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Meet K-pop’s hottest dancers: Lee Jung choreographed for Blackpink’s Lisa and Noze’s Hey Mama challenge went viral on TikTok – but is veteran Honey J even better?

Lee Jung, Noze and Honey J started out as backup dancers and choreographers for famous K-pop acts like Blackpink and Exo, but now they’re stealing the spotlight thanks to TV show Street Woman Fighter. Photos: @leejung_lee, @nozeworld, @__honey.j__/Instagram
Lee Jung, Noze and Honey J started out as backup dancers and choreographers for famous K-pop acts like Blackpink and Exo, but now they’re stealing the spotlight thanks to TV show Street Woman Fighter. Photos: @leejung_lee, @nozeworld, @__honey.j__/Instagram

  • Mnet’s dance survival show Street Woman Fighter has shone the spotlight on the backup dancers and choreographers for idols like Exo’s Kai, Jay Park and Itzy
  • Honey J nabbed endorsements with Nike and Gangnam retailer Han Style while Lee Jung was inspired to get into dance by Girls’ Generation and Wonder Girls

Thanks to the red-hot popularity of K-pop dance covers and dance competitions like Mnet’s Street Woman Fighter, some of South Korea’s most talented dancers are enjoying their own time in the limelight. They were hardly unknown to fans in the first place, often starting out as the backup dancers and choreographers of K-pop’s brightest idols, but now the spotlight is solely on them as individual performers – and they’ve never been bigger.

So who are the hottest dancers in South Korea right now?

Noze

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Noze’s rise to fame began when she got noticed as a backup dancer for other artists. Photo: @nozeworld/Instagram
Noze’s rise to fame began when she got noticed as a backup dancer for other artists. Photo: @nozeworld/Instagram
Wayb’s Noze started out as a backup dancer for SM Entertainment’s stable of stars, including Shinee’s Taemin and Key. Her rise to fame began when fans noticed her dance moves and striking good looks in Exo member Kai’s Mmmh music video.

She became even more popular from that point on, going on to appear on dance survival show Street Woman Fighter, but her inclusion was rife with controversy, with netizens and fellow dancers alike openly doubting her ability. “If it wasn’t for her appearance, would she have been influential as a dancer?” questioned Prowdmon’s Monika Shin, another competitor on the show. Despite being a fan favourite, the Noze-led Wayb became the first group to be eliminated.

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Nevertheless, at around the same time, Noze’s self-choreographed cover of David Guetta’s Hey Mama went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms, attracting even celebrities like BAE173’s Hangyul and Woo!ah!’s Nana to take up the dance challenge.

With over two million followers on Instagram, there’s no disputing Noze’s popularity and influence. She recently signed nine new endorsement deals too, reportedly worth around US$130,000 each, earning her the new title “CF Cinderella”.

Honey J

Honey J’s dance crew Holybang won Street Woman Fighter. Photo: @__honey.j__/Instagram
Honey J’s dance crew Holybang won Street Woman Fighter. Photo: @__honey.j__/Instagram