Movement Directors in Contemporary Theatre

''When directors understand the value of a movement director they remove any sense of hierarchy within the room and place movement directors firmly by their side for they are and should be their co-pilot, navigating and creating the world of the play.''

- Joan Iyiola



Movement directors work with the physical, living bodies at the heart of theatre productions, creating movement languages with actors and directors. Through a series of in-depth interviews with leading theatre practitioners, Ayse Tashkiran charts the growth of the movement director in contemporary theatre. The voices of Jane Gibson, Sue Lefton, Kate Flatt, Toby Sedgwick, Siân Williams, Struan Leslie, Ellen Kane, Peter Darling, Steven Hoggett, Ann Yee, Imogen Knight and Shelley Maxwell explore processes of creativity, collaboration and innovation for the moving body in performance.

The conversations open up:

Growth of movement direction through the 20th century

New insights into embodied theatre practice

Diverse movement approaches and creative preparation

Physical trainings and influences

Working methods with directors and actors in the rehearsal room

Movement for actors in opera, film, television and musical theatre

Relationships between movement direction and theatre choreography

Potential future developments in the field