Dance Choreography
Essentials

Online Certificate Course
Behind every compelling dance performance lies methodical preparation, clear compositional choices, and deep understanding of how bodies move through time and space. Dance Choreography Essentials is the comprehensive guide for dancers and creators learning to transform raw movement into finished work. Led by Juilliard’s celebrated faculty alongside luminaries from the New York City dance world, you'll develop a careful, methodical approach to making dance rooted in intention and shaped by thoughtful choices.
Watch the Course Preview
Taught by Juilliard Faculty & ExpertsExclusive Juilliard Certificate100% Online. On Your Schedule.
5Online Modules
JuilliardFaculty & Experts
< 30 hrsTo Complete, Self-Paced
CertificateJuilliard
Learn From the Best

Industry Experts

Bobbi Jene Smith

Faculty, The Juilliard School Co-Founder, American Modern Opera Company Choreographer, Martha Graham Dance Company, Paris Opera Ballet & Annihilation

Chanel DaSilva

Co-Founder, MOVE|NYC Choreographer, The Joffrey Ballet & American Repertory Theater

Lawrence Keigwin

Artistic Director, KEIGWIN + COMPANY Choreographer, Paul Taylor Dance Company

Patricia Delgado

Faculty, The Juilliard School Principal Dancer, Miami City Ballet Tony Award for Best Choreography, Buena Vista Social Club

John Heginbotham

Founder, Dance Heginbotham Performer, Mark Morris Dance Group

Yara Travesio

Faculty, The Juilliard School Resident, Chelsea Factory

Logan Kruger

Associate Artistic Director
Limón Dance Company

Tobin Del Cuore

Producer, Imagination + Muscle Dancer, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company
Why This Course

Program Overview

01

Real-World Examples

Learn from prestigious Juilliard faculty and NYC dance luminaries with on-demand video lessons. Develop real-world skills and original choreography with guidance from industry experts.

02

Get Started Now

100% online and on-demand course materials allow you to complete the certificate program on a schedule that works best for you.

03

Build Expertise

Learn from leading faculty and working choreographers with exclusive on-demand video lessons. Develop practical skills through self-paced projects and hands-on assignments that grow your choreographic portfolio.

04

Set Yourself Apart

Earn a Certificate of Completion from the world-renowned Juilliard Extension. Add it to your profile and resume to stand out in the dance industry.

Course Outcomes

What You'll Be Able to Do

  • Speak the language of time, space, and energy
  • Analyze influential works to inform your decisions
  • Generate original movement and develop it with devices
  • Design choreography for site-specific spaces
  • Produce a finished screendance using accessible tech
  • Build a repeatable choreographic process and voice

Skills You'll Gain

Choreographic compositionMovement generationImprovisationDance analysisSpatial thinkingSite-specific workScreendanceVideo editingCreative process

Build Your Portfolio

The course is built around hands-on projects, so you leave with real, portfolio-ready work, not just a certificate.

01

Building Blocks of Choreography

Master the core language of choreographic choice through time, space, and energy.

02

Studying Other Choreographers

Deepen your craft by analyzing influential works across narrative and abstraction.

03

Developing Your Own Voice

Generate original movement and shape it into composed work using proven devices.

04

Site-Specific Choreography

Take your work off the stage and make the space itself a partner in the process.

05

Choreography for Camera

Create a finished screendance, using framing, camera movement, and editing as tools.

Inside the Course

Make your mark as a choreographer. On YOUR schedule.

The program includes five online modules with related skill-building activities. Each module is 3-5 hours, broken into shorter lessons for maximum flexibility. Assignments and hands-on projects reinforce key concepts and build your professional portfolio. Earn a non-credit certificate of completion from Juilliard Extension.

Module 01

Building Blocks of Choreography

Discover the three interconnected elements that form the foundation of all choreography: time, space, and energy. Learn how manipulating speed, duration, rhythm, size, level, and effort transforms the mood, texture, and meaning of movement. Build fluency in the core language of choreographic choice and unlock infinite variation from minimal material.

Module 02

Studying Other Choreographers

Deepen your craft by analyzing complete works across the spectrum from pure narrative to pure abstraction. Learn how storytelling, character, and gesture function in narrative work, and how abstraction prioritizes form and musicality. Explore hybrid approaches and discover the logic behind master choreographers’ choices to ask new questions about your own work.

Module 03

Developing Your Own Voice

Explore multiple creative starting points, from music and concept to pure improvisation. Study choreographic devices like repetition, augmentation, retrograde, and chance procedures that refine your ideas. Discover game-based strategies and scoring techniques that unlock surprising material. Build a toolkit you can return to throughout your career.

Module 04

Site-Specific Choreography

Step beyond the traditional stage and learn how to scout locations, secure permissions, and navigate terrain and safety. Discover how to create movement born from a specific place or adapt existing work to a new environment. Develop sensitivity to what a space offers and the flexibility to let those discoveries reshape your initial ideas.

Module 05

Choreography for Camera

Develop screendance as a distinct art form where the camera and editing become choreographic tools. Learn the entire workflow from pre-production planning through finished film: shot selection, framing, camera movement, and the crucial role of editing in shaping time and energy. Create your own short dance for camera using accessible technology.

Enrollment

Choose How You Pay

Same full course either way: 5 modules, real industry projects, and your Juilliard Extension Certificate of Completion.

Best Value

One-Time Payment

Pay once, save the most

4 Monthly Payments

Split it over four months

12 Monthly Payments

Lowest monthly cost

Have a discount code? Add it at checkout.

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Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is This Course For?

Dancers and creators at any experience level, from beginners to those with some dance background, who want to make original choreography for stage, site, and screen.

How Long Does It Take to Complete?

5 self-paced modules. Most learners finish in under 30 hours on their own schedule.

Is It Fully Online?

Yes. The course is 100% online and on-demand, so you can study on your own schedule from anywhere.

What Do I Earn at the End?

A non-credit Certificate of Completion from Juilliard Extension that you can add to your resume and LinkedIn profile.

Do I Need Prior Experience?

No. The course starts with the fundamentals and is designed for newcomers as well as those already working in the field.

Is Financial Assistance Available?

Yes. Request the course catalog and a program advisor can walk you through payment options and any current offers.

What Does the Course Cover?

Dance Choreography Essentials includes five on-demand modules that guide students through the foundational elements and craft of choreography, including time, space, energy, improvisation, choreographic devices, analysis of influential works, site-specific creation, and choreography for camera, empowering students to create original work for stage, site, and screen. Each course module takes 3 to 5 hours to complete and is broken into shorter lessons and activities that students work on at their own pace.

Who Are the Instructors?

The course is taught by The Juilliard School faculty, supplemented with insights from professional dancers and choreographers.

What Can I Expect to Accomplish by the End?

After completing the course, students will have a significantly greater understanding of dance and choreography. In addition, students will receive a non-credit Certificate of Completion from Juilliard Extension that they can proudly add to their LinkedIn profile and resume.

Are There Any Age Requirements?

Students must be at least 13 years old to enroll.

How Long Do I Have Access to the Course?

Enrollment includes unlimited access to all course videos and materials for one year from your enrollment date. If you need more time after that, you can pay a monthly subscription fee to extend your access.

What Payment Methods Do You Accept?

Most major credit and debit cards are accepted, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and JCB. If you enroll outside the United States, tuition is charged in your local currency at the prevailing exchange rate.

What Is Your Cancellation Policy?

You can withdraw within 24 hours of enrollment for a full refund. After that, you have up to 7 days to withdraw for a full refund minus a $100 cancellation fee. No refunds are issued after 7 days. Subscription plans can be canceled before your renewal date by emailing [email protected].

How Much Does the Course Cost?

Tuition is $1,499 when paid in full. Two payment plans are also available at checkout: 4 monthly payments of $399 or 12 monthly payments of $139.

Get the Full Course Catalog

See the complete syllabus and enrollment details. We will email it straight to you.
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