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

Explanation

Use the noun choreography to describe the plan for how dancers will move on a stage during a show, play, or dance. You might particularly love the choreography in the movie West Side Story. You can use the word choreography to mean "dance" or "ballet," but its specific meaning is the notation a choreographer makes on paper as she plans out the complex movements and steps made by dancers. Choreography is particularly important in musical theater, ballet, opera, and dance recitals. The Greek roots of choreography are khoreia, "dance," and graphein, "to write."

Example Sentences

His Coachella set marked a starker departure from the previous night's headline act, Sabrina Carpenter, whose Hollywood-themed gig included costume changes, choreography and elaborate stage design.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Another major difference was the relative lack of choreography - with BTS concentrating more on firing up the crowd than the tightly-controlled dance moves fans have come to expect.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

A motivated student can hold conversations with leaders who later would require months of networking choreography to access.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

They finish rehearsal by stretching and running through choreography.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

It was his wildest demonstration of himself, of himself in the kind of world he loved; it was his choreography of peace.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

Related Words

• dance