About
Stuart Winter is a professional choreographer, director and educator working in stage and film. Throughout his performing career, Stuart continuously developed his choreographic ability and language, as well as building on his skills in education and raising the profile of dance in schools. Stuart founded Tracing Movement in 2016 as an umbrella organisation covering his work as a choreographer initially for dance films, but with a goal of developing live performance. He has built up a group of professional dancers that he collaborates with regularly. These dancers train with him when he is teaching (at venues such as Pineapple Dance studios), lots have enrolled on his masterclass programs (intensive weeks of training and choreography Research and development work, the first of which were in June, August and Sep 2019) and many appear in his films.
Stuart is currently writing a book explaining his Tracing Movement teaching philosophy and is developing a series of podcasts focusing on boosting dance in the education system.
Choreography
As a professional choreographer, Stuart's work includes: The Sound of Music (Cyprus 2018/19), Swallows and Amazons (Creation Theatre Company 2018), Cole - A Cole Porter Review (2015), Romeo and Juliet and King Lear (Guildford Shakespeare Company), Mousie (short film, dir. David Bartlett 2018), Pretty Little Powder (music video, Portrait Thieves 2019), What Isn't a Thought - A Contemporary Ballet (Epsom Playhouse 2019)
Stuart has also made seven short dance films, working with the editor Greg Bernstein and DOP Ben Thomas. These have all been self-funded (for which he thanks his overdraft!) and they use his network of Tracing Movement performers. They vary in style and scale from Focal Point (2018) a pas-de-trois to the music of Imogen Heap, to The Heavyweight (2013) which used 24 dancers, extracting the rhythm section from the second movement of the Rich Man's Frug.
The latest film, entitled "Tracing Movement Together" (2020) was a project during Covid-19 lockdown which drew together over a hundred dancers from Stuart's network across the world. The film documents the challenges facing professional freelance dancers as they strive to maintain their abilities with limited space and facilities. It culminates in a choreographic piece which gives the illusion of them all dancing together, despite the enforced separation and isolation. The piece took about 7 weeks to assemble, used dancers from 17 different countries and was widely shared online after its release (3.8k views on Facebook, 2.3k views on YouTube, plus other platforms).
Associate
Stuart has worked as an associate director, associate choreographer, dance captain and fight captain for creatives such as Christopher Wheeldon, Stephen Mear and Chrissie Cartwright.
Performing
Stuart’s performing career included shows such as Cats, Chicago, An American in Paris, Mary Poppins, Grease, Kiss me Kate, Pajama Game, Singin’ in the Rain, 42nd Street, Sunset Boulevard, Iolanthe and Chess. He has worked with directors Sir Trevor Nunn, Cal McCrystal, Sir Richard Eyre, Laurence Connor, Christopher Wheeldon and Stephen Mear.
Education
He choreographs and teaches Classical Ballet, Contemporary and Modern techniques at several professional vocational colleges and studios in and around London as well as working in theatre in the UK and internationally.
He was appointed Head of Classical studies at the Guildford School of Acting 2013-16. His role there covered a wide range of disciplines, including ballet, jazz, pas de deux, musical theatre, choreography and Pilates, coaching the BA Musical Theatre, MA Musical Theatre and Foundation Musical Theatre courses, as well as the BA Acting course.
He also had a full time position teaching Pas De Deux and Ballet at Millennium Performing Arts on the Higher National Diploma, specialising in the development and virtuosity of the male classical dancer. He often gives classes and workshops in Musical Theatre repertoire and his own choreography at a number of establishments including Bird College, Laine Theatre Arts, Performers College, Arts Educational, Millennium Performing Arts, Runway House and Tring Park.