choreography

American  

[kawr-ee-og-ruh-fee, kohr-] / ˌkɔr iˈɒg rə fi, ˌkoʊr- /

noun

1. the art of composing ballets and other dances and planning and arranging the movements, steps, and patterns of dancers.

2. the technique of representing the various movements in dancing by a system of notation.

3. the arrangement or manipulation of actions leading up to an event.

   the choreography of a surprise birthday party.

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choreography British  

/ ˌkɒrɪəˈɡræfɪk, ˌkɒrɪˈɒɡrəfɪ, kɒˈrɛɡrəfɪ, ˌkɒrəˈɡræfɪk /

noun

1. the composition of dance steps and sequences for ballet and stage dancing

2. the steps and sequences of a ballet or dance

3. the notation representing such steps

4. the art of dancing

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choreography Cultural  

1. The art of arranging dance movements for performance.

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Other Word Forms

• choreographer noun
• choreographic adjective
• choreographically adverb

Etymology

Origin of choreography

1780–90; < Greek chore- (stem of choreía chorea ) + -o- + -graphy

Example Sentences

Intricate group choreography finds the Shakers swaying and stretching in tandem as if their hands were reaching up to pull God closer to Earth — or the congregation closer to Heaven.

From Salon

“You can’t hear it without tapping a toe, bobbing a head or getting up and doing the full choreography,” said Will Coss, executive producer of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sometimes the actors had a simple click track in an earpiece, other times a “stomp track” from the foot choreography.

From Los Angeles Times

"It involved really intense choreography," said Safdie, admitting he broke into a few cold sweats while preparing for the shoot.

From Barron's

Six dancers persuasively interpret the seasons and sometimes accompany the arias; Ms. Tanowitz’s angular, evocative choreography is enhanced by costumes in shiny textiles and chiffons by Victoria Bek and Carlos Soto.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dance