A step by Step guide to start your Choreography career in India

Choreography is one of the highest-paying jobs in the film Industry in India. However, it is very difficult to reach there. Here is a sneak peek for all the budding choreographers who want to make choreography a career and develop their skills in dancing.

Where choreographers are needed?

Professional choreographers are needed in every aspect when performing arts are considered. Here are some fields where a choreographer is a must. 

1. Bollywood 

 Of course, we have grown up watching famous choreographers like Saroj Khan, Terence Lewis, Geeta Kapoor, and Vaibhavi Merchant and dreamt of either working with them or performing with them. 

Being a choreographer in Bollywood is not an easy journey, it takes a decade to be an established celebrity choreographer. But, no need to get disheartened.

 If you start with smaller choreographers as an assistant or junior dancer, You will definitely be known in the industry and get bigger projects.

2. Dance Dramas

Dance-dramas do require a choreographer for portraying a story or delivering a message to the audience. It is one of the prestigious and high-level fields where the choreographer must be very well-skilled and experienced in dance.

3. Competitions 

Nowadays It is very common to hire a choreographer in competitions, 

This can completely differ based on your skill or the type of competition your client is participating in.

4. Events

You must have seen a troupe of dancers in events like inaugurations, award functions, musicals, etc. A choreographer for such groups can definitely give you a great break and recognition in the masses.

5. Wedding Dance Choreographer

This field needs no explanation. A Wedding choreographer is a very common and must-have profession in the field of dance. A Proper choreography and a well-made video will definitely make your portfolio stronger.

The list is very huge, but I have mentioned just 5 basic and most common fields where a choreographer is required. Now it is time to know how much money a choreographer makes per project. 

How Much a Choreographer makes?

Well, that totally depends on what field and what type of project you have chosen. The average pay for a Wedding dance or Sangeet Choreographer is Rs. 5000-6000.

For even a Choreographer gets paid from Rs. 10000- 1 lakh Rs. If the Event is larger you might get paid more. 

In Bollywood, the highest payment for a choreographer starts from Rs. 10 lakhs -Rs. 25 Lakhs, However, the charges might change based on the seniority of the choreographer and their goodwill in the industry.

How to start your Career as a Choreographer?

We all came across all the aspects of Choreography as a full-time career. Now it’s time to start your journey and start your career. So, pick up your dance shoes and start your career.

Training is a must

Sounds obvious, but knowledge and technique in developing any skill is a must. It is crucial to find a proper mentor or guru for your professional dance training. Youtube might help in exploring different dance styles but, for evaluating and improving your skill you need a trained mentor. 

Give some time to brush up on your skills

It is not a two-minute instant noodle that you just joined a class and you have become a dancer. The legends in dance and choreography have given half of their life to brush up their skills and be well-trained dancers and choreographers. 

It is obvious that before you teach someone else your dance skill, it is important that you must be a well-trained and skilled dancer.

Start Small

Before you get any recognition as a professional choreographer, you have to make your own profile where you have worked before. For that, you can start with small projects like choreographing a dance performance for kids at the Ganpati festival in your colony, or you can approach some nearby schools and offer your service as a choreographer for their annual function. You can serve one performance for free and charge a small token amount at the beginning. This will give you the confidence of starting your career with some experience. 

After that, you can offer your friends or family wedding functions and help them to choreograph their dance and sangeet performances. By doing this, you will be a recognized choreographer in your circle.

Now it’s time to start your Choreography Career

Youtube is a great platform for dancers. You can easily become a dancing star and people will start recognizing you. Even a viral dance video will help you to stand out and be another milestone in your career.

Conduct Workshops on your Viral Dance Choreography

This is one of the growing trends and budding choreographers are definitely winning a fortune. You can conduct a one-day or two-day workshop for people based on your viral dance video, here you can teach the students your dance choreography, and who knows, the big banners may notice you. Miracles may happen! And is worth trying.

In a nutshell, dance is a never dying skill and you have a number of doors for trying and shining in your dance career. So, start your training, practice well, and start your happy feet career.