Choreography
The word choreography literally means dance-writing from the Greek words choreia and graphē. It first appeared in the American English dictionary in the 1950s, and choreographer was first used as a credit for George Balanchine in the Broadway show On Your Toes in 1936. Before this date, stage and movie credits used phrases such as ensembles staged by or dances staged by to denote the creator of movement. In Renaissance Italy, dance masters created movements for social dances which were taught while staged ballets were created similarly. In 16th century France, French court dances were developed in an artistic pattern. During the 17th and 18th centuries, social dance became more separated from theatrical dance performances. The word choreography was applied to the written record of dances during that era, which later became known as dance notation. This shift changed the meaning of choreography to its current use as the composition of a sequence of movements making up a dance performance. Jean-Georges Noverre emerged as a well-known master of the late 18th century who arranged dance as a theatrical art. Other figures like Gasparo Angiolini, Jean Dauberval, Charles Didelot, and Salvatore Viganò followed and developed techniques for specific types of dance. Ballet eventually developed its own vocabulary in the 19th century with romantic ballet choreographers including Carlo Blasis, August Bournonville, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa.
Dances are designed by applying one or both of these fundamental choreographic methods: improvisation and planned choreography. Improvisation occurs when a choreographer provides dancers with a score that serves as guidelines for improvised movement and form. A score might direct one dancer to withdraw from another dancer, who in turn is directed to avoid the withdrawal. It might specify a sequence of movements that are to be executed in an improvised manner over the course of a musical phrase, as in contra dance choreography. Improvisational scores typically offer wide latitude for personal interpretation by the dancer. Planned choreography occurs when a choreographer dictates motion and form in detail, leaving little or no opportunity for the dancer to exercise personal interpretation. Several underlying techniques are commonly used in choreography for two or more dancers. Mirroring involves facing each other and doing the same move. Retrograde means performing a sequence of moves in reverse order. Canon describes people performing the same move one after the other. Levels involve people higher and lower in a dance. Shadowing happens when standing one behind the other and performing the same moves. Unison occurs when two or more people do a range of moves at the same time. Movements may be characterized by dynamics such as fast, slow, hard, soft, long, and short.
Modern dance brought a new, more naturalistic style of choreography through Russian choreographer Michel Fokine who lived from 1880 to 1942. Isadora Duncan lived from 1878 to 1927 and favored natural movement and improvisation. Merce Cunningham, George Balanchine, and Sir Frederick Ashton were all influential choreographers of classical or abstract dance. Balanchine and Ashton, along with Martha Graham, Leonide Massine, Jerome Robbins and others also created representational works. Alvin Ailey lived from 1931 to 1989 and was an African-American dancer, choreographer, and activist whose work spanned many dance styles including ballet, jazz, modern dance, and theatre. The work of these figures expanded the artistic vocabulary of movement across generations. Styles have varied between realistic representation and abstraction since their time. These artists shaped modern dance styles and left lasting legacies in how human bodies move on stage.
Choreography applies to fields beyond traditional dance performance today. It is used in opera, cheerleading, theatre, marching band, synchronized swimming, cinematography, ice skating, gymnastics, fashion shows, show choir, cardistry, video game production, and animated art. In the performing arts, choreography applies to human movement and form within three dimensions of space and the fourth dimension of time. Choreography must impose some kind of order on the performance while respecting the capabilities of the human body. Video game animation uses choreographic principles to design character movements that feel intentional and expressive. Synchronized swimming relies on precise timing and spatial arrangement similar to dance composition. Fashion shows incorporate choreographed sequences for models walking down runways. Cinematography employs choreography to plan camera angles and actor blocking within a scene. These applications demonstrate how choreographic thinking extends far beyond concert dance into diverse creative industries.
The International Choreographic Competition Hannover in Hanover, Germany is the longest-running choreography competition in the world. It started in 1964 and was organized by the Ballett Gesellschaft Hannover e.V. The event took place online during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 before returning to the stage at the Theater am Aegi in 2022. Gregor Zöllig, head choreographer of dance at the Staatstheater Braunschweig was appointed artistic director of the competition in 2020. Main conditions require entrants to be under 40 years of age and professionally trained. The competition has been run in collaboration with the Tanja Liedtke Foundation since her death in 2008. From 2021 a new production prize has been awarded by the foundation to complement five other production awards. The 2021 and 2022 awards were presented by Marco Goecke, then director of ballet at the Staatstheater Hannover. Other international competitions include the Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition in China and the Copenhagen International Choreography Competition founded in 2008. These events foster professional development among emerging artists worldwide.
Section 102(a)(4) of the Copyright Act protects choreographic works created after the 1st of January 1978 when fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Under copyright law, choreography is defined as the composition and arrangement of a related series of dance movements and patterns organized into a coherent whole. The U.S. Copyright Office published Circular 52 in October 2022 regarding registration of choreography and pantomime. Choreography consisting of ordinary motor activities, social dances, commonplace movements or gestures, or athletic movements may lack sufficient authorship to qualify for copyright protection. A recent lawsuit was brought by professional dancer and choreographer Kyle Hanagami who sued Epic Games. He alleged that the video game developer copied a portion of his copyrighted dance moves in the popular game Fortnite. Hanagami published a YouTube video in 2017 featuring a dance he choreographed to the song How Long by Charlie Puth. He claimed that Fortnite's It's Complicated emote copied a portion of his How High choreography. Hanagami asserted claims for direct and contributory copyright infringement and unfair competition. Fortnite-maker Epic Games ultimately won dismissal of the copyright claims after the district court concluded that his two-second, four-beat sequence of dance steps was not protectable under copyright law.
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Common questions
When did the word choreography first appear in American English dictionaries?
The word choreography first appeared in the American English dictionary during the 1950s. Before this date, stage and movie credits used phrases such as ensembles staged by or dances staged by to denote the creator of movement.
Who was the first person credited with the title choreographer on Broadway?
George Balanchine received the credit for choreographer in the Broadway show On Your Toes in 1936. This marked a shift from previous practices where creators were described using phrases like dances staged by.
What are the two fundamental methods used to design dance movements?
Dances are designed by applying one or both of these fundamental choreographic methods: improvisation and planned choreography. Improvisation occurs when a choreographer provides dancers with a score that serves as guidelines for improvised movement and form while planned choreography dictates motion and form in detail.
Which competition is recognized as the longest-running choreography event in the world?
The International Choreographic Competition Hannover in Hanover, Germany is the longest-running choreography competition in the world. It started in 1964 and was organized by the Ballett Gesellschaft Hannover e.V.
When did Section 102(a)(4) of the Copyright Act begin protecting choreographic works?
Section 102(a)(4) of the Copyright Act protects choreographic works created after the 1st of January 1978 when fixed in a tangible medium of expression. The U.S. Copyright Office published Circular 52 in October 2022 regarding registration of choreography and pantomime.