GlossaryGuide

The term “choreography” is derived from the Greek words “choreia,”
meaning “dance,” and “graphikos,” meaning “to write.” A dance is a static and kinetic succession of bodily movements in certain rhythmic and spatial relationships and in relation to time and space. Choreography is the composition and arrangement of a related series of dance movements and patterns organized into a coherent whole. Choreography is not synonymous with dance. It is a discrete subset of dance that encompasses certain types of compositional dances. For example, the legislative history for the 1976 Copyright Act states that “‘choreographic works’ do not include social dance steps and simple routines.” See H.R. Rep. No. 94-1476, at 54 (1976), reprinted in 1976 U.S.C.C.A.N. 5659, 5667; S. Rep. No. 94-473, at 52 (1975).