Dance is the hidden language of the soul.                                                                   

                                        – Martha Graham.

Let’s be honest, Kpop with out dance just isn’t Kpop. Dance isn’t just the ‘hidden language of the soul’, it’s an integral part of what makes Kpop…well, Kpop. What would ‘Gangnam Style’ be without the ‘horsey-dance’?

Who hasn’t heard “Fantastic Baby” and not danced along, even if it’s just on the inside like T.O.P? Who hears “Wolf” (love it or hate it) and doesn’t feel compelled to make ‘ears’ while they howl? Seriously, or is it just me who busts out a few moves from “Mr. Simple” when out at the wharf buying ice cream with friends?…Just me, okay.

If the nineties taught us anything, other than the ‘Macarena’ , it’s the only thing people love more than a catchy pop song is a catchy pop song with gimmicky, often ridiculous, dance to go with it (I can still ‘5,6,7,8’  and ‘Stop’ it like I did back when I was in primary school when the occasion calls for it).

Kpop has of course learned this lesson well (very well indeed) and turned it up to a hundred, giving us Crayon Pop’s trademark ‘jump/bob’ (Bar,Bar, Bar), Girl’s Generation’s ‘horse stomp’ (Genie), Super Junior’s ‘hand washing’ (Sorry Sorry) and countless other memorable (or ‘we-wish-we-could-forget-them’) dances.

As well as floor-filling moves, Kpop has also given us a plethora of talented (and maybe not so talented) idol dancers, some of whom we envy and others we pity (with love of course) and some who completely own their at times cringe worthy lack of co-ordination and make it their own (seriously, who other than T.O.P can make ‘do-I-really-have-to-be-here’ apathetic dancing cool, and we all know Jaejoong can be un-co as hell at times, but we love them both dearly).

So, here in “Burn the Floor”, I’ll be looking  at the choreography (and by extension the music) of Kpop popular (and not so popular) groups and songs, drawing from my own dance experience and what other fans have had to say about their favourite routines and dancers.

If you have a group or song you’d like me to review let me know in the comments with the name of the group, the song and if possible a link to a live/or official dance version…don’t worry about BTS I’ll do them free of charge.

So, share your thoughts (even if you don’t agree), suggest or recommend dances, but above all else ‘Enjoy’.

Reviews:

• BTS ‘Concept Trailer’ – practice version
• EXO ‘Overdose’ – Showcase Performance
• EXO ‘With You’  – Immortal Song
• EXO-K  ‘Overdose’ – leaked version
• EXO-M ‘Yi Qi Chi Ku De Xing Fu‘ – Immortal Song (China)
• WU YI FAN – ‘Time Boils the Rain‘

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this review are those of the writer, Reiyezerwyre, and come from their own experience as a dancer. Thus, Reiyezerwyre does not claim that the opinions expressed in this review are authoritative in anyway.

About the Author: Reiyezerwyre has approximately fifteen years dance experience – thirteen of which have been spent involved in regular competition – in styles including, but not limited to, Ballet, Jazz, Hip hop, Tap, Contemporary/Modern dance and Traditional Japanese dancing.