choreographer

American  

[kawr-ee-og-ruh-fer, kohr-] / ˌkɔr iˈɒg rə fər, ˌkoʊr- /

noun

choreographers plural

1. a person who creates dance compositions and plans and arranges dance movements and patterns for dances and especially for ballets.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• choreographers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of choreographer

First recorded in 1885–90; choreograph(y) + -er ¹

Explanation

A choreographer is a person who creates a dance, designing every move that the dancers make. The choreographer of a preschool performance will usually have the little dancers do simple movements, spins, and kicks. Choreographer is from choreography and its Greek roots, khoreia, "dance," and graphein, "to write." Choreographers are like composers, but instead of creating music, they compose movements, writing out notations that symbolize how dancers will move. It was a choreographer's job to plan out the Jets-Sharks fight in West Side Story — and the dance moves in your favorite music videos.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

choreographer choreographers

In staging Aithra’s magical manifestations, Mr. Räth and choreographer Catherine Galasso made their inner demons visible.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Bodies in Play began as he tried to navigate dance in the city as a choreographer, searching for the professional steps needed to advance his craft.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

The rhythmic arm swings and hip circles that have now gone viral weren't in the original music video - but have now spread everywhere thanks to the creative touch of choreographer Lola Beckers.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

The dancer and choreographer was a virtuoso performer in his own right—and a valued mentor to others.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

It was like being inside an enormous beehive, with a constant buzz and people scurrying everywhere—costumers, stagehands, musicians, the choreographer and his many assistants.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

When assigning sections, Millepied used a curatorial eye to give the choreographers portions of music he knew they’d be able to experiment with and make the most of.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

Favreau was keen to invite outside choreographers "to highlight the company's technical and artistic qualities and show it could do more than just Bejart".

From Barron's ● Feb. 25, 2026

The choreographers of the dances for these men, all women, have been chosen to explore, according to promotional materials, “male identity through classical and contemporary movement.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026

Sales director Gerald Schwanzer explained how the company's dancing background has made it a favourite for performers and choreographers.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2025

To this end she recruited Italian dancers, choreographers and a band of violinists, playing on the very instruments she had ordered for her son from Cremona.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall