choreography

cho·re·og·ra·phy

noun \ˌkȯr-ē-ˈä-grə-fē\

: the art or job of deciding how dancers will move in a performance; also : the movements that are done by dancers in a performance

plural cho·re·og·ra·phies

Full Definition of CHOREOGRAPHY

1

:  the art of symbolically representing dancing

2

a :  the composition and arrangement of dances especially for ballet

b :  a composition created by this art

3

:  something resembling choreography <a snail-paced choreography of delicate high diplomacy — Wolfgang Saxon>

— cho·reo·graph·ic \ˌkȯr-ē-ə-ˈgra-fik\ adjective

— cho·reo·graph·i·cal·ly \-fi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Examples of CHOREOGRAPHY

1. He has an interest in choreography.
2. a show with excellent choreography

Origin of CHOREOGRAPHY

French chorégraphie, from Greek choreia + French -graphie -graphy

First Known Use: circa 1789

Other Dance Terms

attitude, honor, saltatory, sashay, taw

choreography

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Art of creating and arranging dances. The word is derived from the Greek for “dance” and “write,” reflecting its early meaning as a written record of dances. By the 19th century the term was used mainly for the creation of dances, and the written record became known as dance notation. In the 16th century dance masters at the French court arranged their social dances into specific patterns. In the 17th century such dances became more complex and were performed as theatrical ballets by trained professionals. In the late 18th century Jean-Georges Noverre and Gasparo Angiolini introduced choreography that combined expressive mime and dance steps to produce the dramatic ballet. This was further developed in 19th-century Romantic ballets by Marius Petipa, Jules Perrot, and August Bournonville. Radical change in the 20th century began with choreographers of the Ballets Russes, including Michel Fokine and Léonide Massine, and continued with George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Frederick Ashton, Jerome Robbins, Merce Cunningham, and Twyla Tharp. See also Alvin Ailey; Agnes de Mille; Serge Lifar; Bronislava Nijinska; Salvatore Viganò.