To choreograph means to create and arrange the movements for a dance or performance. A choreographer decides which steps the dancers will do, when they'll do them, and how they'll move together across the stage. Just as a composer writes music and a playwright writes dialogue, a choreographer designs movement.

When dancers learn a routine for a school talent show or a theater production, someone had to choreograph those moves: choosing when dancers leap, spin, or freeze in formation. Professional choreographers work on Broadway shows, music videos, and ballet performances, planning every gesture and step to match the music and help tell a story through movement.

The word has expanded beyond dance. You might hear someone say they choreographed a surprise party, meaning they carefully planned and coordinated all the different parts. A coach might choreograph a complex play where every player has a specific role and precise timing matters. The word emphasizes careful planning and coordination, where multiple elements need to work together smoothly, like dancers moving in perfect formation.