Why have relatively few dancers and choreographers learned to read dance notation?

Relatively few dancers and choreographers learn to read dance notation primarily because the process is time-consuming, and the skill has historically not been integrated into dance training as musical notation is in music education. For much of the 20th century, dance was taught almost exclusively through imitation, and the time required to master notation was often viewed as wasted effort.1

Furthermore, the rise of film and video recording in the 1970s provided an immediate, accessible alternative that required no specialized study. While video has limitations—such as obscured views, the capture of individual performer errors, and the inability to distinguish between a specific performance and the choreography itself—it remains more popular than notation due to its ease of use.1

From a creative standpoint, the studio environment also presents challenges. Choreographers are often constrained by limited rehearsal time and the physical fatigue of dancers, making it difficult to use notation as a tool for experimentation in the way a composer might use a musical score. Consequently, dance notation is currently utilized more for the archival recording of works than as a primary tool for creation or daily learning.2