Choreographers Guild is building on a legacy of organizing and advocating for professional choreographers.
Our 20th Century Milestones
1933
The Screen Actors Guild was founded in Hollywood to organize motion picture performers.
1935
Best Dance Direction Oscar awarded to Dave Gould for The Broadway Melody of 1936.
1936
Best Dance Direction Oscar awarded to Seymour Felix for The Great Ziegfeld.
1937
Best Dance Direction Oscar awarded to Hermes Pan for A Damsel in Distress.
1942
Choreographers organize the Dance Directors Guild in Hollywood, beginning with 40 members. They are recognized by the studios as the official union for motion picture choreographers. Danny Dare becomes president.
1945
Jack Donohue is elected President of the Dance Directors Guild.
1952
Honorary Academy Award to Gene Kelly: “in appreciation of his versatility as an actor, singer, director and dancer, and specifically for his brilliant achievements in the art of choreography on film.”
1952
AFTRA is formed to represent performers in live broadcast television, including dancers as principal performers.
1959
Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers (SSDC, now known as SDC) was formed to cover Broadway and other live theater.
1961
Honorary Academy Award to Jerome Robbins for “Brilliant Achievements in the Art of Choreography on Film.”
1964
Honorary Academy Award to Onna White for her “outstanding choreography achievement for Oliver!”
1976
The Copyright Act of 1790 incorporates choreography in its 1976 revision.
1988
The Motion Picture Academy hosted an AMPAS event remembering dance direction.
1990
“Dancers Alliance” was formed.
1990
The Media Choreographers Council (MCC) was formed in Los Angeles to organize work in film, television, and music videos. The MCC will align with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society in their organizing attempt.
1997
Michael Kidd is awarded an honorary Oscar “in recognition of his services to the art of dance in the art of the screen.”
1998
Dancers finally achieve principal performer coverage with the Screen Actors Guild after decades of being classified as extras.
The 2000’s to Today
2012
SAG and AFTRA merge to create SAG-AFTRA., and Dancers Alliance amplifies their campaign for the unionization of music videos.
2012
SAG-AFTRA and its professional dancer membership achieve the first collective bargaining agreement with major record label employers for music videos.
2016
100+ choreographers attend the first Choreographers Alliance meeting.
2017
Choreographers obtain an individual peer group at the Television Academy.
2019
Two separate award categories for choreography become established within the Primetime Emmy Awards; Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming and Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming.
2021
A new wave of interest and conversation regarding choreographer recognition is sparked via the Clubhouse App.
2021
Various choreographers meet with leadership of SDC, SAG-AFTRA, and DGA.
2021
A steering committee is developed in order to seriously move forward with the creation of a Choreographers Guild.
2022
Choreographers Guild is officially formed as a labor organization.
2023
Choreographers Guild opens for membership.