Give theatre choreographers and movement directors their own awards, says union group | Theatre
Equity, the group that represents both disciplines, says theater choreographers and movement directors are undervalued at awards ceremonies and deserve greater recognition.
At the Oliviers ceremony held last weekend, the award for best theater choreographer went to Fabian Aloise for Evita at the London Palladium. Inside a statementStock Choreographers and Movement Directors Network (CMDN) said it was “great to see choreography recognized on big stages like the Olivier awards” but pointed out movement directors who worked on nominated productions but were not recognized in their categories. CMDN said the ceremony “started a larger debate about what language we use to describe how theater is made and who gets named in the process — especially when it comes to movement and choreography.”
“We want to highlight movement directors whose work has been an integral part of some of the strongest productions of the year: Leanne Pinder for Punch, Sarah Golding for Kenrex, Imogen Knight for Kenrex. [the opera] Dead Man Walking, Jenny Ogilvie for Into the Woods, Sung Im Her for The Glass Menagerie, Lucy Hind for Inter Alia and Kloé Dean for The Boy at the Back of the Class.”
While theater choreography often refers to dance scenes, movement direction is an integral part of creating the physical language of the entire production, enhancing storytelling, characterization and drama. Many choreographers also work as movement directors, but productions often use different people in each role.
“Movement direction is in a subtle area: it’s not always ‘dance,’ it’s not always referred to as choreography, but it’s still important to how a show lives and breathes,” CMDN said. “If we celebrate the impact of physical storytelling, we must also evolve the way we appreciate the artists behind it.”
network praised Black British theater awards As they expanded their choreography category to include movement direction in 2022. But he emphasized: UK Theater awards There is typically no specific choreography or movement category, and there are no Critics’ Circle theater awards.
Movement director and choreographer Polly Bennett founded CMDN in 2023 to ensure their profession was “seen, recognized and respected.” The network has more than 200 members. In 2025, management group member Ellen Kane, who works on screen as well as stage, asked in an interview with the Guardian: “Why is there no Oscar for choreography? Why is there no Bafta? Why aren’t we being credited?”
Last month, professionals from all over the theater industry signed a petition The Oliviers include a video design category to “increase the inclusivity of the Olivier awards, further reflecting the diverse and evolving nature of the performing arts.” In the current system, video designers share availability with other disciplines. This year, the Olivier award for best set design was given to Tom Pye (set) and Ash J Woodward (video) for Paddington: The Musical, while the best lighting design went to Aideen Malone (lighting) and Roland Horvath (video) for Into the Woods.
