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Choreographer

Academic programs / Undergraduate degrees / Career opportunities / Choreographer

Choreographer

Explore employment trends, required job duties and skills for this career. ASU offers a variety of degrees that can help you prepare for and meet your career goals. Visit ASU's Career and Professional Development Services to learn how to develop your career plan.

Potential job titles in this career
Ballet Director, Choreographer, Dance Director, Dance Maker, Musical Choreographer

* Additional schooling, certification, or degrees maybe be required for some of the potential careers that are listed.
What will I do?
  • Direct rehearsals to instruct dancers in dance steps and in techniques to achieve desired effects.
  • Teach students, dancers, and other performers about rhythm and interpretive movement.
  • Choose the music, sound effects, or spoken narrative to accompany a dance.
  • Advise dancers on standing and moving properly, teaching correct dance techniques to help prevent injuries.
  • Design dances for individual dancers, dance companies, musical theatre, opera, fashion shows, film, television productions, and special events, and for dancers ranging from beginners to professionals.
  • Seek influences from other art forms, such as theatre, the visual arts, and architecture.
  • Experiment with different types of dancers, steps, dances, and placements, testing ideas informally to get feedback from dancers.
  • Train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness.
  • Develop ideas for creating dances, keeping notes and sketches to record influences.
  • Read and study story lines and musical scores to determine how to translate ideas and moods into dance movements.
  • In this career, it is important to know
    Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    It's useful to be good at
    Gross Body Coordination - The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.

    Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

    Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

    Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

    Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

    Gross Body Equilibrium - The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.

    Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.

    Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

    Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

    Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
    Employment trends
    Location Pay period 2022
    10% 25% Median% 75% 90%
    United States Hourly $13.95 $16.20 $24.52 $36.25 $48.28
    Yearly $29,020 $33,700 $50,990 $75,390 $100,420
    Arizona Hourly
    Yearly
    2022 Median%
    United States $24.52 Hourly $50,990 Yearly
    Arizona Hourly Yearly

    Employment (2022)
    6,900 employees
    Projected growth (2022 - 2032)
    Average (4% to 7%)
    Projected job openings (2022 - 2032)
    1,100
    * Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
    What are accelerated programs?
    Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

    3 year programs

    These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.

    Accelerated master's

    These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).

    Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
    What are concurrent programs?
    Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
    What are joint programs?
    Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

    What constitutes a new program?
    ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the “New Programs” option.
    What are online programs?
    ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
    What is the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)?
    The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a program in which residents of western states (other than Arizona) may be eligible for reduced nonresident tuition. See more information and eligibility requirements on the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program.

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