Steven here, this is the first ever guest written article on ManelyKpop, I’m so excited by this, so please enjoy. Take it away Chelsea.
Chelsea here! Before I begin with my lists, I felt it would be prudent to explain that I have a background in dance, with the bulk of my experience being in ballroom. Because of that, and several years of cheerleading, I have a strong appreciation for form, symmetry, and timing in dance. My choices for favorite choreographies can reflect that or the sheer fun and ease of bouncing around the house during a break in the daily grind. So, get ready for a wild ride.
My favorite Male Only Group or Solo Choreographies of 2020
Yes, I know. They’re a band! There is no choreography. Except that there is, complete with a dance practice video and that’s the entire reason it is on my list...a band dance choreography.. None of the boys dance. It’s trainees in the company. And while the choreography is incredibly simple, it reflects the music and is loads of fun to do by yourself at home.
Remember that ballroom experience I mentioned? It fostered a long-lasting love of footwork, especially footwork with unusual timing. Got7, and hiphop in general, has a pretty similar affinity. The little hop kicks, the stuttered timing in the chorus’s moves, the flexing and pointing feet, sigh. Got7 isn’t afraid of moves that are downright weird looking when only one person does it. Trying out their choreographies in a mirror never fails to make me laugh at myself.
TXT are not usually my favorite group to watch dance. Their strength is in their choreography, specifically the combined group moves, such waves with hands held. They do that extremely well. There is a level of trust and teamwork that comes through in those moments and in the times they backup without checking behind them for member positions. Having said that, this choreography relies less on those formations. The moves are in general simple, but they’re put together in a pleasing way. Simple moves do highlight dance technique issues: balance, flexibility, strength, timing and musicality, tension, dynamics, angles...it all has to be there. So, if anyone cares to try this dance, I recommend following Yeonjun of the pink hair because he nails almost everything (with the exception of some hip stiffness on a couple of moves).
Ironically, this is a dance that has a lot of combined group choreography. The clever formations and speed of this dance make it impressive. It becomes more impressive when you realize how much the choreography changes from verse to verse and chorus to chorus. The dance itself tells the story of the song, but the reason it is so high on this list is because of the detailed nature of the moves and the flawless synchronization of the group in executing those details. I didn’t like the song on my first several listens, but it’s gone into my dance playlist for the sheer pleasure of watching the group perform this choreography.
5- Golden Child- One (Lucid Dream)
Have you ever watched a dance and thought, “Hey, wasn’t that guy on the other end of the stage a minute ago? How did he get over there?” This choreography is masterful in that sense. The formation changes are seamless, smooth, and frequent. For a 10 person group, that’s impressive. Usually with a number that high, the choreography focuses on the moves that look big and epic. The formation changes are obvious, with people casually catwalking to their new spot, or spinning into the spot next to the one they were already in as they circle around to the front for their line. Not this choreography. It has the cool, big group moves, but they’re moving.
4- The Boyz- Quasi una fantasia-Road to Kingdom performance
I realize this wasn’t a new song or their song, but the choreography was SO good. There is impressive technique in the group that allows for storytelling choreography. This one leaned toward contemporary, while giving nods to the original choreography. The use of props is always something that requires applause and the Boyz used more than one here. Besides, it was just pretty.
Oneus often has choreography that is deceptively quiet and simple looking. Don’t be fooled. Those boys work hard. When making this list, I struggled with wanting to put more than one of their songs at the top. Bussyeo won for a very simple reason. I get unnecessary satisfaction out of the sound of their feet stomping out the chorus when I watch the dance practice video. Try it out. The timing is so perfect, you could be fooled into thinking there was only one person. The group as a whole has some of the best symmetry, meaning that each of them kick/punch/etc the same on both sides (strength and height). This makes the angles in their choreography effortlessly pleasant to watch.
Don’t hate me, but this song and choreography just gives me happy nostalgic feelings. It doesn’t have any specific impressive point. It is a good example of a choreography for big groups that uses moves that look nifty when a bunch of people do it at once.
How to begin? Ateez choreography always allows for the individual members to showcase their styles and techniques, which means their choreography always has a lot going on. Hard hitting, flowy softness, fast, slow, funky, detailed...almost every dance they do has it all. It is not the ‘knife’ dances of infinite’s era (which the cheerleader in me enjoyed immensely, don’t get me wrong). It is an explosion on stage and I love it. NCT has a similar vibe, but as a matter of preference, enjoy their music and point moves less.
The reason Thanxx tops my list as opposed to the three other mvs they put out or the b-side songs they’ve performed? First, variety. Inception and horizon had a steadier beat for the dance: less fast moves backed by slow moves or freezes. Second, personal comfort. I can’t be the only one that still squeals and pretends to cover my eyes on that “bulleo bulleo” move in answer. And lastly, footwork. There’s more of it and it’s varied.
My favorite Female Only Group or Solo Choreographies of 2020
This is a quietly powerful choreography to match a quietly powerful song. It’s cute at times, sexy at times, and more of a workout than you’d imagine. Thighs, butt, abs, obliques all get pushed in this dance. Most people wouldn’t be able to manage those little hip rolls, particularly at speed.
This dance makes the song for me. It tells a story that highlights and adds weight to the lyrics. At every point that the lyrics talk about wanting to capture innocence, the choreography shows a blooming, arms opening in a flowering pattern at the slightest touch of Yooa. This is always followed by the tribal feeling beat where the dancers have strong arms and fists and a marching step, Yooa fighting with growing mature. They fall back into a sexier wave and the cycle repeats. Yooa awakening the innocent buds and fighting with her adult sexiness. It ends with her backing into an archway on the words “I want to be with you.” The desire to return to an innocent version of oneself, to capture the youthfulness of the past is beautifully captured. I love this choreography.
Dreamcatcher is known for their concepts and their unique choreography. Boca is no different. It has the strength and femininity that the group is known for along with an easily recognizable point move. The thing that stands out to me in this choreography is how well executed and used the backup dancers are. They have a purpose beyond swaying or kicking in the background. Their moves integrate with the group’s moves to amplify the impact. The group could perform without the backup dancers and it would still look fantastic, but in this case, the backup dancers are more than an attempt to add numbers to the stage.
This choreography (and song) filled a void in the kpop world. For a while now, there has been a lack of sensual music coming out. There has been powerful, girl crush, hip hop, sexy, innocent, etc, but no sensuality. I was thrilled to see this choreography. It was subtle, beautiful, and had a lot of moves that aren’t being done anywhere else. Kudos gfriend!
Weki Meki is full of great dancers. Their choreographies are invariably harder to do than the girls make it look. At times they dance in a different time signature than the melody of the song, for example, doing three kicks in a four count. At other times, they will switch from dancing in time with the downbeat of the background music to following the flow of the melody. It is always done without a hitch. They also had a lot of moves that are counterintuitive. When you try to follow along, you’ll find your body wanting to go in the opposite direction of their choreography. They have had a place in my top choreographies every year since their debut. I pick the song that I enjoy most or the dance that gets me up and moving, but I could just say Weki Meki without picking a specific song..every year.
There is nothing particularly trail-blazing in this choreography. It is pleasant to watch and fun to dance along with. I enjoy it. The end.
This choreography includes elements of the modern dance style called voguing. In kpop, the only other time I’ve seen that was in Shinwha’s song “This Love”. Everglow took a generally slow, pose-y style and made it uptempo and fun. I was impressed and had fun learning the song.
I didn’t know it was possible to combine so many dance styles and types into one choreography without making it look like a disaster! Hiphop, B-boy, Modern, generic kpop, ballroom (tango rhythm, waltz turn, salsa footwork, pasa doble arms, chacha footwork), classical lifts, krumping, aerials...how did this extravaganza of dance manage to work? My best guess is that the choreographer is a genius.
