Careers in Choreography

“WHY DO PEOPLE DANCE?”

That’s it. Simply, why? What is it about moving our bodies to a song we love that is so joyfully Pavlovian? Why do we watch videos, obsess over our reflection in the kitchen window, and yes, take lessons to perfect something that could easily be labeled as trivial? Why do we put ourselves through the physical fatigue and the occasional social awkwardness just to call ourselves dancers? Why do we love it so?

Perhaps dance is the way we express ourselves when words are insufficient. The joy we feel over new found love, the determination we have in the face of great sorrow or adversity, the passionate fire of our youth and the peacefulness of our softer and more graceful years – maybe they are never expressed more fully than through a waltz, or a tango, or a jive. We all want to be understood, and if we could truly speak the words that describe our feelings, how deep and powerful they would surely be. But alas, those words never seem to come to us just right.

Dance is the medium through which we show the world who we truly are and who we can be. Nothing can beat cha cha to lift both one’s heart-rate and spirits. Dance is how we choose to remember, how we hold on to the past. It is how we relive the fun-filled days of our youth or the time we looked in their eyes and knew they were the one. It is the chance to be a princess again, waiting for an out-stretched hand and the call to a romance that is graceful, true, and not as forgotten as the cynics say.  When we dance, we can remember them all a little better, feel the butterflies once again, and if only for a moment, return to the purest part of our lives when time was of no matter…for we were dancing.

Choreography is an artistic opportunity to express one's personality through the creation of dance. A choreographer designs and directs routines used in dances and performances. They love movement and the art of dance, but most of all love to inspire others by sharing their creative ideas.

The different types of dance choreography are:

Stage Choreography: This typically involves large-scale set ups with extravagant props and large groups of dancers. It is usually a part of fashion shows and competitions.

Camera Choreography: This form of choreography is employed in TV serials and reality shows.

Careers

Ø  Choreographer

Ø  Dance Instructor

Ø  Dance Teacher

Ø  Artistic Director

Ø  Rehearsal Director

Ø  Dance Critic

Ø  Stage Performers

Ø  Dance Therapist

Ø  Dance or Dancing Assistant

Ø  Freelance Dance Performance Artist

Qualification

There is no requirement of a degree course to become a choreographer. You should have a zeal for this and you may go for the short-term, certificate and diploma courses offer by the various art schools in India.

Ø  Short term or certificate courses take the duration six months

Ø  Diploma courses take the duration of 1 – 2 years

Ø  B.A in art and dance takes the duration of three years

Institutes

Ø  Institute for Creative Excellence, Chandigarh

Ø  The ITA School of Performing Arts, Mumbai

Ø  Sangeet Natak Academy, New Delhi

Ø  Natya Institute of Khatak and Choreography, Bangalore

Ø  University of Mysore

Ø  Shiamak Davar Institute for Performing Art, New Delhi

Ø  Shiamak Davar Institute for Performing Art, Mumbai

Ø  Natya Institute of Khatak and Choreography, Bangalore

Ø  University of Mysore

Salary

A well-experienced choreographer can earn a handsome amount by hour. It is the field where no yearly income can count. A fresher choreographer can earn the 300-400 per hour, where the senior one can earn the ₹ 1000- ₹ 1500 per hour. The average earning of salaried choreographers is ₹ 2 to ₹ 4 lakh per annum.