KPop dance and music are so intimately linked. Together they have skyrocketed over recent years as kpop groups have become a global sensation.
When most people think of KPop (Korean Pop), they’ll associate catchy tunes, energetic dance and intricate choreography, often with perfectly synchronised moves.
In this article we’ll look at the rise of this dance style, how to get started.
So let’s get to it…
KPop origins & history
K-Pop originates from South Korea, but is influenced by a number of dance styles.
Originally K-Pop dance was influenced by American pop music. Going back to the 1950s, The Kim Sisters, rose to fame during that post-war period. The Kim Sisters are Kim Sook-ja (Sue) and Kim Ai-ja (who are literal sisters), and their cousin Kim Min-ja (Mia). Backed by talented parents, the girls, much like modern kpop, brought an eclectic mix to their performances, with singing, dancing, fashion and playing a selection of instruments.
In a 2018 NBC Interview, Sue Kim was asked ‘what makes a successful KPop group’, she said “Discipline. Without discipline, you cannot make it. It looks like whoever goes into K-pop groups, they have to have discipline. Something’s got to give, so they sacrifice their personal life to be good”.
Although they didn’t speak English initially, that didn’t hold The Kim Sisters back from achieving fame across United States and the wider world. Their success undoubtably opened the door for other Korean artists (and other international artists) to break into the international music scene.
The 1990s then were the next major step for K-Pop dance, with an increased popularity of Korean popular culture, also known as the “Hallyu Wave”. With relaxed travel restrictions in Korea, more international dance and musical influences were available. When they first appeared on MBC’s talent show in 1992, Seo Taiji and Boys, changed K-pop forever. Bringing rap and other western musical & dance influences into K-Pop gave them rapid stardom, awards a millions of albums sold. Here’s the original music video where you can really feel many of those influences from other cultures and genres.
Growth continued throughout the 2000s and 2010s, where K-Pop dance continued to evolve, ‘absorbing’ aspects of other international dance styles. Ultimately though, this collective of dance, music, fashion and fan participation has become something very special in it’s own right.
In 2012, Psy had a global success with his catchy song and iconic dance ‘Gangnam Style’, whose lyrics refer to a hip area of Seoul and brought a humour that created an instant hit.
More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic had a part to play in the rise of K-Pop dance on the global stage. With a push for at home isolation, the kPop ‘Idols’, their fans and content creators went online in unprecedented numbers – accelerating the spread of kpop, particularly across social platforms such as YouTube and Tik-Tok. This has fuelled the rise of ‘cover dances’ and ‘dance challenges’. These are now a key part of k-pop dance, where celebs, fans and content creators cover the moves and choreography of their favourite idols and can challenge others to do the same.
Cover dances are increasingly becoming serious business for young hopefuls looking for KPop success. Dera, part of The White Family, a cover dance group, said “We are now demanded to look as identical as possible to the idol, whether the costumes, hairstyles, or the looks; become a cosplayer but the K-pop version,” she added.
Popular KPop Groups
All groups bring a powerful combination of dance and music. We recommend you checkout a few of their YouTube accounts to see them in action (and pick up a few moves whilst you’re there).
- BTS – BTS, formed in 2010, with Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jamin, V and Jungkook as a hip-hop group and expanded to wider styles. Their first number one hit was “Blood Sweat & Tears”.
- Twice – Formed in 2015, through the reality competition survival show “Sixteen” featuring Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu. Their first single was “Extended Play” with their first number one the following year “Cheer Up”. The “TT” hand gestures are famous among fans.
- Blackpink – Koreas most famed girl group, with Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. They had their first hits in 2016 with “Whistle” and “Boombayah” and went on to smash multiple records and receive even presidential thanks for helping spread KPop world wide.
- Super Junior – a larger 12 piece boy band, formed in 2005, with Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook, Kyuhyun, Han Geng, Kibum and Kangin. Changes in the line-up took place over the next 4 years. Known for synchronized and polished dance moves. They broke a record in the KKBOX album chart, occupying number 1 for 122 weeks!
- Big Bang – Big Bang, formed in 2006, originally with G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung. Seungri and T.O.P. They spread the ‘Korean Wave’ with their iconic dance moves, pulling on hip-hop elements, unique gestures, and high-energy energetic throughout.
- Momoland – formed in the Mnet show “Finding Momoland” in 2016. The group of Hyebin, Yeonwoo, Jane, Nayun, JooE, Ahin, and Nancy where joined by Daisy and Taeha in 2017. Famous for catchy dance moves and an example of how KPop can ‘blow up’ on social media. Check out the video for “Bboom Bboom” with a lively and energetic dance routine. The group disbanded in 2023.
- Stayc’s – a more recently formed girl group came together in 2020 – originally with Sumin, Sieun, Isa, Seeun, Yoon, and J, is known for their sharp dance routines. Their hits include “ASAP” and “So Bad”.
- (G)I-dle – a girl group, originally formed in 2018 with Miyeon, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, Shuhua and Soojin. Their dances to the likes of “Hann” display powerful choreography, as well as elegant movement.
What type of dance is K-Pop?
Although celebrated under the banner of Korean Pop, as we can see from the history section in this article, K-Pop draws from a huge pool of influences from across the globe including Africa, America and Asia.
This allows KPop as a genre to feature everything from upbeat dance choreography to slower, emotional ballads, and everything in-between. The great thing about this, beyond the sheer variety under the KPop banner is that by drawing inspiration so widely and leaning so heavily on dance, KPop can really transcend linguistic and cultural barriers. This goes a long way to explain its international success. Some of it’s influences include:
- Contemporary – Contemporary dance, from the West has brought much to KPop Dance including improvisation, emotional expression and fluid, graceful movements.
- Hip-Hop – K-pop choreographers have drawn a lot from hip-hop. Bringing powerful, bold moves perfect for the KPop performance style.
- Jazz – Another African-American influence, this time bringing unique steps, fast footwork, and movements that emphasize body isolation.
- Rock – Less of a dance style but the presence of rock music can be seen visually in KPop dance through the high-energy jumps and headbanging.
- Electronic – Dance styles accompanying electronic music such as house, techno, and breakdance, give a fast, futuristic feel to KPop dance choreographies.
Notable K-Pop Choreographers
One of the most powerful aspect that has driven Kpop to fame is the precision of the choreography, a few of the talents behind this include:
Kyle Hanagami – an American choreographer who has heavily in KPop, including groups: Girls’ Generation, Red Velvet, and Blackpink.
Lia Kim – choreographing dance routines with intricate patterns for the likes of Sunmi and Twice (Including “TT”).
Rie Hata – a Japanese choreographer known for her hip-hop influence and who has choreographed for many KPop boy bands including BTS.
Bada Lee – choreographing for many artists, she was also a backup dancer for Blackpink’s Lisa.
Other great KPop choreographers Include Chunha, Rino Nakasone, Taemin, Leejung, Jay Park and Koharu Sugawara.
Acknowledging K-Pop Choreographers
A slightly contentious subject can be the acknowledgements these choreographers get for their central part in the making of the dances and the groups. Often not identified in the acknowledgements, the role of ethics in copyright are also brought into question. Strictly speaking, Youtube creators for example should also not be able to monetise non-original content (e.g. copied choreography) but this is not the case often.
Alice Myung is a performer and choreographer who studied Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California. Alice has written an interesting piece on movement transmission and representation as a challenging point of view to this approach and the importance of acknowledging the people and culture that influence s.
How to learn K-Pop Dance as a beginner
At DanceBibles, we know that there’s no better way to truly appreciate a dance than to get involved.
KPop dancing is fun, a great work-out and you can do it alone or with other dancers (or even some friends or family). Because so many of the dances involve complicated choreography, to stand a chance at staying motivated whilst you make progress, we recommend beginners start with easier dances.
What’s the easiest KPop dance to learn?
Songs by Twice, such as “Dance The Night Away” are excellent as they’re iconic, generally simple to follow and execute.
How long does it take to learn a KPop dance?
It really depends! Even if it’s an easy KPop dance, it depends on you skill level as a dancer, experience with KPop, the song speed, number of dancers to name but a few considerations. Rest assured, like the idols, when you have more practice behind you, learning each move and choreography piece will suddenly come a lot faster.
A pro tip is to ‘not eat the elephant whole’. Pick some of the basic moves and techniques, break the song down into manageable sections. By doing this and mastering smaller sections, you can eventually build the sections together to achieve a dance for the whole song. Doing this for an easier choreography is a good stepping stone when repeating these steps and gradually building up to moderate and eventually more complicated, advance choreography.
With social media, YouTube, online courses and classes in virtually every city – learning KPop at home or with coaching can happen in your own time frame and in a way that suits you best. Why not learn with a few friends and see what choreography you can master together?
Happy dancing!
Here’s some other articles about interesting dance styles from round the world:
Majorette Dance: Moves, Dancing Styles and 200+ year History
Circle Dancing: Joy and Connection Through Dance
Quebradita: Unleashing the Energy of This Dynamic Dance
Pasito Duranguense: Dance to the Rhythm of Mexico
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Professional Dancer, Dance coach. Favorite dance style – Pole Dance. Favorite Move – Sword Simakhina. A graduate of Saint Marys. Former Chief Editor and Owner of DanceBibles.com