Brilliant Minds Behind The Steps: 10 International Choreographers Worth Checking Out

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Ever wonder who comes up with some of your favorite K-pop choreography? They’re fast, fun, and definitely not easy to learn! While choreography is sometimes created by the artists or choreographers within their company, sometimes they export the job to outside choreographers! Check out these international choreographers who have gotten involved in the K-pop world!

1. Parris Goebel

First on the list is Parris Goebel. You may recognize her choreography from one of the most famous songs of 2015, BIGBANG’s “BANG BANG BANG.” She’s definitely a legend in the choreography world and has worked with many groups on some of the most memorable dances out there like Taeyang’s “Ringa Linga,” 4Minute’s “Crazy,” and so much more!

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Check out her performance at 2015 MAMA:

2. Keone Madrid

If you don’t recognize him from Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself,” maybe you know him as the brilliant mind behind famous choreographies like BTS’s “Not Today” and “Dope.” Other hits that he’s choreographed for include VIXX’s “Fantasy,” 2PM’s “My House,” f(x)’s “Red Light,” and much more. Also, if you haven’t had the chance to catch him outside of the K-pop world, him and his wife were on “World of Dance 2017,” an accomplishment that we can’t even fathom!

Here’s a clip of one of their amazing performances:

3. Kyle Hanagami

Some of Kyle Hanagami’s most famous works include Red Velvet’s “Ice Cream Cake” and Girls’ Generation’s “You Think.” Hanagami’s creativity is endless and is an incredibly versatile choreographer.

Check out After School practicing his choreography to the hit “Flashback”:

4. NappyTabs

You may recognize their flawless hip hop choreographies from the American dance show “So You Think You Can Dance,” but did you know they dabbled in K-pop also? They’re known for flow and precision and that’s exactly what they gave us when it came to choreographing for our favorites.

We can’t thank them enough for one of EXO’s greatest hits, “Call Me Baby”:

5. Rino Nakasone

Rino Nakasone, who was also on “America’s Best Dance Crew” and a member of Beat Freaks, has quite an impressive list of choreographies worked on with SM Entertainment, including SHINee’s debut song “Replay,” Girls’ Generation’s “Genie” and “I Got a Boy” (in collaboration with NappyTabs). We can’t wait to see what other exciting choreography she may put out.

Here’s a glimpse of her with her doing a workshop on one of SHINee’s hardest choreography, “Lucifer”:

6. Kinjaz

You heard right! Kinjaz, a brotherhood of dancers, has made it into the K-pop realm. There really is no limit to where their success will take them. With dance studios in East Asia and doing workshops across the world, we’re so glad to see some Asian American representation in multiple aspects of entertainment.

Here’s their latest contribution to the dance world through EXO’s newest hit, “Power”:

7. Sugawara Koharu

Her famous affiliations with K-pop have been with the incredible performer and idol Taemin, and rightfully so. They’ve performed together multiple times and always light up the stage. Outside of K-pop, Sugawara Koharu is a brilliant choreographer and has even opened up her own company.

Check out this clip of her and Taemin side by side from “Hit the Stage”!

8. Shaun Evaristo

Shaun Evaristo is a choreographer to remember. He has brought us many favorites through YG Entertainment. This includes Taeyang’s solo hits “Wedding Dress” and “I Need a Girl,” along with Se7en’s “Drip.”

Check out this commercial reel and see if you recognize any of the dances!

9. Ian Eastwood

Ian Eastwood is a name you should definitely know if you’re into pop music plus dancing. He’s got a wide variety of dances under his belt and we’re sure he has more to come! Choreographies that have brought him into the spotlight include SHINee’s “View” and VIXX’s “Chained Up.”

Did you know he was also the lead choreographer for this gem?

10. Nick Bass

Last, but definitely not least, is Nick Bass, who truly helped put EXO on the map with his outstanding and extremely difficult choreography for “Growl.” Other pieces include Super Junior’s “Sorry Sorry” and plenty of choreographies for U.S. artists like Justin Timberlake!

Here’s him breaking it down with some of Super Junior’s members:

Which K-pop choreographers are you obsessed with? Let us know in the comments below!

amycwang93 loves eating, sleeping, and reading. She’s keeping herself busy these days by rewatching one of her favorite dramas of all time, “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon,” to empower herself and admire Park Hyung Sik.