Photo: Evelyn Wiebe and Justan Myers in Talk is Free Theatre’s production of The Judas Kiss
Intimacy Professional (Coordination, Direction, Choreography): As an Intimacy Coordinator/Director, Alix specializes in scenes involving nudity, simulated sex, and intimacy in theatre, film, and television. She creates a respectful and confident space for performers while supporting the creative vision of the director. It is in her heart’s mandate to help everyone feel safe with sensitive material so that the strongest stories can be shared with confidence and artfulness. Some recent IP credits include Thanks to the Hard Work of the Elephants (CouKuma Productions), All the Lost Ones (Netflix), Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation (Lifetime), Happily Undead After (Canadian Film Centre), Rent, Wedding Band, Much Ado About Nothing, Hamlet (Stratford Festival), Fat Lady Sriracha (Sriracha Stories Inc, Indie), Sin and Sorrow are Common to All (Talk is Free Theatre), The Judas Kiss (Talk Is Free Theatre), Pomegranate (Buddies in Bad Times), Salome Learns to Dance (Hawkeye Productions), Dominatrix on Trial (Windsor Feminist Theatre), The Seagull (Waterloo University).
Alix is on the board of the National Society of Intimacy Professionals and teaches Intimacy and Consent workshops and classes upon request.
Alix has certificates in Mental Health First Aid; Boundaries and Consent; Health and Safety Awareness; Workplace Violence, Harassment and Bullying; Safe Sets International; and basic stage combat training (knives, sword, sticks, unarmed).
Her over 200 hours of present and on-going training includes a commitment to Cultural Sensitivity/Implicit Bias training; Anti-Racism/Anti-Oppression training; and Supporting Trans Actors and Creatives.
What some have to say:
from Thom Allison (director of Stratford Festival of Canada’s RENT)
"Don't just invite Alix Sideris to work on your show, send a limo to bring Alix to your rehearsal. In this moment in time where we have finally realized we need to treat the incredible intimacy of the theatre with as much care and respect as we treat everything else, Alix is a beacon of thoughtful, sensual, alive physical storytelling. When I was directing RENT, I was given Alix's name as an Intimacy Director, with a glowing review from a colleague. No amount of praise could have prepared me for how loving, and thorough their work is. Always positive, always attuned to any shift in the comfort of their actors, never precious while always respectful and reaching for the physical truth of the moment. The cast felt empowered to go to deeply into personal and sometimes highly sexualized places while trusting the process, each other and Alix. I could not recommend Alix Sideris more."
from Rebecca Lashmar (Intimacy Coordinator)
Alix Sideris’ knowledge of the human condition is equally matched by her talent for physical storytelling. Their capacity to keep the cast and crew grounded and present in times of intense emotional stress is inspiring and crucial on any film set or rehearsal hall. They holistically approach each project with care and awareness of the emotional state and well-being of those involved. I had the pleasure of working with Alix on Thanks to the Hard Work of the Elephants! I was always impressed by her professionalism, kindness and generosity in her role as intimacy professional. The entertainment industry needs more artists like Alix.
from Sam White (director of Stratford Festival of Canada’s Wedding Band)
“I had the opportunity to work with Alix on Wedding Band. Alix's extraordinary ability to navigate how to hold space for others while inspiring creativity within the containers of each individual artist's humanity was a gift to the process. This work, specifically, required great care and consideration and Alix was the consummate advocate and collaborator.”
from Becca Grenier (writer resident of the film short, Happily Undead After, Canadian Film Centre)
Our short could not have been called a success without the continuous communication and care that Alix established in prep, during rehearsals, and on the day. Her knowledge, generosity of spirit, and attention to detail were integral in helping us maintain a safe space for actors and crew.
from M D-R (from the feature film, Fat Lady Sriracha):
Thank you, so much Alix, you really helped me feel safe and confident going into my intimate scene. I'm so grateful that you were there. Your job really is so important and made a world of difference. Thanks again! I really appreciate it!
from Billy Lake (director of Talk is Free: The Judas Kiss):
When I was asked to direct a production of David Hare's "The Judas Kiss" last winter, I knew the first person I needed to bring on board was an intimacy director. I wanted someone with experience, sensitivity, creativity, and an ability to communicate and collaborate. I found all of those qualities in Alix Sideris.
Alix came highly recommended by several colleagues and the Zoom meetings we had leading up to the first day of rehearsals were effortless and informative. I could feel my confidence growing with every conversation, my worries and fears about tackling the piece gradually slipping away. Her knowledge about the craft of intimacy direction is endless and I greatly appreciated her ability to accurately plan and schedule sessions with actors, knowing just how much time each intimate moment would require in the rehearsal hall. When moments of insecurity, confusion, or even conflict occurred within the cast, Alix was able to address concerns, explain intentions, and diffuse tense situations while creating space for the sharing of emotions, barriers, and general unease.
The final product was breathtakingly beautiful and Alix's work (in my humble opinion) stood out as a highlight within the play. The actors felt safe and secure at all times and the intimacy moments furthered the plot while heightening the subtext and relationships between the characters. I cannot accurately put into words how valuable her presence was in the rehearsal hall and I relish the opportunity to work with Alix again.
from Miranda Caldaron (Creator/Actor from the feature film Salome Learns to Dance):
It is difficult of course to sum up a collaboration that was as meaningful as ours was with Alix on Salome Learns to Dance, but I will give it a shot!
Alix is the first Intimacy Coordinator I've ever worked with, and I didn't expect or understand how invaluable and expansive our work together would be. Alix invited us to voice our comfort levels throughout the process, and I became aware of the kinds of feelings I would ordinarily have kept to myself; talking about these things created an environment and a structure wherein I felt open and inspired to explore and take risks. Our boundaries were never roadblocks for Alix, but rather springs of creativity. Together we developed bold, dynamic, multi-textured sequences that would not have been possible without Alix's enormous attention-to-detail, care for our well-being, research, insight, and artistry.
Even during production while we were pressed for time, Alix continued to help me feel supported with her keen guidance before takes. (She also taught us a quick and easy breathing exercise that I used multiple times every day on set to reset and relax. It worked like magic :)
Alix was like a choreographer, dramaturg, and doula all in one!
from Jason Trucco (Director of the feature film Salome Learns to Dance)
Working with Alix on the Canadian feature film Salome Learns to Dance this past year is the first time I’ve collaborated on intimacy and it’s changed me. Beyond Alix’s expertise making rehearsals and shooting of intimate scenes feel safe and comfortable, Alix’s contributions make every day of working more creatively exciting. Alix’s excellence has convinced me that she is not only beneficial, she’s invaluable, and she’s become, in my work approach, a key collaborator. Yes, I’ll call her any time that a project in which we may work together comes my way and thats the highest compliment that I can express about a co-worker
from Bola Aiyeola-Owens: (Understudy Actor: Hamlet, Stratford Festival)
This is my first season at Stratford Festival. My role in Hamlet was understudying the Player Queen and had to kiss the Player King.
My few sessions with Alix were very productive and helpful. Alix made both players feel comfortable from the word go. They asked us to identify areas of our upper body where we felt comfortable with our partner touching and where it was not. They made us go through intimate touch exercises where we made connections feel comfortable.
I was very pleased with the opportunity to work with Alix and have taken a lot away from the experience.
Reviews:
from J. Kelly Nestruck’s review of RENT (Globe and Mail):
“The romance between Tom Collins (Lee Siegel), a computer-science professor with anarchic tendencies, and Angel (Nestor Lozano Jr.), the kind-hearted drag queen who finds him bleeding on the street after a mugging, has never been so swooningly depicted. The on-and-off-again relationship between bisexual performance artist Maureen (Erica Peck) and lesbian lawyer Joanne (Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane), meanwhile, is a more comedic highlight – featuring particularly great onstage chemistry during their sizzling rendition of Take Me or Leave Me.”
From Kate Taylor’s review of Wedding Band (Globe and Mail):
In their first delicate scene together they celebrate their 10th anniversary as Rudder and Lane tenderly demonstrate the deep familiarity of a well-established couple before revealing the pair’s love.