Lauren DeLeon

Lauren DeLeon is a leader in the emerging field of intimacy direction for stage and film, with academic and professional affiliations spanning Sarah Lawrence College, NYU, and SUNY Purchase. A certified intimacy director and coordinator, she blends her expertise in performance studies and decolonizing methodologies to address cultural and linguistic nuances in theatrical intimacy.

• Education: MA in Performance Studies from NYU, focusing on Decolonizing Touch through Intimacy Direction.

Her research and practice revolve around intimacy choreography, emphasizing bodily autonomy, cultural translation, and bilingual (Spanish/English) storytelling. She has taught courses like Consent in Performance and trained as an instructor for Level 3 intimacy direction.

DeLeon’s career bridges academia and activism, directing productions for organizations such as Planned Parenthood, Standing Rock, and her co-founded Mission Flint, which partnered with The Public Theatre. Notable credits include Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club (Tony Award) and Real Women Have Curves (American Repertory Theatre).

As Director of Community Education at IDC Professionals, she advances industry standards while maintaining part-time teaching roles and on-call coordination for Law & Order SVU.