Fight director to choreographer
A fight director already meets 24% of what the choreographer role asks for. The move turns on 25 required skills not yet in the profile.
82.1/ 100
1 How much of what a choreographer is expected to do is already part of a fight director’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the choreographer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A choreographer role treats 8 of its required skills as things a fight director already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- create new fight sequences
- intellectual property law
- labour legislation
- manage artistic career
- manage personal professional development
- monitor art scene developments
What stands in the way is 25 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A choreographer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a fight director background worth leading with.
- already held create new fight sequences communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held read dance scores communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held prepare performance training session communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held monitor art scene developments information skills
- already held manage artistic career communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held work in an international environment communication, collaboration and creativity
All 12 carried skills, including the 8 the choreographer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 37 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn develop a choreographic language required
- still to learn develop a choreographic work required
- still to learn ensure longevity of choreography required
- still to learn create choreographic material required
- still to learn define artistic approach required
- still to learn describe artistic experience required
- still to learn design flying movements required
- still to learn develop an artistic framework required
- still to learn develop codified movements required
- still to learn develop proposed choreographic language required
- still to learn develop the physical language required
- still to learn identify performers' needs required
- still to learn train artists in flying required
- still to learn understand the architecture of a live performance required
- still to learn understand the conceptual dimension of a live performance required
- still to learn understand the emotional dimension of a performance required
- still to learn understand the physical language of a live performance required
- still to learn work with broad variety of personalities required
- optional, not held demonstrate specialisation in a dance tradition optional
- optional, not held demonstrate technical expertise of your dance style optional
- optional, not held identify requirements of the work in the artistic performance optional
- optional, not held notate different dances optional
- optional, not held practise flying movements optional
- optional, not held select music for performance optional
- optional, not held teach dance optional
- still to learn assemble an artistic team required
- still to learn be a role model in community arts required
- still to learn create a work environment where performers can develop their potential required
- still to learn develop methods for choreographic integration required
- still to learn rehearse artist fly movements required
- optional, not held inspire enthusiasm for dance optional
- optional, not held match needs of target community with your skills optional
- optional, not held stimulate performers' imagination optional
- still to learn maintain safe working conditions in performing arts required
- optional, not held analyse music score optional
- still to learn art-historical values required
- optional, not held correct potentially harmful movements optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a choreographer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 develop a choreographic language practise this
- 02 develop a choreographic work practise this
- 03 ensure longevity of choreography practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 12 skills that carry over
- already held create new fight sequences skill
- already held intellectual property law knowledge
- already held labour legislation knowledge
- already held manage artistic career skill
- already held manage personal professional development skill
- already held monitor art scene developments skill
- already held prepare performance training session skill
- already held work with respect for own safety skill
- already held manage artistic project skill
- already held read dance scores skill
- already held show intercultural awareness skill
- already held work in an international environment skill
12 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held analyse music score optional
- optional, not held correct potentially harmful movements optional
- optional, not held demonstrate specialisation in a dance tradition optional
- optional, not held demonstrate technical expertise of your dance style optional
- optional, not held identify requirements of the work in the artistic performance optional
- optional, not held inspire enthusiasm for dance optional
- optional, not held match needs of target community with your skills optional
- optional, not held notate different dances optional
- optional, not held practise flying movements optional
- optional, not held select music for performance optional
- optional, not held stimulate performers' imagination optional
- optional, not held teach dance optional
17 held skills the choreographer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adapt fighting techniques for performance skill
- not needed by the target role adjust the work to the venue skill
- not needed by the target role analyse your fight discipline expertise skill
- not needed by the target role coach performers in your fight discipline skill
- not needed by the target role communicate expectations of fight actions skill
- not needed by the target role define an approach to your fight dicipline skill
- not needed by the target role develop strategy to solve problems skill
- not needed by the target role engage in fencing skill
- not needed by the target role ensure the longevity of the fight actions skill
- not needed by the target role memorise lines skill
- not needed by the target role perform risk assessment for fight actions skill
- not needed by the target role performing arts fights legal regulations knowledge
- not needed by the target role read musical score skill
- not needed by the target role supervise performers' fights skill
- not needed by the target role use personal protection equipment skill
- not needed by the target role work ergonomically skill
- not needed by the target role write risk assessment on performing arts production skill
1 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn art-historical values required
Common questions about this move
Can a fight director become a choreographer?
Yes, and it is a career change move. A fight director already covers 24% of what a choreographer is expected to do: 12 skills carry over, 8 of which the choreographer role treats as required.
What skills does a fight director need to become a choreographer?
25 required skills are missing, plus 12 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is develop a choreographic language.
How hard is the move from fight director to choreographer?
Its learning distance is 82.1 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.