Choreography is the art of planning and arranging dance movements and patterns, usually for a performance. It can also describe the carefully organized movement of people or things in any complex activity.
“Choreography” comes from Greek “khoros,” meaning “dance” or “chorus,” and “-graphy,” meaning “writing.” It literally means “dance writing,” as in writing down or designing dances.
Choreography is literally “writing with bodies instead of ink.” A choreographer thinks about timing, space, and emotion the way a composer thinks about notes. When a crowd or army moves in perfect sync, we often borrow the word—because it feels like the whole group is dancing, even if there’s no music.
Dance and choreography have often enforced gendered roles—leading and following, costume expectations, and movement vocabularies tied to masculinity or femininity. Historically, male choreographers were more prominently credited than many women who created or staged work.
Use 'choreography' neutrally and avoid assuming gendered roles in dance descriptions; when giving examples, include choreographers of different genders and avoid stereotyping movement as inherently 'masculine' or 'feminine.'
["movement design","dance composition"]
Recognize women and nonbinary choreographers whose work has significantly shaped dance—such as Martha Graham, Pina Bausch, and many contemporary artists who challenged gendered movement norms.
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