Movement Directors in Contemporary Theatre : Conversations on Craft

'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 IyiolaMovement 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 centuryNew insights into embodied theatre practiceDiverse movement approaches and creative preparationPhysical trainings and influencesWorking methods with directors and actors in the rehearsal roomMovement for actors in opera, film, television and musical theatreRelationships between movement direction and theatre choreographyPotential future developments in the field