What does choreographer mean?
A choreographer is a person who designs and arranges sequences of movement, most often for dance performances in fields such as ballet, contemporary dance, musical theatre, film, and television. The role involves deciding which steps and gestures performers execute, how they are sequenced, timed, and coordinated with music, and how bodies move through space on stage or screen. Choreographers may create original works, restage existing pieces, or set movement for specific productions, and many also train dancers directly during rehearsal. The word derives from Greek roots meaning roughly 'dance-writing', reflecting the idea that a dance can be composed with the same deliberate craft as a piece of writing or music. Beyond traditional dance, the title applies to specialists who design fight sequences, figure-skating programs, marching-band formations, and stage movement generally. The term carries connotations of creative authority and artistic vision, and prominent choreographers are often named alongside directors and composers in reviews of major productions.
nounA person who designs and arranges the movements and steps in a dance or other staged performance.
- A person who composes and arranges dances, especially for performance in ballet, theatre, film, or television.
"The ballet company hired a renowned choreographer to create a new work for its spring season."
"Twyla Tharp is widely celebrated as one of the most innovative choreographers of her generation."
"The film's fight scenes were designed by a former martial-arts choreographer."
Standard regular plural; countable noun.
"Several leading choreographers contributed pieces to the festival."
The word 'choreographer' literally means 'dance writer' — from Greek khoreia (dancing in chorus) plus graphein (to write) — so every dance you've ever watched began life as something written down by hand.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of choreographer
The word choreographer comes from the Greek khoreia, meaning 'dancing in chorus' or 'choral dance', combined with graphein, meaning 'to write'. It entered English via French choréographie, a coinage of the French dance master Raoul-Auger Feuillet, whose 1700 treatise on recording dance steps gave rise to the term. English adopted both 'choreography' and, slightly later, 'choreographer' to denote the practice and its practitioner. Related words sharing the same Greek roots include choreography, choreograph, and choreographic.
Related word forms
How choreographer is actually used
Neutral register — used equally in formal arts criticism and everyday conversation. The term extends beyond dance to anyone arranging movement patterns, as in fight choreography or ice-skating routines. The feminine form 'choregraphess' is obsolete; 'choreographer' is now standard for all genders.
Easily confused with choreographer
Choreography is the art or sequence of dance movements itself, while a choreographer is the person who creates it.
A cartographer makes maps, whereas a choreographer designs dances; the words share only their Greek-derived '-grapher' ending.