Two members of BBTrippin were interviewed about the creation of the 'BAD' choreo and I can't not watch that - I just love behind-the-scenes stuff, so lezzgooooo!
Hanbyul (aka Star) revealed both him and Seunghee (aka Ssam) have been with Ateez for a decade now with Star already coaching them pre-debut ("We're 100 percent family.") and Ssam adding "We're friends, teachers, you name it."
When the interviewer praised Ateez's dance practice video, Star instantly agreed by saying "They honestly crushed it and elevated our work."
Explaining some of the moves, they said the 'x' with their arms is just to represent something bad and the showing the palms is like shielding your eyes from something too bright.
We just really love those very direct expressions even a kindergartner could come up with.
On top of that, they also wanted to match the very upfront lyrics.
My favorite part of the choreo breakdown is this section where they explain the three-tiered setup, because I also always listen for the layers in the instrumental so seeing them choreographed is so damn satisfying:
Brooo I can't with Ssam describing what he pictured when he first heard the song - the savanna, heat, leopards on the hunt, and bearded European guys in white tank tops öalskdjföalskdjföalksdjalksdj Like what is your brain, my dude - I love it, I'm here for it, tell me more lmfao
One of their favorite parts is Mingi's, because it was inspired by an ostrich while the guys in the back are the "hot, sweaty men" (the bearded European guys aösldkjaösldsl I still can't get over that it's so fucking funy).
The dancers following Mingi are meant to be the ostrich's baby chicks which makes Mingi their momma (note his neck isolation movements during that part which drive home the ostrich imagery)~
So it's Ssam who's obsessed with ostriches - hence the move - and he loves them because they've got long legs and they're very fast, but also-
Lowkey, me about cows - they have insane eyelashes. Very pretty, very cute, really wish people would stop torturing and eating them. They form friendships too btw - that's why they keep befriended cows side-by-side while they lead them to slaughter. Because they panic less that way. Very fucked up and cruel in my eyes. But I digress.
Moving on to Hongjoong's part, it was Star who felt the urge to sprint during the first part and Ssam who went "go faster!", so that's how that section was born, then the follow-up part came and-
Ssam: "Hongjoong was so determined to crush this specific section. He usually rocks a handheld mic- He told us 'I want to fully sell this choreography', so he actually went out of his way to request a headset mic."
Star, cracking up: "It went so far that he literally told us 'I can't stop myself, you all need to hold me back."
Ssam, laughing: "He was sprinting ahead, outpacing the actual crew."
Star:
During Yunho and Seonghwa's section the "chiki-cha-chiki-cha" was actually matched with a teeth brushing move by Seonghwa.
You know, every second of this interview just makes me see more and more why these guys and Ateez are such a dream team - they're all just a bunch of absolute goofballs full of drive, dedication, and the pure desire to have a good time while they pursue their passion.
Star, super calm after slamming his head into the desk: "I just ducked my head out of pure embarrassment and misjudged the distance."
Oooh, so the body-roll movements in the group section were choreographed by Leejung! She's an artist under The Black Label and also the baddie Sanie danced with here:
The fast-paced hand-smacking section leading up to the dance break was the result of the savanna-theme in their heads coming together with the instrumental which made Star think of a djembe drum circle.
Since they then felt the urge to keep drumming as the track in the instrumental was still going, they started playing around in the studio and Star and Ssam's eyes met as they both did that pocket chest groove San is now so famous for.
Then, at the very end when it's all over, they just pull their hands out of their pockets like "I'm entirely empty."
After Ssam tried to sing Star's praises, Star only briefly spoke about choreographing 'That That' for Psy before he immediately went back to saying their dance crew choreographed pretty much Ateez's entire discography, which is when Ssam jumped right back in as well:
Star: "At this stage, we can just look at each other and know exactly what to do. We don't even need words anymore."
They also both highlighted how much trust all the Ateez members have in them since they've been working together for so long now.
Ssam: "That complete trust naturally brings out the best results."
When asked to describe each of the members' performance styles, they said the following:
Hongjoong: pulls off mischievous expressions incredibly well; when he performs, he has a playful way of hooking the audience instantly
Seonghwa: can go completely beast-mode, "the guy is pure energy", out of all the members, he picks BBT members' brains the most since he's super detail oriented; puts in crazy hours in solo practice
Yunho: as the main dancer, he's the anchor; can execute any vibe flawlessly - a total all-rounder, always serves a masterclass performance
Yeosang: a quick learner, locks in details perfectly, ("his deep baritone voice is pure gold"), packs a serious punch on stage, his presence anchors the performance
San: "the man rocks a tank top like no other" (said Ssam), his viral clips speak for themselves - his eye contact alone shuts down the whole room, participates in the creative process all the time ("he's incredibly passionate about making choreography; he genuinely loves dancing")
Mingi (they were so endeared thinking about him, they kinda forgot to say much about his performance style lmao): purely adorable, super tough persona on stage "but off-stage, he's hands down the biggest softie in the group"
Wooyoung: "Mingi is adorable, but Wooyoung is the true king of charm", has a solid masculine side to him but is also incredibly sweet; tries to secure every single trait ("talk about greedy" lmfao) - "a complete five-tool player" (describes athletes who can impact the game in many ways, handle pressure, and stay available all season)
Jongho: anchors the team as a main vocal, but in their pre-debut days, he was part of the main dancer line - "the guy can seriously move", has an incredible sense of texture and groove, but he was just too damn good as a singer, so he has to be the main vocalist
In summary: "No exceptions, no weak links across the board."
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