Choreographer

A choreographer is a person who devises and co-ordinates the physical movement of individuals or groups in theatrical performance. Generally associated with the art of dance, choreographers in Doctor Who have usually been called on to devise unique movement styles for alien species. Choreographers were not generally employed by the 1963 version of the programme, but they have been present for most episodes of the BBC Wales version.

The earliest choreographer on Doctor Who was Roslyn De Winter. who designed the movement of the insects in The Web Planet. Another early choreographer who helped design distinctive character movement was Tutte Lemkow on The Celestial Toymaker. Most choreographers of the classic series, however, were used in serials that featured elaborate dance routines, as in Black Orchid and Four to Doomsday,

Beginning with Rose, the production team hired a resident choreographer. Ailsa Berk has worked on most episodes of the BBC Wales production, coordinating the movement of aliens as different as Autons, Cybermen, Clockwork Droids and Scarecrows. She has been vital in establishing dynamic running styles for human characters, as in The Waters of Mars. Only rarely has she been called upon to teach actors to dance, most notably for Human Nature.

A related occupation is that of a fight arranger, who specifically designs the precise movements actors use in an on-screen fight.