choreography

noun

cho·​re·​og·​ra·​phy ˌkȯr-ē-ˈä-grə-fē 

plural choreographies

1

: the art of symbolically representing dancing

2

a

: the composition and arrangement of dances especially for ballet

b

: a composition created by this art

3

: something resembling choreography

a snail-paced choreography of delicate high diplomacy

—Wolfgang Saxon

choreographic

ˌkȯr-ē-ə-ˈgra-fik 

adjective

choreographically

ˌkȯr-ē-ə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Did you know?

In ancient Greece, a choreia was a circular dance accompanied by a singing chorus. But the actual notating of dances by means of symbols didn't begin until the 17th or 18th century, when ballet developed into a complex art form in France. The choreographer of a major ballet, which might run to an hour or more, will always record his or her work in notation, though choreographing a five-minute segment for a TV talent show usually doesn't require any record at all.

Examples of choreography in a Sentence

He has an interest in choreography.

a show with excellent choreography

Recent Examples on the Web

Prince kept giving Jam notes, pushing him to improve various aspects of the performance and choreography. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 2 Feb. 2025

Directed by Christopher Renshaw, the show features lively musical staging and choreography by Rickey Tripp. —Jared McCallister, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2025

And when the bands finally do meet, how will looks, choreography, and style come into play? —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2025

Nick Winston handles direction and choreography duties. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French chorégraphie, from Greek choreia + French -graphie -graphy

First Known Use

circa 1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

choreography

noun

cho·​re·​og·​ra·​phy ˌkōr-ē-ˈäg-rə-fē 

ˌkȯr-

: the art of arranging dances especially for ballet

choreograph

ˈkōr-ē-ə-ˌgraf

ˈkȯr-

verb

choreographer

ˌkōr-ē-ˈäg-rə-fər

ˌkȯr-

noun

choreographic

-ē-ə-ˈgraf-ik

adjective