Choreographers

Salary Overview

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Key Skills

Knowledge Areas

What They Do

• Advise dancers on standing and moving properly, teaching correct dance techniques to help prevent injuries.
• Choose the music, sound effects, or spoken narrative to accompany a dance.
• Experiment with different types of dancers, steps, dances, and placements, testing ideas informally to get feedback from dancers.
• Seek influences from other art forms, such as theatre, the visual arts, and architecture.
• Develop ideas for creating dances, keeping notes and sketches to record influences.
• Coordinate production music with music directors.
• 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.
• Audition performers for one or more dance parts.

Tools & Technology

★ = Hot Technology (in-demand)

Education Requirements

Typical entry-level education: High School Diploma

Related Careers

Careers with the highest skill compatibility from Choreographers.

A Day in the Life

A choreographer's day varies dramatically depending on whether they are in a creation phase or rehearsal period. Mornings often begin with personal warm-up and movement exploration, experimenting with new sequences inspired by music, concepts, or emotional themes for an upcoming production. During active projects, the bulk of the day is spent in rehearsal studios, teaching choreography to dancers through demonstration, verbal instruction, and repetition. Choreographers break down complex sequences into manageable sections, adjusting movements to suit individual dancers' strengths and physical capabilities. Between rehearsal blocks, they review video recordings of practice sessions to analyze formations, timing, and artistic expression, making notes for refinements. Meetings with directors, producers, and creative teams are common, where choreographers discuss how dance sequences integrate with the broader production's narrative, lighting, and staging. Administrative time is spent planning rehearsal schedules, selecting music, creating notation or video references for dancers to review independently, and managing budgets for costumes and set changes. Evening hours may involve attending performances, networking at industry events, or scouting talent at showcases and auditions.

Work Environment

Choreographers work primarily in rehearsal studios and performance venues, spending long hours on their feet in physically demanding environments. The work schedule is highly irregular, with evenings, weekends, and holiday performances being standard, especially during production seasons. Freelance choreographers, who make up the majority of the profession, may work on multiple projects simultaneously, traveling between studios, theaters, and filming locations. The atmosphere in rehearsal spaces is intense and collaborative, requiring the choreographer to balance artistic authority with supportive coaching to bring out the best in dancers. Productions often operate under tight deadlines, creating high-pressure periods leading up to opening nights or filming dates. The culture is deeply community-oriented, with close bonds forming among creative teams who spend weeks or months working together intensively. Physical fitness is essential, as choreographers frequently demonstrate movements full-out alongside their dancers. Many choreographers supplement their income by teaching regular dance classes at studios or universities, adding structure to an otherwise unpredictable work calendar.

Career Path & Advancement

Most choreographers begin their careers as dancers, spending years developing technical proficiency and performance experience before transitioning to creating their own work. While no specific degree is required, many choreographers hold bachelor's or master's degrees in dance, performing arts, or fine arts, which provide formal training in technique, composition, and dance history. Training often starts in childhood through studio classes, intensifying through conservatory programs or university dance departments. Early choreographic experience is typically gained by creating pieces for student showcases, community dance companies, or independent productions. Emerging choreographers build portfolios by collaborating with local theater groups, music artists, and dance competitions. Mid-career advancement involves landing commissions for larger productions, earning residencies with established dance companies, or gaining recurring positions on television shows and world tours. Senior choreographers may become artistic directors of dance companies, lead choreography departments at production studios, or build their own dance companies. Some transition into teaching at university dance programs, judging competition circuits, or directing large-scale entertainment productions like award shows and corporate events.

Specializations

Choreography encompasses numerous specialized styles and contexts that allow practitioners to carve distinct creative niches. Concert dance choreographers create works for ballet, contemporary, and modern dance companies, often debuting pieces at prestigious festivals and theaters. Commercial choreographers focus on music videos, television performances, advertising campaigns, and live concert tours, working with recording artists and production companies. Broadway and musical theater choreographers design movement for stage productions, integrating dance with acting and singing to advance dramatic narratives. Film choreographers collaborate closely with cinematographers and directors to design movements that translate effectively to camera, including fight choreography and stunt coordination. Competition choreographers create routines for dance teams and solo competitors across styles like jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, and contemporary. Cultural and folk dance specialists preserve and reinterpret traditional dance forms from specific world regions. Ice show and circus choreographers adapt movement principles to non-traditional surfaces and aerial environments. Increasingly, choreographers specialize in motion capture for video games and animated films, translating physical performance into digital characters.

Pros & Cons

Industry Insight

The choreography profession is being reshaped by digital platforms and evolving entertainment formats. Social media has democratized visibility, enabling choreographers to build global followings and attract work through viral video content rather than traditional industry gatekeepers. Streaming services have increased demand for original content across film and television, expanding opportunities for choreographers in serialized productions, reality competition shows, and digital specials. The K-pop and global pop music industries have elevated choreography to a central marketing element, with fans dissecting and learning routines that generate billions of views. Concert touring has become a primary revenue source for the music industry, driving demand for choreographers who can design large-scale spectacles for arena and stadium performances. Diversity and cultural sensitivity in choreography have become important conversations, with the industry moving toward crediting and compensating original movement creators more fairly. Technology is opening new frontiers, with virtual reality performances, augmented reality experiences, and motion capture work creating novel contexts for choreographic practice. Despite growth in certain sectors, competition remains fierce, and the freelance-dominated nature of the field means income volatility continues to be a significant challenge.