Choreographer jobs

A good choreographer exhibits an intense love for dancing as well as a gift for the art form, as well as perseverance, dedication, and outstanding instructional and administrative abilities.

Your job as a choreographer will include coming up with and planning dance routines for performances, which will often be set to music. You will be responsible for choreographing dance sequences that will be performed at live concerts, events, or for television and cinema. You will often be responsible for planning the whole of the performance, which includes everything from instructing the dancers in the moves to working with costume designers and directors to create the intended result. You may choreograph performances for the stage, for television or cinema, for music videos, and even for corporate events or fashion presentations. Depending on the brief that is given to you, you may either choreograph your own dance works or interpret the directions of a director.

You will require a high degree of dancing expertise, the patience to teach others, and the knowledge of what looks attractive to a larger audience. Additionally, you will need the communication skills necessary to ensure that your instructions are being understood by your dancers.

The most effective choreographers are those that are able to run whole shows by themselves, engaging the audience by acting out many tales and themes via the careful preparation of dances, costumes, music, and visuals. Many choreographers also own their own dance schools, which requires them to balance their own books and be responsible for managing their own budgets.

Responsibilities

Depending on the area of expertise that you have, you may be required to:

Producing a performance that is polished to perfection requires the development of concepts, as well as the creation and development of routines.

choreograph dance routines in time to music while being led by the creative and musical directors.

Have conversations about concepts and strategies with the musical and creative directors, costume designers, and producers.

Choose tunes that are appropriate for the idea or topic you are being entrusted with presenting.

Audition, instruct, and practice with the dancers.

It is possible that in order to participate in some types of dance, you would be required to record the steps using a notation system such as Labanotation or Benesh.

collaborate with other trained individuals in order to plan battle sequences or theatrical stunts.

have the ability to work on many shows at the same time

maintain consistent communication with the musical and creative directors, as well as the costume designers.

If you work on a freelance basis, you are responsible for your own promotion and marketing, in addition to finding new employment, doing your own taxes, and keeping your own financial records.

Typically, choreographers are experts in just one particular kind of dance, such as:

classical ballet

Jazz, hip hop, street dance, and freestyle are examples of current genres of dance.

theater in song and dance

ballroom dancing as well as Latin American dances like salsa

ceilidh dance, often known as highland dancing or Scottish country dancing

dances that are indigenous to certain cultures, such as Irish, Indian, African, or belly dancing

ice dancing

disability dancing.

Salary

It makes a huge difference whether you work on a freelance basis alone, own your own business, or are employed by someone else in terms of the salary you may expect to get.

Variations in income may also be caused by factors such as:

job status, such as freelancing, contract, or temporary employment

how much experience you have as well as your standing in the sector are both important factors.

the number of people that work for the firm or organization that you represent.

It's also possible to make a very different amount of money based on the kind of contract you have and the production you're working on.

Each year, the actors' union known as Equity negotiates minimum pay rates for choreographers working in both the commercial and independent theaters. Additionally, the Independent Theatre Council (ITC) specifies the minimal rates of remuneration for various positions.

There is a minimum price of £1,994.40 for the first rates, which include preparation and up to two weeks of practice.

When there are rehearsals lasting more than two weeks, the minimum weekly charge for a choreographer is £494.00.

The lowest possible fee per day is £160.50.

At a minimum, a session will cost you £103.20 (for a maximum of three hours).

Time spent working

Your employer will determine the hours that you are required to work. For instance, if you are working in an educational environment, the hours that you work will be determined by the hours that the students are in attendance. Despite this fact, you will still need to take into consideration the time that you will spend outside of delivery hours preparing your choreography and making arrangements for events.

The demands of intense instruction during the daytime and extra workshops or performances in the evenings tend to make the working hours of a choreographer longer than average. This is due to the fact that you often work on more than one performance at the same time.

Your employment can consist more of temporary contracts than of one permanent position, which can have an effect not only on the number of hours that are necessary but also on the consistency of those hours.

What may be anticipated

It is probable that you will often be working on a number of different productions at the same time.

It's possible that you'll spend most of your time working in dancing studios and rehearsal spaces, but you might also find employment in theaters, film and television studios, nightclubs, halls, and vacation centers.

There is a possibility of extensive travel, which may even take place in other countries. The further up the food chain you go, the greater the likelihood that there will be a greater emphasis placed on travel. This is because popular shows often move throughout a whole nation or even a continent.

Maintaining your strength and endurance throughout your professional life is really essential.

There is a possibility that you may be required to spend extended time away from home.

Qualifications

This position does not need any specific professional credentials; nonetheless, most choreographers begin their careers as dancers, and a significant number of them go on to study dance at a college or university. A background in dance, particularly as a performer, is more crucial than educational degrees while looking for a job in the dance industry.

There are a few different dance performance classes that also provide a choreography option. Courses in dance and performing arts (including dance) are offered at a variety of levels, beginning with the National Certificate (NC) or National Qualification (NQ) and progressing all the way up to the Higher National Certificate (HNC), Higher National Diploma (HND), and degree levels.

Although there is often an audition for most courses, academic credentials are not required for all of them. Experience in English (which is needed by many courses), the expressive arts (such as dance, music, and theater), and physical education are all valuable areas of expertise to have. A significant number of dancers begin their training at a young age and progress through graded tests by attending dance lessons.

In addition, some private schools provide these classes. The Council for Dance, Drama, and Musical Theatre is a good resource for information on recognized dance training programs (CDMT).

Skills

You were supposed to have:

a creative imagination

a proficient level of both dance and overall fitness

the ability to recognize and execute standard dance moves and motions

a strong grasp of musical time and timing theory in addition to a superb sense of rhythm

a keen sense of hearing for music

a level of expertise in human anatomy

a high degree of spatial awareness

a strong memory that allows one to remember moves in succession

energy and endurance to test out the exercises on your own and show them to other people.

You will further require:

patience, stamina and exceptional concentration

self-discipline and determination

abilities in interpersonal communication that are useful in job settings

a conscientiousness about health and safety

If you work alone, you should have experience in marketing and business.

the capacity to articulate one's ideas clearly and to instruct others

great interpersonal abilities.

Practice in the workplace

Choreographers have a chance of gaining more notoriety and opening up additional doors with each new work. Choreographers at any point in their careers may discover that community performances, dance recitals, and festivals give possibilities to present their creative talents. It is crucial to showcase work anytime it is available, and choreographers may find these opportunities. There is also the possibility of finding work on cruise ships, in recreational activities, or inside educational institutions.

You could benefit from gaining work experience by gaining employment with a well-known choreographer. The UK Choreographers Database (UKCD) is a free directory that can be searched that includes freelance choreographers that have expertise working in the arts and entertainment sectors. You might also hone your abilities by offering to contribute your choreography services to local amateur dance club productions.

The goal should be to get expertise in as many various styles of dance as is humanly feasible, including ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, and Bollywood dance. You should try your hand at creating your own routines while also listening to a wide variety of musical genres.

Employers

There is neither an official center nor a big employer; rather, there is a plethora of creative businesses that have a need for such talent. Dance schools, production businesses, and organizations that deal with arts events will all need choreographers in the near future.

It's possible to find job listings in magazines like The Stage and on dance-related websites like The Place, which also publishes the monthly magazine Juice. Both of these resources are good places to look. In addition to this, choreographers are expected to network and advertise themselves. Choreographers may be found on Dance UK's directory, and the organization also hosts a national forum. Because many choreographic positions are not explicitly advertised, independent contractors are often given the advice to make speculative contact with particular organizations.

Try looking for employment opportunities at:

Dance Europe - Auditions & Jobs

Possibilities for Ballroom Dancing

Mandy

One Dance UK

Dancing Individuals

Improvement of one's profession

Most dancers start their training at a young age, working their way through several grades and gaining certification in various dance forms. A considerable number of people enroll in dance classes or pursue degrees in dance or musical theater; several of these programs include coursework on choreography.

Although dancing expertise is not required, having it will put you in a much better position for other aspects of the job. After that, you may put yourself up as a candidate for the position of assistant choreographer so that you can obtain further experience and potentially go on to earn an official certification or present yourself to the public as a choreographer in your own right. After this stage, the only way to advance is via performance; if you want to be recognized, you need to choreograph routines that are so impressive that they can't be ignored.

A significant number of choreographers have the dream of opening their very own dance school one day. By doing so, they would be able to collaborate with other dance educators and train dancers of the future.

One Dance UK offers possibilities for professional development, such as networking and mentorship programs, as well as training courses that include topics such as dancers' health, teaching, and fundraising.

The membership organization representing the professional dance business is referred to as the Council for Dance, Drama, and Musical Theatre (CDMT). Alongside other arts-related organizations, such as teaching societies and specialised enterprises, it coordinates a continuous professional development (CPD) training program.