and circus companies, student dance and theatre institutions and performance projects.
Contact me when your theatre, dance or performance project needs an Intimacy Choreographer, send an email to emmainbern@gmail.com or info@intimacy-coordinators.ch
When does your project need an Intimacy Choreographer?
It’s important to hire an intimacy choreographer when the performance has simulated sex scenes. If there are other kinds of intimacy, including touch and/or nudity it’s also a good idea to consider consulting or hiring an IC.
SAG-AFTRA certified Intimacy Choreographer for Live Performance with Intimacy Professionals Association (IPA)
"I work with the collective Intimacy Coordinators and Directors Switzerland (ICDS) and am passionate about what the work of Intimacy Direction can bring to the fields of dance, performance, theatre and opera."
Including an intimacy choreographer or director in your next project is a commitment to providing a safe and respectful working environment and can help set your production apart as a leader in the industry.
As an Intimacy Choreographer I am trained in:
- Consent, boundaries and power dynamics
- Gender identity, LGBTQIA+ and sexual orientation
- Sexual harassment and Bystander intervention
- Unconscious bias and micro-aggressions
- Regulations on nudity and simulated sex
- Anti-racism and intersectionality
- Equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI)
- Modesty garments and barriers and communication, mediation and conflict resolution
- Mental health first aid, trauma, self-care and movement and masking techniques