Film

The majority of his work is Dance in the context of Drama, from Historical Dance to the present.  However his most famous film works to date are the iconic laser scenes for Catherine Zeta-Jones in the Hollywood blockbuster Entrapment and the wand combat sequences in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Paul Harris is also the creator of the physical language for the use of the wand, for the Harry Potter film franchise and an interactive mirror, containing Paul’s image, is a feature of the Warner Bros Studio Tour in both London and Hollywood.

He has coached and choreographed Oscar, BAFTA and Emmy award winning actors including: Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham-Carter, Sam Neill, Benedict Cumberbatch and Sean Connery. Film credits also include: The Other Boleyn Girl, Inkheart, Mister Lonely, The Tichborne Claimant, the Disney movie musical Cheetah Girls 2, directed by Kenny Ortega, Far From The Madding Crowd, Patrick the Pug, Crooked House with Glenn Close, Blithe Spirit with Judi Dench, People Just Do Nothing – Big in Japan and he choreographed the Gypsy Burlesque dance, in the Oscar nominated Living, starring Bill Nighy.

Television

Paul’s extensive television credits include 2 Best Drama, BAFTA winning series, Bleak House and The Way We Live Now, as well as many other award-winning series, including Great Expectations, Little Dorrit, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Miss Austen Regrets, Jane Eyre, South Riding, The Paradise, Desperate Romantics, The Sins, My Family, Call The Midwife and His Dark Materials, all for the BBC, as well as Lost in Austen, Poirot, Marple, A Touch of Frost, William and Mary The Quest 2, The Great Fire, Thanks for the Memories, The Halcyon and A Cruel Love – the Ruth Ellis Story, all for ITV. Paul also choreographed Why Didn’t They Ask Evans, directed by Hugh Laurie for BritBox, Da Vinci’s Demons for Starz Network America and Mary and George for Starz US/Sky, starring Julianne Moore.

Theatre

In the theatre he was the Choreographer and Movement Director on the 50th anniversary production of The Entertainer at the Old Vic starring Robert Lindsay and the Movement Coach on Gaslight also at the Old Vic. He choreographed Liberty and Dido Queen of Carthage at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and he was a guest Dance Tutor on Two Gentleman of Verona for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Other theatre credits include Flight of the Swan, at The Royal Opera House, Family Affair and The Importance of Being Earnest for the Theatre Royal, Bath and the UK National Tour of Wallflowering. Paul has enjoyed an extensive collaboration with theatre Director Guy Retallack, having choreographed productions ranging from Liberty at Shakespeare’s Globe, Tommy for The Royal Academy of Music, Romeo and Juliet for the Oxford Shakespeare Company, to 6 Christmas productions for the Bridge House Theatre in London, including A Christmas Carol and UK premieres of Plaid Tidings, Miracle on 34th Street and Another Night Before Christmas. Other musical collaborations with Guy Retallack include, Tommy, Thrill Me, Tick Tick..Boom ! and John and Jen starring Rachel Tucker, which won 2 OFFIEs and was filmed for Broadway HD.

Teaching

As a Dance Teacher, he was an Actors Centre Dance Tutor for 10 years and he has devised dance content for BA and MA Acting courses for, and taught at, the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, Italia Conti, ALRA and Fourth Monkey. He has coached and choreographed World Champions in Showdance, Ballroom Dancing, Salsa, Argentine Tango, Latin American dancing and has taught several of the Professional Dancers and judges on Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing With The Stars. He was the main Mentor in the Kick Boxer to Dancer episode of Channel 4’s award winning series, Faking It.

Publications

Paul Harris has made a significant contribution to the development of Salsa in the UK, as he is the author of Salsa and Merengue – The Essential Step by Step Guide and the standard technique book for study for Professional examinations in Merengue, Salsa and Mambo for the UKA, the BATD, the NATD and Paul’s notation of Salsa was also used by the IDTA for 20 years. He wrote the course guide for BA (Hons) Acting 19th Century Social Dance & 20th Century Dance for the UKA (United Kingdom Alliance of Professional Teachers of Dancing) of which he is a Fellow and Examiner. This broad area of expertise has made Paul Harris a leading authority in Historical Dance, Tango, Period Dance, Salsa, Swing Dance, Ballroom and Latin American, as well as Theatre Jazz and Musical Staging.

Background

Paul’s work is a natural combination of his dual backgrounds. He studied Acting at Drama School and on graduating worked extensively as an Actor in theatre and television including national tours of three West End productions, playing the roles of Dill in To Kill A Mockingbird, A-Rab in West Side Story, Scranton Slim in Guys and Dolls directed by John Doyle and William H Bonney in Billy The Kid.  Prior to this, Paul began dancing at the age of eight and before studying Jazz, Ballet and Historical Dance, he was one of the most successful Juvenile and Junior competitors ever to compete in Ballroom dancing. He won the British Open Championships at the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival in both Ballroom and Latin American dancing, as well as becoming 3 times English Champion, United Kingdom, International and West European Champion and placing in the first 3 of every major competition, including the World Championship, as an adult.