Intimacy Direction
Vulnerability is Not a Scary Word
As an intimacy director/choreographer/coordinator, I provide a consent-based practice to support a director's vision while ensuring the actors' boundaries are respected and they are safe to be vulnerable.
My Process
I work with directors, team members, and casts to employ a collaborative approach to directing/choreographing/coordinating intimacy to stage moments of intimacy that support the storytelling while respecting boundaries that are set by the cast. I make sure there is full and informed consent from everyone involved in the intimacy as well as create consistent ways of performing an intimate scene. In productions, consent will be freely given, conditional, and revocable. I will ask consent to choreograph on a scene-by-scene, moment-by-moment basis.
What does working with an intimacy director/choreographer/coordinator look like?
Every production will look different when it comes to intimacy direction. However, there are a few steps you can expect when it comes to this service:
1. An initial consultation with the director and team to discuss the intimate needs for the production, the vision of the director, what is needed from the intimacy director, and how we plan to collaborate.
2. Prior to auditions, providing support for consent-based casting materials.
3. In pre-production, collaborating with every member of the production team and specifying a vocabulary that will be used to create a consent-based process.
4. During rehearsal, working with the director to stage moments of intimacy. This will look different for every production and its needs.
5. Providing support for the team and cast to ensure their boundaries are respected throughout the whole process.
My Experience
I came to intimacy direction after experiencing the injustice of intimacy directing as an actress myself. Trained as an actress, director, and playwright, I knew that I could make a difference in this industry by applying myself to my work as an Intimacy Director. I began training through Theatrical Intimacy Education and completely fell in love with the art form. I have applied my training to work at Oklahoma City University as one of the only Intimacy Directors on campus.
Recent Work
Sydney Sinclair was honored to attend the Virginia Theatre Associations 2023 Conference: The Art in You and lead an intimacy workshop entitled:
Let's Get Intimate: Revolutionizing the Way You Think About Theatrical Intimacy.