Test a new sequence
Choose a piece of music, try steps with the dancers, and after watching, shift where they stand.
Career profile
Choreographer
Choreographers create dances and help performers bring them to life on stage.
A sequence may look different than you pictured once the group dances it together. Watch, change one move, and see if your intent reads clearer.
A day in the life
Break down a tough entrance
Teach the combination, and if dancers miss the entrance, rerun it in smaller chunks with the music cue.
Write down steps and formations
Note each step and sketch the formations so you can return to this sequence at another rehearsal.
Fit the dance to the show
In musical theatre, you check movement against costumes, sets and lights with the designers and music director.
Quick facts
High school + dance experience
United States
$26.59/hour
United States · May 2025
3.1% growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + dance experienceA high school diploma or equivalent is typical; substantial dance experience matters. Some employers prefer a bachelor's degree.
Pay
$26.59/hourNational median for choreographers; the annual equivalent is $55,310.
Outlook
3.1% growthAbout 600 openings per year are projected for choreographers, including replacement openings.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy testing several versions of an idea.
- You like helping someone learn a movement, even when it takes repeated explanation.
Things to weigh
- Rehearsals and performances can put work into evenings and weekends.
- Demonstrating movement means spending time on your feet and repeating physical actions.
Where AI may help
Experimental artificial intelligence tools can suggest movement. AISOMA, developed with choreographer Wayne McGregor, extends a dancer's sequence using movement learned from his archive.
What people still lead
You still choose what the dance should express and work out how performers can carry that idea through rehearsal.
What we can’t predict yet
How much sequence-making these tools will take on, and how widely choreographers will use their suggestions, remains unsettled.
Pay in context
Earnings
Look at the hourly rate alongside the amount of work available to you.
The national midpoint
The median was $26.59 an hour, with an annual equivalent of $55,310. Half of employed choreographers earned above the median and half below.
The national spread
The 10th–90th percentile range was $16.39–$66.65 an hour, or $34,090–$138,630 annually. These are wage percentiles, not beginner and senior pay grades.
Hours change the picture
Part-time work is common, so an annual equivalent may exceed what you actually earn. These wage figures exclude self-employed choreographers.
Openings include replacements
Employment is projected to grow 3.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 600 openings annually from growth and replacement needs.
Getting started
Build from dance experience
- What the route involves
- Train and perform as a dancer, then begin making routines while continuing to perform.
- What it can lead to
- You develop the movement knowledge and rehearsal experience used to take on choreography.
Study dance and composition
- What the route involves
- Choose a dance degree that includes choreography, technique classes, and performance practice.
- What it can lead to
- You gain structured practice creating work and a degree that some employers prefer.
- What to check
- Check admissions before planning around this route. Conservatory programs such as Juilliard require prior dance training and auditions.
Build dance experience first; choreography commonly grows out of performing.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Make your rehearsal instructions clear enough that performers can repeat the dance consistently.
Handle more of the production
Learn to resolve movement problems with designers and the music director before they disrupt rehearsals.
Move toward directing
Some choreographers become theatre, film, or television directors or producers, taking responsibility for more of the production.
Where you can work
Community theatre
A cast may mix experienced dancers with beginners. You adapt the movement and rehearsal time to their abilities while supporting the director's vision.
- Indoors
Dance schools
Choreography may sit alongside teaching. You shape routines around students' abilities and spend more time developing their technique.
- Indoors
- Physical demands
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Make a short sequence of simple hand and arm gestures, then teach it to a willing friend. Change one part after watching them try it. Notice whether you enjoy both inventing movement and explaining it.
Stay safe: Use comfortable movements you both already know; skip lifts and acrobatics.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Choreographers — 27-2032.00. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dancers and Choreographers — choreographer preparation and shared working conditions. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — pinned national Choreographers values. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections 2025–2035, Table 1.2 — pinned Choreographers values. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- American Association of Community Theatre. Choreographer. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- The Juilliard School. Dance — Bachelor of Fine Arts. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- The Juilliard School. Dance — Bachelor of Fine Arts Application & Audition Requirements. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- Google. From dance archive to creative catalyst with Google AI. Accessed 2026-10-10.