choreograph

English

Etymology

Back-formation from choreography, equivalent to choreo- +‎ -graph.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒɹiəɡɹɑːf/, /ˈkɒɹiəɡɹæf/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkɔɹjəɡɹæf/

Verb

choreograph (third-person singular simple present choreographs, present participle choreographing, simple past and past participle choreographed)

1. (transitive) To design and record the choreography for a dramatic work such as a ballet.
   • 2008 June 19, Peter Applebome, “At 91, He Isn’t Ready for the Last Dance Just Yet”, in The New York Times‎:

     So he choreographs each event depending on the crowd, starting with something to learn the drill, like “Marching Through Georgia,” working in something to loosen people up like the hokeypokey, and probably a contra dance (long lines, not squares) like the Virginia reel.

   • 2019 September 5, Aisha Harris, “‘Jinn’ Review: A Not So Typical Coming-of-Age Story”, in The New York Times‎:

     She and her two best friends are choreographing a number for the talent show; she’s applied to California Institute of the Arts; and she flirts unabashedly with a cute pizza server. (The better to land a couple of extra pepperonis on her slice without an upcharge.)

2. (transitive) To direct the development of a project; to orchestrate.
   • 1994 February, Black Belt, page 42:

     Fight sequences fall into one of three categories: “MAMs” (many against many), “OHMs” (one hits many), and “triple O′s” (one on one). Group fights — MAMs and OHMs — are more difficult to choreograph than triple O′s, and TV shows that included well-choreographed MAMs and OHMs received higher marks than those devoid of mass attacks.

   • 2014 November 18, Daniel Taylor, “England and Wayne Rooney see off Scotland in their own back yard”, in The Guardian‎:

     England’s response came in the form of the brilliantly choreographed move that concluded with Wayne Rooney’s second goal and the kind of outstanding football that was beyond their opponents.

3. (intransitive) To work as a choreographer.

Derived terms

• choreographable
• overchoreograph
• rechoreograph

 

Related terms

• choreographer
• choreography

Translations

to design and record a choreography

Catalan: coreografiar (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 编舞 (zh) (biānwǔ) Finnish: suunnitella koreografia Greek: χορογραφώ (el) (chorografó) Hungarian: koreografál (hu) Portuguese: coreografar Spanish: coreografiar (es) Swedish: koreografera (sv)

to direct the development of a project

Finnish: johtaa projektia Greek: χορογραφώ (el) (chorografó) Portuguese: dirigir (pt), gerenciar (pt), gerir (pt), protagonizar (pt)