#Choreography

A hashtag dedicated to the art and craft of creating dance, used by choreographers to showcase original work, teaching, and the creative process behind movement design.

Quick Facts

Origin Story

#Choreography emerged on YouTube as choreographers began uploading dance routines and tutorials, seeking to distinguish original creative work from performance videos. The hashtag marked a shift toward crediting and celebrating dance creation as distinct from dance execution.

Early adopters included dance teachers posting class combinations, competitive team choreographers showcasing routines, and aspiring professionals building portfolios. YouTube’s recommendation algorithm made choreography videos highly shareable, and the hashtag helped aggregate this content for learning and inspiration.

The hashtag gained significance as social media democratized choreography access. Previously, learning professional choreography required attending classes in major cities or expensive workshops. #Choreography enabled global access to world-class choreographers’ work, revolutionizing dance education and career development.

As platforms evolved, #Choreography became essential for choreographers’ professional visibility. The hashtag served as portfolio, teaching tool, audition material, and marketing platform simultaneously.

Timeline

2009-2011

• YouTube choreographers establish #Choreography for tutorials and showcases
• Matt Steffanina, WilldaBeast Adams emerge as early YouTube choreographers
• Urban dance choreography dominates early content

2012-2014

• Instagram’s video capabilities bring #Choreography to photo-sharing platform
• 1MILLION Dance Studio (Korea) revolutionizes choreography video production quality
• Choreography to popular music becomes viral content strategy

2015-2016

• Musical.ly (TikTok predecessor) makes short-form choreography accessible
• Choreographers gain celebrity status through social media presence
• Dance studios worldwide replicate choreography from hashtag

2017-2019

• TikTok transforms choreography consumption and creation
• 15-second choreography challenges become mainstream marketing tool
• Record labels collaborate with choreographers for song promotion

2020-2021

• COVID-19 drives virtual choreography workshops and challenges
• “Renegade” controversy highlights choreographer credit issues
• TikTok choreography becomes primary music marketing vehicle

2022-2023

• Choreographers organize for proper credit and compensation
• Virtual choreography licensing becomes business model
• AI-assisted choreography tools begin emerging

2024-Present

• Hybrid choreography (human + AI collaboration) develops
• NFT choreography and digital ownership experiments
• Choreographer attribution remains ongoing social issue

Cultural Impact

#Choreography democratized dance creation and education. Aspiring dancers worldwide could learn from top choreographers without geographic or financial barriers. This accessibility transformed global dance culture, with styles and movements spreading instantaneously.

The hashtag elevated choreography as an art form worthy of recognition separate from performance. Choreographers gained celebrity and influence, shifting power dynamics in dance industry. No longer were they behind-the-scenes creators; they became content creators and influencers themselves.

#Choreography also changed music industry marketing. Choreographed dances became essential to song promotion. Record labels began hiring choreographers as part of release strategies, understanding that viral choreography could make or break a song’s success.

The hashtag fostered cross-cultural exchange and fusion. Choreographers borrowed and blended styles from global traditions, creating new hybrid forms. While this sparked creativity, it also raised important questions about cultural appropriation and respectful collaboration.

Notable Moments

• Parris Goebel: New Zealand choreographer gained global fame through #Choreography posts, worked with Justin Bieber and Rihanna
• 1MILLION Dance Studio: Korean studio’s choreography videos revolutionized production quality and set new standards
• “Renegade” credit fight: Jalaiah Harmon’s fight for recognition sparked industry-wide conversation about choreographer attribution
• “Savage” dance: Choreography by Keara Wilson became pandemic sensation, boosted Megan Thee Stallion’s career
• “Wednesday” dance: Jenna Ortega’s viral choreography introduced Gen Z to goth dance culture
• WilldaBeast Adams: Built empire through #Choreography, from YouTube to IMMABEAST company

Controversies

Credit and compensation: Most significant ongoing issue. Choreographers often weren’t credited when their work went viral, especially on TikTok. Dancers performed and monetized choreography without compensating or acknowledging creators.

Cultural appropriation: Choreographers from outside specific cultures creating work that borrowed or commodified traditional movements without proper respect, education, or credit to source cultures.

Age-appropriate content: Some choreography for young dancers featured suggestive movements, sparking debates about sexualization and what’s appropriate for minors.

Copyright and ownership: Legal ambiguity around choreography ownership. Some choreographers attempted to copyright movement, raising questions about when movement becomes “owned” versus part of collective dance vocabulary.

Exploitation: Younger choreographers sometimes pressured to create content for studios or influencers without fair compensation, with “exposure” offered as payment.

AI and automation: Emerging AI choreography tools raised questions about the future of choreography as human art form and potential job displacement.

Variations & Related Tags

• #Choreo - Abbreviated version, especially popular on TikTok
• #Choreographer - Identity-focused tag for creators
• #OriginalChoreography - Emphasis on original work
• #DanceChoreography - Combined descriptor
• #ChoreographyVideo - Format-specific tag
• #LearnChoreography - Tutorial-focused content
• #ContemporaryChoreography - Style-specific variations
• #UrbanChoreography - Urban/hip-hop focused
• #ChoreographyClass - Class/workshop content
• #ChoreographyChallenge - Viral challenge content

By The Numbers

• YouTube videos: ~15M+
• Instagram posts: ~300M+
• TikTok videos: ~120M+
• Professional choreographers with 100k+ followers: ~5,000+
• Average tutorial video views: 50k-500k (varies by creator)
• Top choreographers’ average engagement: 4-8%
• Most popular music genres: Hip-hop/urban (40%), Pop (30%), Contemporary (15%), Other (15%)

References

• Dance Magazine choreography coverage
• 1MILLION Dance Studio analytics and history
• Academic research on digital dance culture
• Copyright Office guidance on choreographic works
• TikTok creator economy reports
• “The Intimate Act of Choreography” (Blom & Chaplin)

Last updated: February 2026 Part of the Hashpedia project — hashpedia.org