Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies in which motion or form or both are specified. It is the process of creating planned movements and organizing them into order and pattern. Choreography is most commonly associated with dance, and it involves the specification of human movement. The choreographic process may employ improvisation for the purpose of developing innovative movement ideas. Aspects of dance choreography include the compositional use of organic unity, rhythmic or non-rhythmic articulation, theme and variation, and repetition. Dance choreography is sometimes called dance composition. In general, choreography is used to design dances that are intended to be performed as concert dance.
Choreography is the art of making dances, the gathering and organization of movement into order and pattern. Most recent works of Western theatre dance have been created by single choreographers, who have been regarded as the authors and owners of their works in a way comparable to writers, composers, and painters. Most social and recreational dances, on the other hand, are products of long evolution, involving innovations that groups of people or anonymous individuals have brought to traditional forms. This evolutionary process is also typical of much non-Western choreography, where both the form and steps of dances are handed down from one generation to another and subject only to gradual and partial change.
Choreography can also refer to the composition and arrangement of dances, especially for ballet. It is the art of symbolically representing dancing. A choreographer is one who creates choreographies by practicing the art of choreography, a process known as choreographing. The term "choreography" can also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation.
