Top Kpop Choreographies of 2021
I apologize that this list is late in coming, but…life.
As I said last year, this list is a reflection of my personal enjoyment of choreographies put out in kpop throughout the year. Whether it's a choreography that’s so dang hard that I’m in awe or so silly that I never fail to laugh or fun enough that I don’t care that I’m in the middle of a grocery aisle, I want to do it: My criteria is only that I like it. I have some ballroom dance and cheerleading in my background, so those do lend to my preferences. Enjoy the ride!
Girl Group or Female Soloist Choreography
10. Everglow “Pirate”
I enjoy the confidence of this one. It’s huge in the arms and huge in the hips and slinky walks and posing dramatically. All around it's a pleasure to watch because it's always doing something. It also has a couple counterintuitive movements snuck in, as if it had anything to prove.
9. Twice “The Feels”
It’s so awkward! I can’t get through it by myself without having a major giggle fit and yet they go up there and completely kill it. I’m utterly impressed.
8. ICHILLIN’ “GOT’YA”
There’s something intriguing in the way this choreography treats the verses and choruses so differently. The verses have a half up, half down mentality and almost never have the group all dancing the same move at the same time…like a group. On the other hand, the choruses are exclusively group choreography, all performed on the same level at the same time. I’m not sure why that struck me as hard as it did, but I like the contrast in it.
7. Dreamcatcher “BEcause”
Through the looking glass to a world of puppets and creepy carnivals…in choreography. Yes, please! I encourage you to watch this choreography a few times to pick out some of the clever little mirroring gems it has hidden in it.
6. StayC “Stereotype”
This choreography keeps the eye moving in the best possible way. There are moves where the girls hold hands to make big shapes, moves where they act in a round (one starting the same move a beat after the girl before), constant formation changes (some of which are quite clever), and good use of changing tempos.
5. Sunmi “You Can’t Sit With Us”
I wouldn’t be able to tell you why if you paid me, but this choreography brought me back to my cheerleading days and the halftime performances. I love it and it’s off-beat humor.
4. Purple Kiss “Zombie” - the Halloween Version
I really enjoyed this horror style choreography and they did a wonderful job performing it. The ragdoll and the mirroring and the crawling out in creepy ways. Perfect. If you love and miss Vixx, this is a must watch.
3. HYO “Second”
I added this choreography to my repertoire as fast as possible. Done correctly, your obliques will feel this one and I will never pass on an oblique workout that’s enjoyable. It’s so hard to find!
2. Oh My Girl “Dun Dun Dance”
It’s fun. I have a blast dancing along to it and can do so over and over again, much to the annoyance of the people around me.
1. Chaeryong of Itzy’s Artist of the Month Choreography
Bet you didn’t see that coming! Haha. I have watched this performance so many times. The choreography perfectly matches the music. The lyrics, the beat, the emotion, all of it is put into motion beautifully. Chaeryong shows intense body control, spatial awareness, and strength and she makes it look effortless. I adored this.
Special Mention: Mixed Group Choreography
3. Checkmate “You”
There were some truly elegant lines interspersed in sharp and powerful choreography. I like that juxtaposition. They also play with mirroring and bracketing in their formations which works very well in a mixed group.
2. Triple7 “Presente”
This is a mixed group formed by mashing together two established groups and it worked so well for me in so many ways. One way that they hit the mark was in the respectfulness of the choreography. The boy group is older than the girl group, with the eldest in each being 8 years apart. That could have made for some awkwardness if they went a certain route in the choreography, but they managed to keep even the co-ed moves relaxed. It was a fun dance-along choreography on top of that.
1. Ssak3 “Beach Again”
This felt like a cheerleading routine or an aerobic dance class offering. I have so much fun dancing to this one.
Boy Group or Male Soloist Choreography
10. MonstaX “Kiss Or Death”
I almost feel bad putting this song on here when there are SO many options out there and this doesn’t have a full performance or dance practice video…buuuut, I like what little there is so much that it’s coming in last on my 10. It’s so…sassy. The power is there in typical MonstaX style, of course. I would love to see this choreography all the way through. Pleeeeease?
9. Ateez “Deja vu”
*Squeals in fangirl* But seriously, this choreography is funky sometimes, classy sometimes, sexy sometimes…and they manage to bring it all together. How can you not love a choreography that puts gorilla shoulders, puppet walking, hip thrusts and stomping all in the same place?
8. Astro “One”
Are you perhaps concerned that your inner thigh muscles don’t get enough action at the gym? Do I have the choreography for you! Astro choreographies are often super fun to watch and torture to dance because of the physicality they require. This is no exception.
7. Enhyphen “Tamed-Dashed”
The footwork. The footwork! So, clean and unique. *chef’s kiss*
6.OmegaX “Baila con OX”
How to explain my enjoyment of this one? Hmmm. It makes me laugh. The elbow crunches in the chorus caught my attention and I watched the whole choreography because of that even though the song wasn’t my cup of tea. The choreographer for this song must have been in a violent mood because almost the whole song is kicks to the back of (an imaginary person’s) knee, punches, elbow throws or “come at me, bro” shoulders/walks and that tickles me.
5. TXT “Magic”
A dance-along choreography. I love the overall relaxed groove of this choreography and the way it fits the song. I also enjoy the personality the guys are able to put into it. There are some fun (though not WHOAAAA) formation shifts in the choreography too which keeps it from being boring.
4. Key “Bad Love”
He NAILS this 80’s dance concept, which is one of my all time favorites. It’s also a catchy and recognizable dance. Even my kids picked it up and they purposefully and actively ignore my kpop dance love.
3. Ateez with Kim Jongkook “Be My Lover”
WHY ISN’T THERE A PERFORMANCE VIDEO YET?? This is basically a legitimate kpop zumba workout…kpopout?...kdanceout?...Someone cleverer than me, help me out on a name for this. I’m 150% behind this choreography and others like it. I would do so much more cardio if this became a thing. Gimme. Gimme!
2. Oneus—just Oneus
Yes, I’m cheating and listing several choreographies under number 2, but I thought that would be fairer than having Oneus take over most of my top 10 list this year. This group is fantastic. I cannot emphasize that enough. So, I’ll emphasize a few songs instead…
“Rewind”-This choreography is a hidden picture game in motion for the fans. It includes the point moves of all of their previous title tracks at one point or another…and some of those are tucked into the rest of the choreography well enough that it took me a minute. Super fun idea and well executed.
“Shut Up 받고 Crazy Hot!” -This choreography is on here for exactly one move. It’s all fun, but I almost lost it at 3:11-3:24…because in the background, some of the ladies are lifted up and used as guns. This gave me happy nostalgia feelings from the movie Xanadu. Specifically the song “Dancin’” where some of the back-up dancers are used as human guitars. Hilarious. I’m for it.
“Black Mirror”- There are lots of Micheal Jackson inspired choreographies out there. A lot of them try to copy the iconic style of the King of Pop, and that’s a mistake. It’s almost always better to use your own style while paying homage and Oneus does a great job of that in this song.
“Luna”- The fact that there are no compilation videos out there of prop failures for this choreography should be testament enough. The members use fans, but the back-up dancers also use fans, flags, ribbons, and scarves. At one point, they catch the scarves that they throw on their FACES and exit that way. Incredible. Incorporating traditional moves is also a wonderful tribute to their culture which I always appreciate in a choreography.
1. Seventeen “Rock With You”
This choreography is clever, wildly so. It has little gems hidden throughout, but before gushing about any of those, I want to mention the exits and entrances/formation changes. Other than the chorus, this song almost never has all the members performing at once. Each member is given, I believe strategically, a couple seconds to take a deep breath, settle their hearts, and come in strong and stable for their vocal lines. From a performers point of view, this choreography would be a lovely addition in a concert line-up, because those seconds matter.
Now, on to the cleverness in the moves themselves which make this choreography wonderful from a viewer’s perspective as well.
Foot elevator (0:43-0:45)-Yes, it’s been done in other groups and it’s been done well before, but I love the way seventeen incorporates this idea. This is a choreography of levels. The front row goes down while the next members stay standing and one is lifted in the middle. It’s unusual to have the eye travel up and down instead of left to right when watching a choreography with the exception of a bit of floorwork here and there.
Falling body roll illusion (2:19-2:22)- Another example of levels and one undertaken with impressive subtlety and awareness of the dancer’s body comfort. A normal body roll, a roll leaning a teensy bit back, throwing the head back on the final body roll…The sequence is subtle alone and allows the dancers to save their backs but done as a group it's a cool effect.
Little kicks *be still my beating heart*- I’m a sucker for almost any small kick choreography. I have no idea why it appeals to me\, but it does and this choreography makes them a focal point of their chorus instead of a hidden gem tossed into a verse. Throw in a head toss and I’m a goner.
