Though the use of choreography on Broadway has fluctuated and choreographic styles have transformed and expanded, there has also been an overall shift for dancers over time. In fact, perhaps the greatest difference in the state of movement on the Main Stem — in the opinion of these artists — is not the choreography but how dancers are performing it.

There’s a fine line between executing steps at a high level and expressing meaning. “A lot of dancers are still unfortunately learning vocabulary,” said three-time Tony Award-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler. “They don’t learn how integral humanity is in choreography, and not everybody has that aptitude.”

“Some [dancers] are physical people and some are intellectual-physical people,” he continued. “It’s kind of hard to teach that.”

Difficult, but not impossible. The classroom is the best place to learn technique and vocabulary, while the rehearsal room is where dancers cultivate interpretational skill.

In fact, Blankenbuehler believes there is inherent value in learning and performing the original musical choreography from storytellers like Bob Fosse or Jerome Robbins because they were so gifted at infusing humanity into their movement.

“There’s a reason we left other jobs to go do ‘West Side Story,’” said Blankenbuehler. “Because those are important. Fosse shows are important. Those [shows] not only inspire us, they’re continuing-education courses. I was already a full-time choreographer when I went back to performing to play Riff in ‘West Side’ because I felt like I’d never taken that college course.”

“Jerome Robbins lived and created many types of worlds and styles that he felt were right for the shows he was involved in,” Broadway choreographer JoAnn M. Hunter observed. Dancers need to be able to inhabit those styles and stories in order to create those worlds.

Creators like Fosse and Robbins — as well as Agnes de Mille, Jack Cole, Michael Bennett, Michael Kidd, Gillian Lynne, Tommy Tune, George Faison, Susan Stroman and Patricia Birch — are foundational to understanding story through motion.

Still, it’s a two-way street between dancer and choreographer. Two-time Tony winner Chita Rivera, icon of Broadway dance, said choreographers need to use their dancers more effectively.

“You can’t see the identity of the choreographer through the dancer,” Rivera said of Main Stem dance today. According to Rivera, the task of the choreographer is “to express themselves through me,” but she laments that many of today’s leaders are not “giving dancers full advantage of their bodies and different ways to use their movement.”

Reviving that individuality, and balancing it with ensemble unison and technique, was a focus for Tony winner Wayne Cilento with his cast of “Dancin’.” “[The dancers] were finding themselves doing Bob’s work, but it’s not like you have to be a machine doing his work,” Cilento said.

Company member Ioana Alfonso recognized Cilento’s specific emphasis on cohesion and individuality. “[Wayne] really champions that you bring your own essence to the table,” said Alfonso.

Still, as with anything, it’s about balance. Dancing with individuality doesn’t mean always dancing alone. “Most of the dancers I see are very well-rounded in terms of style,” said Hunter. “But I do think the lack of knowing how to partner in dance is very real.”

Husband-and-wife duo Clyde Alves and Robyn Hurder know a thing or two about partnering — and not just when they’re having fun on the dance floor of an opening-night party. Between Alves’ recent stint in “New York, New York,” which emphasized 1940s period dance (and, therefore, partnering), and Hurder’s Tony-nominated turn in “Moulin Rouge!,” which included significant partnering,” the two have practiced that skill. A practice they do take more time to engage in now is rehabbing their bodies.

“I realize, especially as I’m getting older, that I do need to do extra activity to keep my body in shape,” Hurder said. Though the type and amount of cross-training depends on what show she is currently performing in. “When I was in ‘Chicago,’ I was like, ‘Oh, I can go for a run.’ With ‘Moulin Rouge!,’ anytime I was not in that show I was trying to lay flat because I needed to. With ‘A Beautiful Noise,’ I have energy to do other things [to stay healthy].”

As dance continues to morph, it seems that those who perform it must train and adapt. The professionals agree: Dancers need a regimen of technique classes — including partnering — and acting through movement in order for the status of choreography on Broadway to climb.