Submitted by:  Justine Nofal

 

The word “choreography” has its origins in Ancient Greek, and is derived from a series of words meaning “dance-writing” or “dance composition”. It came into popular usage in the 1950s with the emergence of interpretative dance routines in the Western World. It still has the ring of Twyla Tharp about it. Yet the word has come to mean much more than simply the co-ordination of a group of dancers or the directing of a single dancer. In the sixties and seventies dance choreographers became very important for helping with dance musicals in the theater and in films. It seems that the larger the troupe of dancers, and the more complex the requirements of them, the more important the choreographer. From the 1970’s onward ever type of activity where human movement was involved seemed to need choreographers. Film directors wanted the fist-fights and heavy action in their movies coordinated. Enter the fight or stage combat choreographer. As ice skating became more like theater as it grew into a competitive and spectator sport, so choreographers were roped into coordinating ice skating performances. The same happened with show choirs, marching bands and gymnastics. Even circuses made use of them. Just look at what choreography has meant to Cirque du Soleil. Synchronized skating and synchronized swimming also require choreographers. And all these different kinds of choreography are quite apart from the dance choreographers who, in turn, specialize in ballet, Spanish, folk, jazz, modern and contemporary. Clearly all these choreography specialties are tremendously focused and specific. None of them have anything to do with cheerleading except insofar as they involve human movement and insofar as cheerleading does incorporate elements of dance, gymnastics and athletics. But cheerleading choreography, which emerged in the seventies and eighties as a specialty, is specific in that it deals with cheer music, large squads, quick routines that must feature many skills in a short time and showcase the brilliance of each and every squad member, and the entire culture of cheer. For those reasons cheerleading choreography should not be confused, or equated, with any other type of choreography. The skills of one kind of choreographer will not be of much use in another specialty.