Choreography
Overview
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance, see chorus) and "γραφή" (writing). It first appeared in the American English dictionary in the 1950s. Earlier, "staging" and "balletmaster" were used.
History
The origins of choreography date back at least to the 5th century BC, during the golden age of ancient Greece. Choreography and dance accompanied Greek theater, often led by a chorus of up to 50 people who performed the plays' themes through song and dance. In the 17th century, at the court of Louis XIV, Jean-Baptiste Lully and Pierre Beauchamp revolutionized ballet by setting a formal choreographic vocabulary of baroque dance on the five positions of the feet (previously, dance steps were improvised or taught by itinerant dancing masters).
Choreographic Process
The choreographic process may be divided for analytical purposes (the divisions are never distinct in practice) into three phases: gathering together the movement material, developing movements into dance phrases, and creating the final structure of the choreography.
Gathering Movement Material
The choreographer's first task is to stimulate the emergence of interesting and expressive movement ideas. This may involve improvisation, where a movement sequence is created spontaneously. Improvisation can be structured, such as asking a dancer to find a creative way to change levels, or free-form, such as asking a dancer to interpret a piece of music. The choreographer may also draw upon the dancers' personal experiences, such as asking them to recall an emotionally charged moment and translate it into a movement.
Developing Movements into Dance Phrases
Once a series of movements have been created, the next step is to refine these ideas into dance phrases. This is comparable to a writer developing a string of sentences to support a thesis statement. The choreographer will work closely with the dancers during this phase, often participating in the dance, demonstrating moves, and providing feedback.
Creating the Final Structure
The final phase of the choreographic process involves arranging the dance phrases into the larger structure of the dance work. This involves deciding on the sequence of the dance phrases and planning transitions between phrases. The choreographer also decides on the spatial aspects of the dance, such as the dancers' formations and pathways on the stage.
Choreographic Structures
Choreography is created in various forms and structures. These include narrative choreography that tells a story, thematic choreography that follows a concept, and abstract choreography that is focused on movement for its own sake.
Choreographic Devices
Choreographic devices, such as repetition, inversion, retrograde, and accumulation, are used to manipulate basic choreographic phrases into different forms and structures. These devices allow the choreographer to develop and vary the dance, and they provide a way to create a relationship between the music and the movement.
Notation
Choreographers have various systems for recording their choreographic ideas. The two most common systems used in Western dance are Labanotation and Benesh Movement Notation. Both systems record the timing, the part of the body that is moving, the direction of the movement, and the dynamics of the movement.
Role in Society
Choreography is used in a variety of fields, including cheerleading, gymnastics, ice skating, marching bands, show choir, theatre, synchronized swimming, video game production, and animated art. It is also used in the presentation of fashion shows and beauty pageants.