Intimacy for Film and Theatre – Practical Applications of Choreography

Instructors- Janine Waddell (Edmonton Based) & Shawna McGill-Legault (Calgary Based)

Important: Please note, participants can only purchase tickets until June 20th, a welcome package will be sent by the instructors upon registration and must be reviewed prior to attendance.

Introduction to the expected vocabulary and choreography concepts that are the mainstay of Theatrical and Cinematic Intimacy. This will include Boundary Clarity and the 5 C’s of Intimacy work (Choreography, Consent, Context, Communication and Closure.) Focus will be on Masking, Stacking and Distracting as techniques as well as how Breath, Eye Contact, Targeting and Levels of Physical Pressure and how they can be used as tools. Discussions about our role in stage rehearsals, from preproduction to final performance, and for film, from first contact to post production, will be briefly explained. On the feet choreography experiences will be part of the training. 

Janine Waddell

A Director and accredited Movement Instructor since 1991, Janine has also been certified as an internationally recognized Advanced Actor Combatant with Fight Directors Canada and the Society of Australian Fight Directors and as an Actor Combatant with Society of American Fight Directors, the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat and the Nordic Stage Fight Society.

Janine was awarded the first ACTRA Alberta Intimacy Coordination contract and has choreographed the violence and/or intimacy for over 100 stage and film productions. She was a member of the Musical Theatre Performance Faculty at MacEwan University, a FDC JP Fournier Award recipient and Sterling nominated Fight Director. In 2021, she founded Theatrical Intimacy Laboratory with the goal of sharing skills focussed on artist led advocacy and simplifying the intimacy choreographic process. Previous choreographic credits include; Dark Match (Dept. 9), Under the Banner of Heaven (Disney), Billy the Kid (MGM), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Citadel Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (FreeWill Players) and Carmen (Edmonton Opera).

Shawna McGill-Legault

Shawna McGill-Legault is a seasoned Intimacy Coordinator, movement professional, stunt performer, and actor whose work brings safety, clarity, and confidence to intimate storytelling across film and television. With a background spanning intimacy coordination, stunt work, health and safety supervision, and on-screen performance, she is known for her collaborative, performer-centered approach.

Shawna is deeply committed to consent-based, trauma-informed practice, working closely with directors, actors, and production teams to establish clear boundaries, communicate choreography, and maintain high standards of professionalism and respect.

Her intimacy coordination credits include feature films In Cold Light and Reminders of Him, as well as scripted television series The Abandons (Netflix), Fargo (MGM), and My Life with the Walter Boys (Netflix), supporting both performer safety and storytelling integrity.

With a foundation in stunt performance and movement, Shawna brings clarity and repeatable choreography to intimate scenes and is known for her calm presence and integrity on set.

Photo by BB Collective Photography

Tickets are Pay What You Can. The suggested price is $50.00 but any amount is accepted. 

• Workshop
• $50.00
• June 22, 2026
• 345 minutes
• 10:00
• Fringe Theatre Arts Barns
• Studio Theatre
• 18A
• 
  Please no participants under 18.