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Choreography and Movement Direction are professional practices with specialist skills and expertise, recognised by Equity as distinct professional roles within the performing arts industry. As part of the core creative team, Choreographers and Movement Directors have dramaturgical and embodied input to productions.
This guidance is intended to support producers, directors, production companies, and creative teams working across theatre, film, television, immersive productions and live performance/events to work within best practices.
Developed by members of Equity’s Choreographers and Movement Directors network, the guidance sets out ways to understand the scope of the work of Choreographers and Movement Directors within professional productions to improve terms and conditions for their engagement and promote best practice across the multiple sectors within which Choreographers and Movement Directors work. In industrial areas where a collective agreement is in place, contracting should be done on the terms of that agreement.
Engaging a Choreographer or Movement Director
When engaging a Choreographer or Movement Director:
- Use clear, mutual and transparent methods of hiring and contracting
- Engage movement specialists with clarity and intention
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Promote fair and appropriate working conditions nclude movement specialists in all production and creative team meetings for their contribution, preparation and information.
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Credit work accurately
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Strengthen creative collaboration across the industry
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Prioritise inclusion and parity
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Enhance sufficient, clear communication between producers and choreographers and/or movement directors
By doing so, you and the wider industry can better support the artists who shape the physical language of performance and the stories that movement makes possible.
Best Practice for Production Companies
Clarity at the outset leads to stronger creative outcomes and ensures longevity.
Production companies should:
- Assess whether a Movement Director/Choreographer is required at pre-production planning and budgeting stages.
- Consult with the movement director/choreographer about production specific needs and requirements.
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Include movement specialists in all production and creative team meetings for their contribution, preparation and information.
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Consider how work can develop and grow from page to rehearsal (which may require additional personnel/space or time).
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Use job descriptions that clearly reflect responsibilities, whilst being aware of updating these in consultation with the choreographer/movement director if the nature of the work grows in scale and scope throughout the creative process.
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Allocate appropriate time and budget for movement work, in consultation with practitioners and stage management teams.
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Actively support collaboration between departments.
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Recognise that choreographers and movement directors operate as Heads of Department/Core Creative Team Members, and resource them and their teams as needed.
Credit and contractual clarity
Proper crediting is essential to professional recognition and career sustainability. Credits should be agreed in the contract, and credits and contracts should accurately reflect the work undertaken.
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Assess whether a Movement Director/Choreographer is required at pre-production planning and budgeting stages.
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Consult with the movement director/choreographer about production specific needs and requirements.
- Contracts should align with the scope and responsibilities of the role.
- Contracts should be agreed and signed ahead of rehearsal.
Terminology
A Choreographer is an artist who creates structured movement and dance material for productions working with dancers, actors and supporting artists (and other performers).
Choreographers are core members of the creative team.
Choreographers work optimally and produce their best work, when included in development, and creative and logistical planning of productions. And are consulted about the long-term maintenance of choreography on productions in performance and on tour.
In theatre and live events, they may lead a choreographic team. In musical theatre and live music performance their work may include staging musical numbers, as well as choreographing dance numbers. In film, TV and digital media they may operate as a Head of Department.
A Movement Director is an artist who creates and delivers the physical language of a production through embodiment. Working with actors, performers, choruses and dancers (and other performers) will shape movement to communicate character and story through the ensemble. Their dramaturgical input will manifest the world and physical style of the production in movement.
Movement Directors are core members of the creative team.
Movement Directors work optimally and produce their best work, when included in development, creative and logistical planning of productions. and consulted about the long-term maintenance of movement on productions in performance and on tour.
In theatre, opera and live events they may lead a movement team. They will often work very closely with other embodied practitioners e.g. fight directors and aerial artists and represent movement at production meetings. In film, TV and digital media they may operate as a Head of Department.
Team Roles - Choreography
Associate Choreographer: May make independent creative contributions, assists in the creation and development of material, at times, rehearsing and staging work independently, and supporting continuity and remounting of choreography.
Assistant Choreographer: Assists the choreographer by supporting rehearsals and staging, teaching and maintaining choreography, administrative or organisational tasks as required.
Dance Captain (Theatre): Is a member of the performing company who is paid and responsible for noting and maintaining the choreography as created by the choreographer for the duration of a production. They may also rehearse in swings or understudies, and lead company warm-up and cool down.
Supervising Choreographer: Oversees and coordinates choreography across a production involving multiple choreographers, ensuring consistency of vision and execution; manages and supports contributing choreographers.
Co-Choreographer: Works in equal creative partnership with another choreographer: shares responsibility for the creation and delivery of the work, and receives equivalent credit, royalties and recognition.
Resident Choreographer (Theatre): Works with the choreographer and associate choreographer by maintaining the artistic choreographic vision/dance language/choreography of the show during a run in conjunction with the choreographer. Takes responsibility for any ongoing understudy or maintenance rehearsals during the run once the creation period is over.
Team Roles - Movement
Associate Movement Director: May make independent creative contributions. They may lead rehearsals or specific areas of work independently, contributing to development of movement language and supporting the broader vision of the movement director.
Assistant Movement Director: Supports the movement director in rehearsals and preparation, assisting in delivering movement work, and supports performers during rehearsal and production, helps maintain continuity of movement language.
Movement Captain (Theatre): Is a member of the performing company who is paid and responsible for noting and maintaining the movement and physical life of the production as created by the movement director for the duration of a production. They may also rehearse in understudies, and lead company warm-up and cool down.
Co-Movement Director: Works in equal creative partnership with another movement director, shares responsibility for the creation and delivery of the work, receives equivalent credit, royalties and recognition.
Resident Movement Director (Theatre): Works with the Movement Director and Associate Movement Director. Maintains the movement language of the show during a run in conjunction with the Movement Director. Takes responsibility for any ongoing understudy or maintenance rehearsals during the run once the creation period is over.
Other Current Roles in Film and Recorded Media
Movement Choreographer: develops the physical language of a production, shaping how movement communicates character, story, and the world of the production. Unlike a choreographer, who focuses primarily on dance routines, a movement choreographer develops all kinds of physical movement that can include dance.
Movement Choreographers are typically engaged as Heads of Department and may lead a movement team.
They work with performers on embodiment, presence, and physical behaviour and help establish the movement style and tone of a production. They support storytelling through physical expression, narrative and non-dance sequences as well as choreographed dance sequences. They will lead and manage movement team members when engaged.
Movement Coach: creates and instructs general movement that is an organic part of a performance which is character-driven and not necessarily dance-driven.
This title is applied when a movement practitioner is working with singular or individual performances. This title should not be applied if the practitioner begins working with staging, choreography or set pieces; that is the work of a Movement Choreographer.
