International Choreographers Day is a holiday that’s observed annually on the 9th of January. It’s a day during which people can show appreciation to choreographers and the function that they perform.

For anyone who doesn’t know, choreographers are professionals who conceive, create, and then direct the dance and movement of a variety of different performers. They can work in dance, film, television, theater, or in a variety of other artistic endeavors.

It’s a profession that’s been observed almost as long as dance and theater productions have been performed and what they do is vital. Everyone interested in this profession can use this holiday to learn more about it and those who actually work in it can feel free to take a bow on this day.

The History Of International Choreographers Day

The word choreography means “dance-writing.” It comes from the Greek words “choreia” meaning “circular dance” and “graphein” meaning “to write.” Although the word had been around for quite a few years, it didn’t officially appear in the American English dictionary until the 1950s. It was used a few years earlier, however, when it was used as credit for George Balanchine in the Broadway show called On Your Toes. This show was produced in 1936.

Of course, choreography existed even before there was a word for it. In Italy and France during the 16th century, there were professionals who helped to choreograph the complex dances that nobles used in court, and for theater dance productions. Over the years, this field of endeavor would become more refined until it became the profession that it is today.

Unfortunately, we simply don’t know who had the foresight to invent International Choreographers Day. We think that it’s been around for at least 5-years now, but unfortunately, we can’t verify whether that’s true or not. We’ll simply have to continue to search for the origins of this holiday until we find it. If we ever do.

Observing International Choreographers Day

For professionals who work in theater or dance productions, this is a holiday to show appreciation to the choreographers who make such productions possible. Of course, this holiday doesn’t just have to be observed by people working in these fields. It can also be observed by all the rest of us.

People can simply pay attention to the choreography of a particular performance, learn more about this history of choreography, learn more about this field’s influence on popular culture, or even learn what it takes to become a choreographer. People can also take the time to spread the word about this holiday through social media using the hashtag #InternationalChoreographersDay.