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The Elements of Dance are the foundational concepts and vocabulary that help students develop movement skills and understand dance as an artistic practice. The acronym BASTE helps students remember…

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A Choreographer's Creative Process in Real Time | Wayne McGregor | TED Talks

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The Process of a Choreographer: A New Way to View Dance | Steven Butler | TEDxPasadena

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Why Do We Dance? - Motivation for Dancers |HD|

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ALL DANCE STYLES in the World [ todos los tipos de baile - tipos de danza ] 🌍

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Jose Limon, Elizabeth Rose Zwierzynki, Trisha Brown, Merce Cunningham, John Cage

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Should I Become A Choreographer? Fun One-Minute Quiz

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Should I Become A Choreographer? Fun One-Minute Quiz

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create new dance routines. Rehearse performance of routines. May direct and stage presentations.

In this career quiz, there are 10 questions that will give you a pretty good perspective on whether the career of a Choreographer is right for you.

There are 3 answers to each question: Dislike, Okay and Like.

Answer "Dislike" if you tell yourself "Ugh... Sounds boring" or "I'm not sure"
Answer "Okay" if you tell yourself "Umm... I think I will be okay with that"
Answer "Like" if you tell yourself "Yes, I'm interested"

Ready? Let's start

Done?

Now count how many points you have.
Dislike = 0 point.
Okay = 1 point.
Like = 2 points.

After you're done counting your points. Click below to view your results.

Best personality for this career

People who are suitable for this job tends to like working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Choreographers create new dance routines. Rehearse performance of routines. May direct and stage presentations..

Here is what a typical day's work for a Choreographer looks like:

Direct rehearsals to instruct dancers in how to use dance steps, and in techniques to achieve desired effects.

Teach students, dancers, and other performers about rhythm and interpretive movement.

Choose the music, sound effects, or spoken narrative to accompany a dance.

Advise dancers on how to stand and move properly, teaching correct dance techniques to help prevent injuries.

Design dances for individual dancers, dance companies, musical theatre, opera, fashion shows, film, television productions, and special events, and for dancers ranging from beginners to professionals.

Find out more about what Choreographers do at work.

Learn more about Choreographers

Find a college with the major you want

Related to Choreographers Quiz

Choreographers quiz, should i become a Choreographer, is Choreographers suitable for me, do i want to be a Choreographer, Choreographers personality test

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Should I Become a Choreographer (One Minute Quiz)

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create new dance routines. Rehearse performance of routines. May direct and stage presentations. In this career quiz, there are 10 questions that will give you a pretty good perspective on whether the career of a Choreographer is right for you. There are 3 answers to each question: Dislike, Okay and Like.

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For Primary Teachers: Build a Word Wall!

Download and print 32 dance terms appropriate for primary students (PDF format):

Terms only
Terms and definitions
Terms used in sentences
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A

accent: a movement or shape performed in such a way as to give emphasis.

actions: what the body is doing; includes locomotor and non-locomotor movements.

aesthetics: standards on which to make judgments about the artistic merit of a work of art.

alignment: body placement or posture; the relationship of the skeleton to the line of gravity and the base of support. Proper alignment lessens strain on muscles and joints and promotes dance skills.

analyze: to examine the unique features of a work of art as they relate to the elements of the art form and principles of design, composition, performance, and/or production; to identify and examine separate parts as they function independently and together in works of art.

asymmetry: uneven, irregular design.
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B

body bases: body parts that support the rest of the body. For example, when standing, the feet are the body base; when kneeling, the knees are the body base.

body parts: the sections of the body or body appendages, as in the arms, legs, head, torso, etc.

binary form: two-part structure; AB.
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C

call and response: a structure often associated with African music and dance forms, although it is also used elsewhere, including in classical, folk, traditional, and other primal forms. One soloist/group performs, with the second soloist answering or entering in "response."

canon: choreographic form that reflects the musical form of the same name, in which individuals and groups perform the same movement/phrase beginning at different times.

choreographic structure: the specific compositional forms in which movement is structured to create a dance.

classical dance: dance that has been developed over time into highly stylized structures and forms within a culture. Classical forms are generally developed within the court or circle of power in a society.

compositional forms : structures of dance composition. Examples include

AB-a form made up of two contrasting sections, each of which may or may not be repeated.

ABA-a three-part compositional form in which the second section contrasts with the first section. The third section is a restatement of the first section and can be in a condensed, abbreviated, or extended form.

narrative-choreographic structure that follows a specific story line to convey specific information through the story.

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D

dance criticism: the process and result of critical thinking about dance. It usually involves description, analysis, and interpretation of dance, as well as some kind of judgment.

describe: part of the initial process of responding to works of art. Refers to identifying and communicating, orally or in writing, the elements of the specific art form present in a work; also refers to when, where, and by whom the work was done.

directions : forward, backward, sideways, up and down.

dynamics : the dance element that relates to how a movement is done; movement quality.
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E

elevation: the body's propulsion into the air away from the floor, such as a leap, hop, or jump.

ethnic dance: dances that are usually created and performed by specific ethnic groups within societies or cultures.

expression: a process of conveying ideas, feelings, and meaning through the selective use of the communicative possibilities of dance.
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F

focus: a central point or focus of attention in the movement space; the concentration, attention, or specific energy given to movement in space.

folk dances: dances that are usually created and performed by specific groups within cultures. Generally these dances originated outside the court or circle of power within a society.

force (energy): degree of muscular tension and use of energy while moving, such as heavy/light, sharp/smooth, tension/relaxation, bound/flowing. Tension/relaxation: Tension feels hard and tight; relaxation feels soft and loose.

flow: continuity of movement. When energy is released freely, we describe the movement as free-flowing. Energy can also be released in a controlled, restrained manner.
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I

improvisation: movement that is created spontaneously, ranging from free-form to highly structured, but always with an element of chance. Improvisation provides the dancer with the opportunity to bring together elements quickly and requires focus and concentration. It is instant and simultaneous choreography and performance.

initiation: the point at which movement is said to originate. It particularly refers to specific body parts and is generally said to be either distal (from the limbs or head) or central (from the torso).

interpret: this process of responding to works of art identifies the ideas, feelings, moods, and overall meaning communicated by the work of art. It also calls for the investigation of the influence of time and place upon the artist who created the work.
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K

kinesphere: see space.

kinesthetic: refers to the ability of the body's sensory organs in the muscles, tendons, and joints to respond to stimuli while dancing or viewing a dance.
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L

landing: the manner and quality in which the body returns to earth following an action of elevation such as a leap, hop, or jump.

levels : the vertical distance from the floor. Movements take place on three levels: high, middle, and low or deep level.

locomotor movements: movements that travel from one location to another. Examples include

walk: steps from one foot to the other, with the weight being transferred from heel to toe.

run: steps from one foot to another performed at a relatively fast tempo.

hop: a movement whereby the body is propelled through space by springing from one foot and landing on the same foot.

jump: a movement whereby the body is propelled through space by springing from two feet and landing on two feet.

leap: a movement whereby the body is propelled through space by springing from one foot and landing on the other foot.

gallop: a sliding step whereby the body is propelled through space in an uneven rhythm, so the same foot is always leading.

skip: a step and a hop, alternating feet.

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M

metric rhythm: the grouping of beats in a recurring pattern.

movement quality: the identifying attributes created by the gathering, release, follow-through, and termination of energy in the body, which are key to making movement expressive and therefore dance-like. Typical terms denoting movement quality include, but are not limited to, smooth, sustained, swinging, percussive, and vibratory as well as effort combinations such as float, dab, punch, and glide. See also dynamics.

movement theme: a complete idea in movement that is manipulated and developed within a dance.

musicality: the attention and sensitivity to the musical elements of dance while creating or performing.
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N

non-locomotor movements : movement that is performed around the axis of the body rather than designed for travel from place to place, such as bend and stretch, push and pull, rise and sink, swing and sway, twist and turn, shake; also called axial movements.
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P

pathways : patterns we make as we move through the air or around the floor (i.e., straight, vertical, horizontal, zig-zag). Can be made with locomotor or non-locomotor movements, separately or in combination.

pattern: a repetition of lines, shapes, and/or movements that results in a spatial or movement design.

phrase : a brief sequence of related movements that has a sense of rhythmic completion.

purpose: the intended function of a dance within its cultural and/or aesthetic contexts.
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R

rondo form: a dance structure with three or more themes where one theme is repeated; ABACAD ...
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S

shape : the form created by the body's position in space. Aspects of shape are open/closed, symmetrical/asymmetrical, angular/curved.

space: includes directions, size, pathways, levels, and shapes.

general space-the dance area.

personal space (also called kinesphere)-the area of space occupied by the dancer's body.

size-the magnitude of a body shape or movement, from small to large.

style: a distinctive manner of moving or dancing; the characteristic way a dance is done, created, or performed that identifies the dance of a particular performer, choreographer, culture, or period.

symmetry: a balanced, even design of shapes and/or movements in space.
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T

tension/relaxation: tense movements feel hard and tight; relaxed movements feel soft, loose, and flowing.

tertiary form: three-part structure; ABA.

time: includes duration, tempo, and beat.

duration-the length of time a movement lasts.

tempo-the speed with which a movement is performed.

beat-the underlying rhythmic pulse.

time signature: a written symbol in music that denotes a metric rhythm; for example, 3/4, 4/4.
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W

warm-up: movements and/or movement phrases designed to raise the core body temperature and bring the mind into focus for the dance activities that follow.
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Educators K-12 English Language Arts and Literacy The Arts Learners

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asymmetry: uneven, irregular design.
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binary form: two-part structure; AB.
↑ Top

AB-a form made up of two contrasting sections, each of which may or may not be repeated.

ABA-a three-part compositional form in which the second section contrasts with the first section. The third section is a restatement of the first section and can be in a condensed, abbreviated, or extended form.

narrative-choreographic structure that follows a specific story line to convey specific information through the story.

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kinesphere: see space.
↑ Top

walk: steps from one foot to the other, with the weight being transferred from heel to toe.

run: steps from one foot to another performed at a relatively fast tempo.

hop: a movement whereby the body is propelled through space by springing from one foot and landing on the same foot.

jump: a movement whereby the body is propelled through space by springing from two feet and landing on two feet.

leap: a movement whereby the body is propelled through space by springing from one foot and landing on the other foot.

gallop: a sliding step whereby the body is propelled through space in an uneven rhythm, so the same foot is always leading.

skip: a step and a hop, alternating feet.

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general space-the dance area.

personal space (also called kinesphere)-the area of space occupied by the dancer's body.

size-the magnitude of a body shape or movement, from small to large.

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duration-the length of time a movement lasts.

tempo-the speed with which a movement is performed.

beat-the underlying rhythmic pulse.

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Download and print 32 dance terms appropriate for primary students (PDF format): Terms only Terms and definitions Terms used in sentences ↑ Top accent: a movement or shape performed in such a way as to give emphasis. actions: what the body is doing; includes locomotor and non-locomotor movements.

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Top 5 Tips For Choosing The Perfect Songs For A Choreography - Dance With Rasa

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Timeline and History of Famous Choreographer, Alvin Ailey

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Timeline and History of Famous Choreographer, Alvin Ailey

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Explore Our History | Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

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On March 30, Alvin Ailey and a group of young, black modern dancers perform for the first time as members of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at New York's 92nd Street YM-YWHA. The Company travels on what Alvin Ailey calls "the station wagon tours" in a vehicle driven by a longtime friend of the Company, Mickey Board.

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ChoreoMaker: An App to Assist you through your Creative Process

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ChoreoMaker: An App to Assist you through your Creative Process

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A Look Inside Famous Choreographer, Martha Graham

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A Look Inside Famous Choreographer, Martha Graham

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Martha Graham is recognized as a primal artistic force of the 20th century, alongside Picasso, James Joyce, Stravinsky, and Frank Lloyd Wright. TIME magazine named Martha Graham "Dancer of the Century," and People magazine named her among the female "Icons of the Century." As a choreographer, she was as prolific

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Director-choreographer Bob Fosse forever changed the way audiences around the world viewed dance on the stage and in the film industry in the late 20th century. Visionary, intense, and unbelievably driven, Fosse was an artist whose work was always provocative, entertaining, and quite unlike anything ever before seen. His dances were sexual, physically demanding of even the most highly trained dancers, full of joyous humor as well as bleak cynicism - works that addressed the full range of human emotions. Through his films he revolutionized the presentation of dance on screen and paved the way for a whole generation of film and video directors, showing dance through the camera lens as no one had done before, foreshadowing the rise of the MTV-era of music video dance.

Robert Louis Fosse was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 23, 1927. Bob was the youngest of six children and quickly learned to win attention from his family through his dancing. It was not long before he was recognized as a child prodigy. His parents sent him to formal lessons, where he immersed himself in tap dancing. A small boy who suffered from nagging health problems, he nevertheless was so dedicated that by the time he reached high school, he was already dancing professionally in area nightclubs as part of their sleazy vaudeville and burlesque shows. The sexually free atmosphere of these clubs and the strippers with whom Fosse was in constant contact made a strong impression on him. Fascinated with vaudeville's dark humor and teasing sexual tones, he would later develop these themes in his adult work. After high school, Fosse enlisted in the Navy in 1945. Shortly after he arrived at boot camp, V-J day was declared, and World War II officially came to an end. Fosse completed his two-year duty and moved to New York City.

For the next seven years, Fosse went through two rocky marriages with dancers Mary Ann Niles and Joan McCracken, all the while performing in variety shows on stage and on television. He had a few minor Broadway chorus parts, but his big break came with his brief appearance in the 1953 MGM movie musical KISS ME, KATE. Fosse caught the immediate attention of two of Broadway's acknowledged masters: George Abbott and Jerome Robbins.

Fosse's first fully choreographed show was 1954's "The Pajama Game." Directed by Abbott, the show made Fosse an overnight success and showcased his trademark choreographic style: sexually suggestive forward hip-thrusts; the vaudeville humor of hunched shoulders and turned-in feet; the amazing, mime-like articulation of hands. He often dressed his dancers in black and put them in white gloves and derbies, recalling the image of Charlie Chaplin. He incorporated all the tricks of vaudeville that he had learned - pratfalls, slights-of-hand, double takes. Fosse received the first of his many Tony Awards for Best Choreography for "The Pajama Game."

His next musical, "Damn Yankees," brought more awards and established his life-long creative collaboration with Gwen Verdon, who had the starring role. With her inspiration, Fosse created a stream of classic dances. By 1960, Fosse was a nationally known and respected choreographer, married to Verdon (by then a beloved Broadway star) and father to their child Nicole. Yet Fosse struggled with many of his producers and directors, who wished him to tone down or remove the "controversial" parts of his dances. Tired of subverting his artistic vision for the sake of "being proper," Fosse realized that he needed to be the director as well as the choreographer in order to have control over his dances.

His dances were sexual, physically demanding of even the most highly trained dancers.

From the late 1960s to the late 1970s, Fosse created a number of ground-breaking stage musicals and films. These works reflected the desire for sexual freedom that was being expressed across America and were huge successes as a result. Before Fosse, dance was always filmed either in a front-facing or overhead view. In his 1969 film version of SWEET CHARITY (Fosse's 1966 stage version was based on an earlier movie by Italian director Federico Fellini, about a prostitute's search for love; the film was commissioned by Universal Studios after the success of the stage version) and in later works, Fosse introduced unique perspective shots and jump cuts. These film and editing techniques would become standard practice for music video directors decades later.

Bob Fosse

His 1972 film CABARET was based on Christopher Isherwood's stories of pre-Weimar Germany. Articles on the film appeared in all the major magazines. Photos appeared on the covers of TIME and NEWSWEEK. The film was Fosse's biggest public success and won eight Academy Awards. Fosse's "Pippin" (1972) became the highest earning Broadway show in history, as well as the first Broadway show to advertise on national television. "Pippin" was awarded five Tony Awards for the 1972-73 season, one of them given to Fosse for best direction and choreography. Fosse staged and choreographed a variety show special for NBC starring Liza Minnelli, LIZA WITH A Z, which brought Fosse an Emmy Award and made him the first person to ever win top honors in three entertainment mediums - stage, film, and television.

Two stage musicals followed: "Chicago" (1975) and "Dancin'" (1978). During rehearsals for "Chicago," Fosse suffered a heart attack. He survived and used much of that traumatic experience in 1979 in his semiautobiographical dance film ALL THAT JAZZ. Two other films, LENNY (1974) and STAR 80 (1983), were not the popular successes that his other shows had been. "Big Deal," Fosse's last musical, was also poorly received. After a rehearsal for the revival of "Sweet Charity," Fosse suffered a massive heart attack and died on the way to the hospital. Fosse's contribution to American entertainment continued after his death via show revivals and dance classes. His most prominent contribution was through the body of his work recorded on film and video.
Source: Excerpted from ST. JAMES ENCYCLOPEDIA OF POPULAR CULTURE. 5 VOLS., St. James Press, © 2000 St. James Press. Reprinted by permission of The Gale Group.
Photo credits: Photofest and the New York Public Library

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Bob Fosse | The Stars | Broadway: The American Musical | PBS

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Director-choreographer Bob Fosse forever changed the way audiences around the world viewed dance on the stage and in the film industry in the late 20th century. Visionary, intense, and unbelievably driven, Fosse was an artist whose work was always provocative, ... Continue reading →

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Bob Fosse dance numbers -  " The Rich Man's Frug "

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Free Way to Find Music for your Choreographic Piece

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Free Way to Find Music for your Choreographic Piece

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Spotify - Web Player: Music for everyone

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Spotify is a digital music service that gives you access to millions of songs.

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Interview with the Choreographer behind the hit musical, Hamilton

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Interview with the Choreographer behind the hit musical, Hamilton

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Hamilton Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler on The Broadway Q&A

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Free Online Journal to Document your Creative Process

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Free Online Journal to Document your Creative Process

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Penzu is a free online diary and personal journal focused on privacy. Easily keep a secret diary or a private journal of notes and ideas securely on the web.

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This is a list of choreographers organized alphabetically by country of birth or residence. (See also