Working with Japanese choreographer Koharu Sugawara and a team of female dancers, the choreography for Taemin’s “MOVE” is filled with smooth moves and lacks the aggressive flare featured by many contemporary performances. It’s intentional on Taemin’s behalf, with the star using his lithe frame as a jumping off point to counter the gender norms typified by many K-pop dances. “My aim was to find a middle ground, mixing both masculine and feminine movements into the choreography together.”
“My body shape is like that of a dancer’s,” he said. “It’s not too masculine or overly muscular and I wanted to take advantage of that. I thought I could show the soft lines like the dance movements of a ballet dancer by adding subtlety to my choreography. I wanted to break the idea of what male performers are supposed to show, what performances girl groups are supposed to show. I really wanted to break those labels, showing that dance is a form of art.”
Taemin Talks ‘MOVE,’ Gender Stereotypes & Pushing the Boundaries of K-Pop
