Paul Harris is one of the most prolific Choreographers and Movement Directors of period dramas in film, television and theatre of the last 2 decades. He has created choreography in Historical and Period Dance, for some of the most famous actors in the World including Scarlett Johannson, Natalie Portman, Charles Dance, Sam Niell, Cillian Murphy, Olivia Williams, Johny Lee Miller, Romola Garai, Carey Mulligan and Nicholas Galitzine. He choreographed movies such as The Other Boleyn Girl, Inkheart, The Tichborne Claimant, Far From The Madding Crowd, Crooked House with Glenn Close and Blithe Spirit with Judi Dench. 

 

Paul has choreographed many BAFTA and Emmy Award winning period drama television, including the BBC’s landmark multi award winning period drama Bleak House, as well as, Sense and Sensibilty, Emma, Miss Austen Regrets, Great Expectations, Little Dorrit, Jane Eyre, Desperate Romantics, The Great Fire, The Halcyon, Call The Midwife, To The Ends of The Earth and The Way We Live Now all for the BBC, as well the twist on the Jane Austen classic Lost In Austen for ITV, Da Vinci’s Demons for Starz US and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans directed by Hugh Laurie for BritBox. Paul choreographed a range of historical dance styles in Mary and George, starring Julianne Moore and Nicholas Galitzine for Sky U.K./Starz U.S.

 

His theatre credits for plays containing Historical Dance, Period Dance or Period Movement include the critically acclaimed 50^th anniversary production of The Entertainer, starring Robert Lindsay and Gaslight starring Rosamund Pike, both at The Old Vic. He was a Guest Dance Tutor for the 1930s setting of Two Gentlemen of Verona for the Royal Shakespeare Company and he choreographed both Liberty and Dido Queen of Carthage at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Other theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet’ for Oxford Shakepseare Company, Liberty, Mill on The Floss, David Copperfield, The Rivals, As You Like It, A Christmas Carol and many more.

Paul is the author of the syllabus in both 19th and 20th Century Dance and Historical Dance for the United Kingdom Alliance of Professional Teachers of Dancing, which has been used for as the basis of the dance module for both BA and MA Acting programs in 5 London Drama Schools for over 20 years.

 

Having stared dancing in Classical Sequence at the age of 7, Paul Harris has had a lifetime of experience and studied in depth, social dances from all periods of History and has choreographed major works for film, television and theatre incorporating Historical, Period and Vintage dances ranging from Farandol, Pavane, Galliard, Gavotte, Minuet, Quadrille, Square Round and Long Set English Country dances, 19th Century Rotary Waltz, Mazurka, Polka, Galop and Schottische through to the early 20th Century dances such as Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Square Rumba, Mambo and Cha Cha Cha.