We asked about future goals.
K-pop dancer Ricky Young
K-pop today has moved beyond simple music consumption and has established itself as a mainstream genre in which the world takes part, grounded in training systems and performance. Within this current, the number of cases is steadily increasing in which not only domestic but also global talents choose to study in Korea in order to enter the entertainment industry.
Idol groups have already become naturally multinational in their membership. As with Lisa (BLACKPINK) and Momo (TWICE), it is no longer unusual for people from overseas to go through the Korean training system and grow into performance-centered artists.
Recently, major entertainment companies, including ‘HYBE’, are building T&D (Training & Development) systems tailored to talented and passionate global prospects, providing both opportunities and starting points for them to grow into K-pop members.
Wanting to see how these changes are taking concrete shape within the choice of an individual, we met an international student majoring in K-pop performance.
We asked for a self-introduction.
“Hello. I am Ricky Young, who majored in K-pop dance at the Seoul Institute of Practical Arts. I am Chinese, and I have been interested in K-pop dance since elementary school. During high school, I moved to Korea and began to study dance in earnest through an entrance-exam academy. My specific field of study is ‘heels choreography’.”
‘heels choreography’ is dance performed in high heels, a portmanteau of ‘heel’ and ‘choreography’. It is a performance-centered genre that delivers strong visual impact on stage and demands high difficulty in the ankles and knees. Choreography that uses high heels functions as an important device that elevates visual completeness.
What are the characteristics of ‘heels choreography’?
“Heels choreography is more than simply dancing while wearing shoes; the key is to express a confident attitude, femininity, and self-assurance. Beyond technical completeness, it is important to reveal personal charisma across the entire performance, including the eyes and facial expressions.”
Adding to this, he explained, “I think ‘heels choreography’ is an independent dance genre and, at the same time, an element that is naturally embedded throughout K-pop girl-group performances.”
We asked why he wanted to dance in Korea.
“You can learn dance in China as well, but to learn K-pop dance properly, I thought you need to learn it directly where K-pop is created.”
His words go beyond a simple reason for the choice.
The question of why Korea is ultimately about where K-pop begins and where it is completed. Just as one goes to the Kukkiwon to learn taekwondo, heading to Korea to learn K-pop dance becomes a natural choice.
“I want to create stages with K-pop idols that the world can relate to. Not only as a dancer but also as a director, I aim to build my capabilities and advance onto European stages. If the opportunity arises, I would also like to challenge myself on a competition program like ‘Street Woman Fighter’.”
Ricky Young, who is learning dance in Korea and building a stage of his own. From dancer to director, from Korea to the world, his goals align with the wave that K-pop is creating today.
I hope that choice leads to a broader stage. And I hope that another person's challenge toward Korea likewise becomes a possibility. That possibility continues to be created on the stage that is Korea.
(Foundation) Good Arts & Culture Foundation ‘Performance and People’ Lab Director | Leo Kang
