A choreographer is someone who creates and arranges dances by designing the specific movements, patterns, and sequences that dancers will perform. Think of a choreographer as a kind of movement composer: just as a songwriter decides which notes musicians will play, a choreographer decides which steps, leaps, turns, and gestures dancers will execute.

Professional choreographers work on Broadway shows, movies, music videos, and ballet productions, planning every detail of how performers move across the stage. In your school's musical, someone had to decide when the actors would spin, where they'd stand during each song, and how they'd move together as a group. That person was functioning as a choreographer.

The job requires both creativity and precision. A choreographer must imagine movements that look beautiful or exciting, but also ensure dancers can actually perform them safely. They consider the music's rhythm and mood, the story being told, and each dancer's abilities. During rehearsals, choreographers teach their sequences to performers and make adjustments until everything flows smoothly.

Famous choreographers like Bob Fosse or Alvin Ailey developed signature styles so distinctive that people can recognize their work just by watching. Some choreographers even choreograph fight scenes for action movies or formation patterns for marching bands.