Choreographer
what is a choreographer?
Choreographers design steps, movements and dances, usually with music, for dancers and other artists to perform. On a day to day basis a dance choreographer may come up with creative ideas and turn them into dance routines, work with producers, costume designers and musical directors, choose music, costume styles and props, audition and teach dancers and much more.
Types of choreography
Choreographers usually specialise in one style of dance, such as:
classical ballet
contemporary dance forms such as jazz, hip-hop, street or freestyle
musical theatre
ballroom and Latin American, such as salsa
highland or Scottish country (ceilidh) dancing
cultural, such as Irish, Indian, African or belly dancing
ice dancing
disability dance.
HOW TO BECOME A CHOREOGRAPHER
The main routes to get into this role are :
A university course- there are many different degrees you could undertake in many different areas.
Working towards this role- you could work your way up in this role by gaining an entry level job.
Applying directly- if you have a background in this area you could apply directly.
There are no formal qualifications required to enter this role, however many choreographers start off as dancers and many study dance at college or university. A background in dance (preferably as a performer) is more important than academic qualifications.
There are several courses in dance performance that may include choreography as an option, You can study dance and performing arts at different levels:
National Certificate (NC) or National Qualification (NQ),
up to Higher National Certificate (HNC), Higher National Diploma (HND) and degree.
Not all courses need academic qualifications, although there's usually an audition. It's useful to have experience in English (required by many courses), expressive arts subjects such as dance, music and drama, and physical education. Many dancers start at an early age and undertake graded examinations through dance classes.
There are also courses at private schools. Information on recognised dance courses is available from the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT).
UNIVERSITY OPTIONS
You'll need a high level of dance training and experience. You could do a foundation degree, degree or postgraduate award to develop your skills. Relevant subjects include:
Professional dance
Musical theatre
Dance and choreography
These are offered by dance schools and universities.
Conservatoires
What's the difference between conservatoires and universities?
Creativity lies at the heart of conservatoires, which are usually a lot smaller than universities. They teach fewer subjects and primarily focus on practical training and performance. In comparison, universities are large institutions that cover a range of subjects, focusing on academic study.
You could look at applying to a conservatoire in this field.
Areas include :
acting
applied theatre
dance (ballet, choreography, contemporary, dance science)
directing
filmmaking
music (classical, film, jazz, folk, musical direction, popular music, production, technology, vocal performance)
musical theatre
production arts and design
professional performance
songwriting
stage management.
Personal Statement Help
https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/personal-statement-advice-dance
https://universitycompare.com/personal-statement-examples/drama/statement-3
Employers
There is no particular central or major employer for this sector, however to work in choreography you could work for dance schools, production companies and arts events.
There are no official central or major employers, just a multitude of creative companies that require such expertise. Dance schools will require choreographers, as will production companies and those dealing with arts events.
Jobs may be advertised in publications such as The Stage and on dance-related websites, such as The Place - which also produces a monthly magazine, Juice. Choreographers must also network and promote themselves. Dance UK has a Choreographers Directory and national forum. Freelancers are often advised to contact individual companies speculatively, as a lot of choreographer roles are not actively advertised.
<Taken from prospects 2024>
Look for job vacancies at: