Stepping into the Spotlight: Exploring the Exciting Career of a Choreographer

Do you love Dancing? Do you also want to become a Choreographer like Shakti Mohan, Vaibhavi Merchant or Puneet J Pathak? Do you feel that you can teach dance steps or give dance lessons to others? Explore to find what Choreographers do, how they do it and how to become a Choreographer.

Choreographers design dances, ballets and performances for stage events and film productions. They are in charge of selecting suitable dance forms and themes for a particular event or performance. They need to discuss the stage requirements with technicians and specialists to add effect while the show is going on. It is also their job to design the costumes and conduct rehearsals with the participants of the event. Choreographers should be aware or various dance styles and moves and need to sync the steps well with the music chosen. They need to be active and since it is not a desk job they need to be fit to conduct classes and rehearsals. They need to spend 7-8 hours daily and more if required.

Why become a Choreographer?

As a Choreographer, you will mainly be responsible for designing dance routines, ballets, and performances for stage events, dance dramas, movies, television series, wedding functions, cheerleaders, gymnasts, dance reality shows, fashion shows, theatres etc. You have to ultimately train and teach your dancers the moves that you have designed. You may also have to take auditions to select new dancers for your team.

Typically, Choreographers develop dancing skills at a very early age and start practicing ever since to gradually identify specific areas of their interest.

You may need to combine existing steps or innovate new movements for a dance performance. You may have to interact with art directors to discuss dance concepts and themes for performances. You may also need to design the costumes that you want your dancers to wear, the light effects during the performances and the music which suits the dance theme that you have designed.

You have to be creative, and innovative and most importantly understand human emotions and concepts and express it in an interesting way for creating effective and attractive sequential dance steps.

What does a Choreographer do?

As a Choreographer, you will be engaged with one or more of the following roles and responsibilities: –

1. Designing dances for dance companies, individual dancers, opera, musical theatres, fashion shows, television productions, films, special events, musical parades etc. involving amateur and professional dancers.
2. Reading and studying musical scores and storylines for determining how to translate moods and ideas into dance movements.
3. Choosing the sound effects, music, or spoken narrative that accompanies a dance performance.
4. Auditioning and assessing amateur as well as professional dancers and performers before beginning to train them.
5. Directing rehearsals and instructing dancers about how to use certain dance steps and the techniques involved for achieving the desired effects.
6. Recording the dance moves during rehearsals to ensure correct postures, formations and movements.
7. Learning constantly from other dance forms, keeping yourself updated with popular dance routines and experimenting with different types of dance steps, dancers, formations, sequences etc.
8. Discussing stage requirements with technicians, lightmen and specialists for producing additional effects required to enhance a stage performance.
9. Designing and suggesting costume requirements for the dancers and ensuring swift costume changes in between the performance.

How to become a choreographer – Educational Requirement

Structured and formal education is not a pre-requisite although training and experience in performing arts or dance is necessary for becoming a Choreographer. It is advisable to complete at least a senior secondary level of education (Class 11-12) or equivalent first.

After Class 10, you can go for NSQF Level 3 courses.

After Class 11-12, you can go for:

• Diploma / Certificate courses.
• B. Voc degree courses.
• BPA degree courses.
• Bachelor degree courses.

You can simply learn any form of dance while you are in school, then get into formal training classes right after you finish school, and practice as a dancer for a few years before you can become a Choreographer.

Job Opportunities

You may find work as Choreographer, Performing Arts Coach, Dance Teacher,  Dance Instructor, Dance Trainer,  Specialist – Dance, Contributing Editor – Dance, etc. in schools, colleges, academic/cultural institutions, film production units, media and television companies, theatre groups, ballet companies, advertising agencies and so on.

You may also get several opportunities as a Choreographer to meet and work under the supervision of eminent Choreographers, theatre and media personalities etc. if you start by participating in dance reality shows that are conducted at various locations across the country.  

If you complete your graduation in ‘Dance’ or ‘Choreography’, you may get opportunities for fieldwork and internships with prominent artists.

Prestigious organizations like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development, and Sangeet Natak Akademi also provide teaching & choreography assignments internationally, apart from research & production grants, and fellowships, to graduates.

Salary of a choreographer

The earning potential of Choreographers depends on the personal capacity, importunity, passion, preparation and earning appetite of an individual. You may expect to earn in lakhs per month if you can establish yourself in the film and media industry ultimately.

This is a difficult field with immense competition. However, if you can participate in dance reality shows at an early age, earn fame and work with eminent film personalities and production units, you may end up choreographing for award ceremonies, films and advertisements to earn in lakhs per month.

At the entry-level, you may make Rs. 2,000 – Rs. 15, 000 or more per month.

After 2-5 years of experience, you may make around Rs. 3,000- Rs. 20,000 or more per month.

After 6-10 years of experience, you may make about Rs. 6,000-30,000 or more per month as a professional Choreographer or dance teacher.

After 13+ years if you can establish yourself in the film and media industry, depending upon your experience, you can earn around Rs. 1,00,000 – Rs. 2,50,000 or more per assignment.

You may also earn around Rs. 50,000 – Rs. 1, 00,000 (as a fresher) per month or even more if you start your own YouTube Channel and offer dance lessons.

As a self-employed Choreographer, you can also earn Rs. 40, 000 – Rs, 1, 00, 000 or more if your coaching classes gain popularity.

Career Progression in choreography profession

You may start as a dancer, then a Choreographer and grow to become an internationally renowned choreographer and performer. You may also start your own school and expand the volume of your trainees.

You may also participate in dance reality shows, earn fame and work with eminent film personalities and production units or choreograph for award ceremonies, films and advertisements.

What does industry trends say – future prospects

The road ahead for this pathway looks decently bright. The growth in the sub-sectors of the Indian Media and Entertainment Industry showed good growth. The Television industry is expected to grow in terms of employment volume to 0.64 million by 2022 from 0.28 million in 2017, translating to a human resource requirement of 0.36 million. The overall industry growth of the Media and Entertainment Sector has been estimated at a rate of 13.10% compounded annually to touch the mark of 39.68 billion US Dollars by 2023 from 22.28 billion US Dollars in 2018.

Also Read:

• Career in Dance
• Career in Drama
• Career as Singer
• Career in Modelling
• Career in Photography
• Career in Music
• Career as a Cinematographer
• Career as a Flim Editor
• Career as a Reporter
• Career as an Actor
• Career as a Flim Maker