WERE you not dazzled by Prabhu Deva’s choreography for Hrithik Roshan in Lakshya? And by Malaika and Shah Rukh Khan dancing on top of a train in Dil Se. How many of us enjoy dance so much we wish we could make a career of it?

Well, take heart, because you can. Hasn’t Farah Khan done just that?

Dance today has been elevated from just a recreational activity or a performing art to a much sought-after profession, called choreography. In fact, choreography is more than just dancing. It is the art of creating stylised movements in space to express human feelings and emotions, in various dimensions.

Choreography and choreographers have today spread to almost every field of entertainment. The four major areas among these are: film and music video choreography; fashion choreography; event choreography; and conventional dance choreography.

Film and music video choreography involves directing complete song and dance sequences for feature films or for music companies. Film and video choreographers get to make artists, actors and actresses dance to their tunes.

These choreographers, in fact, totally take over from the directors in directing complete dance sequences in the films. Or they direct complete music videos on their own. This is really the most popular form of choreography today. But for this, not only must you be good at dance and arranging dance sequences, but you must also have an in-depth knowledge of film locations and sets, light, costumes, make-up and of course, music. Saroj Khan, Farah Khan and Ganesh Hegde are amongst the popular film choreographers while Ken Ghosh is a very famous music video choreographer.

Fashion choreography is different in that fashion choreographers do not have to choreograph dances so much as the catwalks of ramp models. They have to teach the models to walk along with the music that is to be played for a fashion show or an event, in a way that not only looks aesthetically appealing but also glamorous and chic. Lubna Adams and Noyonika Chatterjee are successful fashion choreographers.

Event choreography is another big activity today. This mainly involves choreographing corporate and general entertainment events. These could include choreographing song and dance performances at film award functions, beauty pageants, festivals, product launches and inaugural celebration parties and so on. Shiamak Dawar and Ashley Lobo are popular event choreographers today.

Conventional dance choreography is what is traditionally seen at classical and folk dance dramas and such performances. Mallika Sarabhai and Radha and Raja Reddy are famous choreographers in this area.

Training in choreography is now offered by several institutions. Some dance schools offer training in various aspects of choreography and dance. However, a firm foundation for success can be gained by enrolling in professional dance courses for which examinations are conducted at diploma, graduate and post graduate level by colleges, universities and institutions.

A passion for dancing, coupled with an element of inborn talent for form and visualisation are among the essential personal attributes required for becoming a Choreographer. In fact, if you have a special aptitude, it can be recognised and tapped early on so that guidance from professionals can nurture and develop the skill.

Besides talent and the skill at dancing, you should also have a knack for teaching dance.

There are plenty of job opportunities for choreographers today. They can work with television and film studios, theatre companies, modelling agencies and event management companies. Most choreographers, however, choose to work on a freelance basis with different directors/ choreographers. And the best way to start off would be by assisting an established choreographer.

Choreographers may start with Rs 5000 to Rs 8000 a month, depending on the area of work. A more popular choreographer can earn a lot more. Remuneration depends largely upon the choreographer’s standing.

However, choreographers have to be really good dancers and they have to struggle for quite some time and prove their worth and establish themselves, before getting a good assignment. Even then, they have to spend a lot of time practising. Only the very talented prosper and earn money and fame.

But when entertainment means big business, as is today, the future is extremely bright for those with nimble feet!

• Prominent institutions offering courses in choreography include:

• Shiamak Dawar’s School of Dance, New Delhi and Mumbai.

• Danceworx Performing Arts Academy (Ashley Lobo), New Delhi and Mumbai

• Sangeet Natak Academy, Rabindra Bhavan, Opposite Mandi House, New Delhi.

• Faculty of Arts, University of Mysore, Mysore.

• Government College of Dance and Music, Bhubaneshwar.

(The list is not exhaustive)

The writer is a noted career expert