7 Kpop Dance with Unique Props in Their Choreography
Kpop is known for its holistic approach towards performance. Rather than focusing only on the voice, choreography, or the performer's visuals, it combines all them into one for an entertaining and engaging stage. Oftentimes, choreographers will use props in the choreography to add another layer to the performance.
Here are seven Kpop bands who have experimented with unique props in their choreographies.
NCT Dream
When NCT Dream debuted, oldest member Mark was only 17 while youngest member Jisung was only 14. The boys not only attracted audiences with their catchy and boyish debut song "Chewing Gum", but also with its choreography where they are seen dancing with hoverboards! Anyone who has tried using a hoverboard will know that it's not easy to master. For the boys to be able to master not just how to use a hoverboard, but an entire choreography with it, imagine how much they must've practiced!
Weeekly
Up and rising rookie girl group Weeekly has been making rounds with their catchy title track "After School" from their third album We Play. The choreography for "After School" takes a very theatrical approach by including a variety of props such as a skateboard (to match with the lyrics about skateboarding after school), a phone (to match with the lyrics about using their phone for photos), and chairs with wheels (perhaps a mobile version of chairs we'd find in a classroom?). All in all, the props work well with both the choreography and lyrics to bring across the youthful, free-spirited vibes that complement the girls perfectly.
After School
After talking about the song "After School", let's talk about the band After School. One of the top bands of second generation Kpop, After School wowed the audience with their pole dancing in their song "First Love". The dance was a perfect match for the sensual melody and lyrics to the song, but can you imagine having to sing whilst expending all your effort to suspend yourself on a pole at least a metre or so above the ground? Truly ahead of their time, After School wins hands down in the running for creative Kpop choreographies. It hadn't been easy on the members either, with all of them sporting bruises and callouses as they trained in pole dancing for this comeback.
VIXX
The band who took that leap of faith to experiment with dark concepts like vampires, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, VIXX took it a step further with their third comeback "Voodoo Doll". Like the name, this comeback was guided by the concept of voodoo dolls and thus they incorporated the use of a gigantic pin reminiscent of the pins you would stick into voodoo dolls in their choreography. Throughout the choreography, the members "stab" each other to bring forth the voodoo doll concept. The skull on the pin also doubles up as a mic prop that the members sometimes sing into. Fun fact: this dance was considered too violent to be aired on music shows, so most of the choreography you see in their music show appearances have been changed to make it appropriate for broadcast.
NU'EST and Brave Girls
Apart from being the icons of revival — both bands suffered from lackluster reactions from the public before a show appearance or song saved them from disbandment — they also make use of the same prop in their performances! Both NU'EST and Brave Girls use chairs in their songs "Face" and "Rollin'" respectively.
The song "Face" shines light about the bullying situations in Korean schools. The chairs used for the dance also look like the type of chairs that you'd find in schools, perhaps to really sell the whole concept on speaking out against bullying in schools. At the end of the song, they do a really neat trick of spinning the chair on one of its legs.
A song released four years ago but suddenly experienced a surge of popularity this year, Brave Girls finally managed to get the recognition they deserve with their song "Rollin'". The choreography of this song uses stools that the girls maneouvre across the stage and climb — all in heels!
Girl's Day
Before SEVENTEEN used suspenders in their wildly popular song "Very Nice", Girl's Day included in the choreography of Expectation, a song that was a far cry from Girl's Day's original cute and eccentric concept. It was a song that garnered the attention of the Korean public with its rather provocative choreography and the use of suspenders throughout the song. The band then went on to experiment with unique costumes and props in their subsequent comebacks, such as having a jacket with a long tail to emphasise the choreography in "Female President", and wearing a feather as a ring in their song "Something".
Dreamcatcher
While bandanas and handkerchiefs are one of the more common fashion items to in performances that help to tie a band of dancers together (not literally, of course) in terms of the visuals, Dreamcatcher has utilised them as part of their choreography! More than just using handkerchiefs, rapper Dami even performs a magic trick as she raps! During a pause in her rap, she walks forward before materialising a staff from thin air! Certainly an eye-catching move that complements the rapper's natural confidence and swag.
Art is about exploration and experimentation. The choreographers for these dances have definitely thought out of the box to deliver an amazing performance by including unique props in their dances! Let us know if there are any other choreographies that utilise unique props in the comments!