What Do Choreographers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Choreographers create new dance routines. Rehearse performance of routines. May direct and stage presentations. They also direct rehearsals to instruct dancers in how to use dance steps, and in techniques to achieve desired effects.

Other tasks include:

• 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.
• Seek influences from other art forms such as theatre, the visual arts, and architecture.
• Experiment with different types of dancers, steps, dances, and placements, testing ideas informally to get feedback from dancers.

We asked Choreographers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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68% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 49% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Choreographers train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness. They advise dancers on how to stand and move properly, teaching correct dance techniques to help prevent injuries.

A typical day for a Choreographer will also include:

• 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.
• Develop ideas for creating dances, keeping notes and sketches to record influences.
• Assess students’ dancing abilities to determine where improvement or change is needed.
• Experiment with different types of dancers, steps, dances, and placements, testing ideas informally to get feedback from dancers.

We asked some Choreographers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	64% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	84% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	88% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	20% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	40% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Choreographers also manage dance schools, or assist in their management. They may also direct rehearsals to instruct dancers in how to use dance steps, and in techniques to achieve desired effects.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Choreographers Audition performers for one or more dance parts. They might also Choose the music, sound effects, or spoken narrative to accompany a dance.

In addition, they Read and study story lines and musical scores to determine how to translate ideas and moods into dance movements.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Design sets, lighting, costumes, and other artistic elements of productions, in collaboration with cast members.

To some Choreographers, it is also their responsibility to Seek influences from other art forms such as theatre, the visual arts, and architecture.

Working life

Less than 40 hours per week

Irregular work schedule that changes depending on weather conditions, customer demand or contract duration.

In a typical work week as a Choreographer, you can expect to work less than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

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.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/entertainment-and-sports/dancers-and-choreographers.htm

http://www.danceusa.org/

http://www.nea.gov/

http://nasd.arts-accredit.org/