CareerGPS

Choreographers
Summary Occupational Forecast Data for Choreographers
Employment Employment Change Average Annual Job Openings Wage & Training Levels
2020 2025 Numerical Percent New Jobs Replacement Jobs Total Median Hourly Median Annual Training Levels
165 189 24 14.23% 5 33 38 $24.54 $51,050 High school diploma or equivalent
Description: Create and teach dance. May direct and stage presentations.
Forecast Data Source: EMSI (4th Quarter 2023)

Occupation Details

The information in this section represents occupational characteristics included in O*NET which defines key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described in greater detail in the O*NET Content Model. All items are listed in descending order of importance.

  • Direct rehearsals to instruct dancers in how to use dance steps, and in techniques to achieve desired effects.
  • Read and study story lines and musical scores to determine how to translate ideas and moods into dance movements.
  • 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.
  • Choose the music, sound effects, or spoken narrative to accompany a dance.
  • Advise dancers on how to stand and move properly, teaching correct dance techniques to help prevent injuries.
  • Coordinate production music with music directors.
  • Audition performers for one or more dance parts.
  • Direct and stage dance presentations for various forms of entertainment.
  • Develop ideas for creating dances, keeping notes and sketches to record influences.
  • Train, exercise, and attend dance classes to maintain high levels of technical proficiency, physical ability, and physical fitness.
  • Teach students, dancers, and other performers about rhythm and interpretive movement.
  • Assess students' dancing abilities to determine where improvement or change is needed.
  • Experiment with different types of dancers, steps, dances, and placements, testing ideas informally to get feedback from dancers.
  • Seek influences from other art forms such as theatre, the visual arts, and architecture.
  • Design sets, lighting, costumes, and other artistic elements of productions, in collaboration with cast members.
  • Record dance movements and their technical aspects, using a technical understanding of the patterns and formations of choreography.
  • Re-stage traditional dances and works in dance companies' repertoires, developing new interpretations.

Knowledge

97%
Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
68%
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.
62%
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.
57%
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.
54%
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
53%
Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
51%
History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
50%
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.

Skills

78%
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
78%
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
75%
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
75%
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
72%
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
72%
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
69%
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
65%
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
65%
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
65%
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
62%
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
60%
Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
60%
Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
56%
Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
56%
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
53%
Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
53%
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
50%
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities

85%
Gross Body Coordination - The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together when the whole body is in motion.
81%
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
81%
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
78%
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.
72%
Gross Body Equilibrium - The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
72%
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).
69%
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
69%
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
69%
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 there is a problem.
66%
Extent Flexibility - The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
66%
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.
62%
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
62%
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
62%
Stamina - The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
62%
Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
60%
Dynamic Strength - The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
60%
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
56%
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
56%
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
53%
Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
53%
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
53%
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
50%
Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
50%
Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Work Activities

96%
Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
93%
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
90%
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
89%
Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
88%
Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
84%
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
83%
Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
82%
Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
82%
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
81%
Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
80%
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
77%
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
77%
Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
75%
Staffing Organizational Units - Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
74%
Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
73%
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
68%
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
64%
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
60%
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
58%
Provide Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
58%
Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
57%
Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
57%
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
53%
Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
52%
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
51%
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
50%
Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
Title Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Overall Experience A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job Training Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Job Zone Examples Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, sales managers, database administrators, teachers, chemists, environmental engineers, criminal investigators, and special agents.
Education Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Interests

Artistic - Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Work Styles

Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Work Values

Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.