intimacy and mental health for the arts
Empowering Artists. Honoring Boundaries. Supporting Bold, Ethical Storytelling.
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INTIMACY COORDINATION + CHOREOGRAPHY
Certified Intimacy Professional for Performance I approach intimacy choreography as both an artistic and consent-based practice. I am certified through the Intimacy Professionals Association (IPA) as an Intimacy Coordinator for Film & Television and an Intimacy Choreographer for Live Performance. With more than a decade of experience as a professional theatre director, I understand intimate storytelling as an essential part of character, relationship, and narrative. My work centers performer agency while supporting the director’s vision. I create specific, repeatable choreography within established boundaries for kissing, nudity, simulated sex, sexual violence, and other intimate moments. I am particularly interested in how power dynamics affect an actor’s ability to communicate boundaries and consent. My goal is to create structures that allow artists to take bold creative risks with clarity, trust, and agency.
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Elitia Daniels and Joseph D. Valdez in MACBETH.
Photo Credit: Wes Marsala.
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Eddie Ramos and Acacia Fischer in Romeo and Juliet. Photo Credit by Wes Marsala.
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MENTAL HEALTH COORDINATION
FOR THE ARTS Association of Mental Health Coordinators training completed; certification capstone pending Mental Health Coordination supports both the people making the work and the stories being told. I have completed training with the Association of Mental Health Coordinators (AMHC), with my certification capstone pending, and am currently pursuing a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. My work brings proactive tools into creative spaces that support accessibility, belonging, communication, mental health, and overall wellness, while providing additional support when artists engage with challenging or traumatic material. I also bring a mental health-informed lens to scripts and creative choices, helping teams portray mental health and sensitive subjects responsibly, reduce stigma, and avoid potentially harmful or prescriptive portrayals. My goal is to help create healthier spaces for artists and more responsible, compelling stories for audiences.
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L: Kevin McCasland & MacKenzie Bacon in SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE at GRCT; UR: Hailie MacKay & Owen Squire Smith in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at GRCT; BR: Patyon Reilly and Kyle Southern in BEAUTIFUL at Saugatuck Center for the Arts.