Choreograph

/ˈkɔrioɡræf/ verb

Definition

To design and arrange the movements and patterns of a dance, or to compose a sequence of movements for performers.

Etymology

From 'choreography' as a back-formation (removing the '-y' to create a verb). Emerged as choreography became a recognized, teachable art form in the 18th-19th centuries.

Kelly Says

The word 'choreograph' is unusual because it came second—people first invented choreography (the noun, meaning 'written dance'), then created the verb 'choreograph' to describe the act of doing it, backwards from how most words develop.

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