Why Film Choreographers Deserve Their Own Awards Category

On November 22, 2024- the day of Wicked’s highly anticipated debut in theaters- Universal dropped a three-minute clip from the film. Taken from “What Is This Feeling?,” the sequence features an ensemble of Shiz students, led by Ariana Grande’s Glinda, parading through the school courtyard, books in hand, moving together in tight, synchronized choreography. 

The internet went wild, with TikTok users attempting to recreate the movements themselves. Several Broadway stars even joined in on the fun. As of this writing, the official YouTube video has surpassed a whopping 32 million views. However, despite millions of people viewing, appreciating, and sharing the dancing, many might not be aware of the person behind it.

Enter Christopher Scott. The choreographer, whose previous credits also include the film adaptation of In the Heights, worked to bring Wicked’s memorable dance sequences to life onscreen. The movie has been one of the major contenders this award season, with several nominations at the Golden Globes, the BAFTAs, and the Academy Awards. But Scott’s name has been largely absent from the awards conversation for one distinct reason- there is no Golden Globe, BAFTA, or Oscar for choreography in film.

Though the medium is recognized in virtually every other major form (Broadway has the Tony, television has the Emmy, and music videos the VMAs), the work of choreographers on the big screen has mostly been overlooked, leaving choreographers in a strange place where their work might be noticed, but they are absent from a conversation they sparked. 

Choreographer Mandy Moore, who worked on La La Land and the fan-favorite “I’m Just Ken” segment of the 2024 Oscars, has a theory about this. “I think people think dancers just make it up and there’s not someone who has crafted it,” she said, explaining that this lack of understanding can lead to incorrect- and troubling- conclusions. “I think people probably do look at something like Wicked, and think ‘Oh, that's cute. Those dancers just all got together and made a dance move.’”

But, as Scott himself can confirm, it’s not like that at all. “I think it gets misunderstood sometimes because it's not just making up a dance routine. Through choreography, we create memorable moments that push the story forward. We build a dialogue between characters through movement. We create entire dance languages that give an audience a sense of culture or history, etc. We're constantly offering our actors and directors moments that can greatly impact the overall characters and the world that they live in,” shared Scott, pointing out that he also works closely with the director, production and costume designers, cinematographer, and every other department head to creatively bring these choreography moments to life. 

Christopher Gattelli, whose recent choreography credits include 2023’s highly successful Wonka film, notes how dancing in film “furthers the storytelling and lifts it to a place where you can't speak anymore.” Moore echoes his sentiment, citing the old musical theatre adage: “When you can't say it, you sing it, and when you can't sing it, you dance. And dance has a way of expressing things that maybe you can't quite put into words.”

Scott also agrees that much of this lack of recognition seems to be attributed to a deficiency of education and understanding about the medium. “Because we don’t have these categories for awards, choreographers oftentimes don’t get the opportunity to speak to the film industry at various events such as panels, where everybody is campaigning for awards,” he explained. “That's a beautiful place to educate the community, have great conversations with people, and learn more about what other departments do so we can do a better job as choreographers. It's not just about the night of the event, it's about the whole process leading up to those award shows and allowing us to be an equal member in the community with all the other departments.”

Ashley Wallen, choreographer of The Greatest Showman and the acclaimed 2024 film Better Man, says staging movement for the screen is more involved than people realize. “You basically design the whole number, not just the dance. With Better Man, I was the camera operator. So I feel like choreography has turned into a lot more than just turning up and doing the steps.”

In terms of dancing on film as opposed to dancing on stage, the potential of special effects opens up a world of possibilities for choreographers to put together numbers that would be near-impossible to present the same way in any other context. “In Wonka, we did an air ballet with a bunch of balloons that you could do on stage, but you wouldn't have that many, and you wouldn't have the views of the Galleria and of the city and the Square,” explained Gattelli, referring to the song “For a Moment.” 

The marketing and general “buzz” that can stem from previews of choreographed storytelling is also worth noting. “I always say when there's dance in a film, look at all of the trailers that come out. They always include the dancing because there's an energy to it,” Gattelli said. Wallen has seen something similar play out behind the scenes, sharing that filmmakers will often include dance numbers in their pitches to generate excitement for a project at a studio.

However, Moore points out a systemic issue that has negatively contributed to a lack of awareness of the art form and those who make it happen. “We as choreographers don’t have a union. We are one of the few people who work in film that don't have any sort of set of rules of how things work. Every other department has a guild or a union that expresses what is needed for their craft, and so therefore, is naturally credited.”

One argument that has been made in favor of keeping dance out of awards is that it simply doesn’t appear in every film. But, as Gattelli notes, that is true for some other categories as well. “You could get an award for special effects, but some films don't have special effects. Some films don't need it or require it in the same way that some films don't need or require dance. But when dance is included, it is a massive focus and contribution to the film.”

As for bringing more visibility to this art form, Moore says that in recent years, shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance have been “integral into pushing choreography back into the narrative because they highlighted choreographers as well as dancers.” Since at least 2017, the Chita Rivera Awards, carrying the namesake of the late Broadway and dance icon, annually honors dance in film as well. But that has yet to translate into larger award shows.

While working on “I’m Just Ken” for the Oscars last year, Moore shared that leadership members from the Academy happened to attend a rehearsal, which went on to become an important learning experience about the nature of her work. “They were so blown away. Unless you've seen a choreographer in action or you've heard them speak about their craft, then you don't know.” 

Over the years, acknowledgement of dance has seen brief sparks of recognition from the Academy, with four honorary Oscars being presented to choreographers. But those have been few and far between, the most recent happening more than 25 years ago in 1997. For a brief time in the 1930s, there was even a category for “Dance Direction,” though that was gone within three years.

With a recent renaissance of movie musicals in the public eye, the time seems opportune for a permanent category once again, a way to honor both the work and the artist. “I feel in the last seven years, there's been so many big musicals. I think it would be the right time for a category,” said Wallen, noting that a choreographer's job isn’t always just limited to dance, but movement as well, which occurs more than people realize. As Moore says, “You just never quite know when choreography has infiltrated the film you're watching.”

Since people were introduced to his work on Wicked in November, Scott is happy to report that this visibility has opened the door to more conversations where he has had the opportunity to share specific aspects of his work. He hopes that these productive conversations can continue, particularly among those who have a direct hand in decision-making at high-profile award shows. “Because we're in a creative industry, I would be very interested to see how creative we could all get to figure out how we can fix this problem, and find a way to honor choreography in a way that helps our industry and works with their specific award ceremony.”