First of all, I feel proud of my comment on the community post, since I guessed almost every dancer on the "high MD" to "MD plus" tiers. I chose Junsu over Ricky because I value angles and lines a lot (including my personal dancing style), but from the moment I watched Teen Top's Rocking dance practice I knew their main dancer should be high on this ranking for the footwork alone. Secondly, I want to add some observations to those dancers (just a few, since I mostly agree with your analysis and think you do a great job not only at understanding open style but explaining your points and criteria). It is interesting to notice that Dongwoo and Hoya have well developed despite Infinite's reputation (Hoya was already at a high level before leaving), because many times people say that the reason why (insert fitting name) has poor dynamics and use of power is that they are part of a group that focuses on synchronization and therefore there is less room for personal style as they need to prioritize blending with the other members. I think that the reason why this does not applies to Infinite is that both their main dancers train dancing outside of what is expected in their groups. It is funny that both Shindong and Eunhyuk are so similar with their chill approaches, are both at about the same level technique wise and both of them are said to "dance for fun". Shindong seems to only puts the most effort when it comes to variety shows and Eunhyuk getting teased by the members for being a "lazy" dancer but still being great regardless. You said basically all I had to say about Gikwang, but I wanna add a subjective opinion: his dancing fits perfectly with Yoseob's vocals. I do not even know hot to explain it, but those skills are a perfect combo. Now, my favorite dancers in kpop: Taemin and Key. I love how even at choreographies that do not highlight Taemin's strengths (like the ones you showed in the video) he does not look awkward and applies his personal style in a way that does not look neither off or outstanding in a negative way. For Key, he is collecting kpop dancing tropes, but he actually deserves them. He is known for his girl group idol dancing, except that he is actually good at it and performs songs like Red Light, Russian Roulette and Savage while executing the steps fairly well and not in a open style way. People often says that (insert name) could be a main dancer in other groups, except Key could really be a main dancer in three generations. Side note: have you ever watched Shinee's Identity performance? The three present members executed the "little jumps" in the chorus differently: Taemin is explosive, Key is elegant and Minho is controlled. Great video :D
Just watched Identity, really interesting how it brings out their individual styles! Love the comment about Yoseob's vocals and Gikwang's dancing suiting each other, Yoseob is one of my favourite kpop vocalist
I'm happy seeing Key getting the recognition he deserves. He would easily be a main dancer if he was in any other group. Also I have to say, Taemin is 2nd but he's a main vocalist too. I think that's impressive. He has said in multiple ocassions during concerts or performances that he'd like to go harder at dance but he can't because of the vocals.
He is a great dancer and has a great technique but he focused more on his singing because in the end that is how he was going to survive in this industry, he is the only male dancer who is a strong vocalist better than many popular main vocalist from other companies
Happy to see Shindong and Key getting the recognition they deserve and don't always get. I remember Key said as a trainee he thought he would be the main dancer, then Taemin joined the debut team... Also want to point out Junsu (Xia) is one of the best main vocalists in the industry, ranking in top 10 for his dancing is hella impressive.
I'm so happy seeing Key and Taemin 4th and 2nd! Shinee is truly a powerhouse. I'm always blown away by Key's dancing and I've never understood why people don't acknowledge it more, I usually prefer watching him over Taemin when watching Shinee dancing - though Taemin is always a pleasure to watch. Thanks for the video, really informative. I will have to look into Hoya!!
Thats why its always so funny when new stans say that SM is the house of vocals only while JYP/YG is dance. Like ??? Do you not know about all SM's legendary dancers or...?
SM vocalists really overshadowing their great dancers lol. But probably the reason JYP is more notable for their dancing even when SM has better dancers because until 3rd gen, their dancing is not super highlighted beside Shinee. For example SNSD and Suju have Hyoyeon and Eunhyuk but their groups choreo don’t really give them justice since mostly it focusing on creating iconic moves and compromising some of the members who tend to be weaker in dance.
I appreciate the appreciation for Shindong, Key, and Junsu. Three great dancers that often get overlooked. (Though i agree Shindong has stagnated as he's obviously focused on other things.)
SO MANY FORGET how good he is, but also newer fans just don't know. I also forget that he's pretty good but then get reminded when he starts randomly dancing in Knowing Bros 😂
Top 7 were surprisingly the ones I predicted!! Eunhyuk and Shindong were the clear standouts in Super Junior back then, imo at the beginning they were quite neck to neck skill wise, with Eunhyuk being very groovy yet clean, while Shindong being very controlled and precise. Over the time, Eunhyuk has honed in his skills more while Shindong were still stagnant, probably since he focused more on comedy/variety. Key has ALWAYS been a great dancer who was unfortunately in the same group with one of the most captivating Kpop dancer & performer Lee Taemin. Key is super versatile, he can execute the moves with such interesting textures, and thank you for confirming my observations that Key has the best Hip Hop down grooves in SHINee! He does keep his torso quite relaxed while Taemin tends to not stray away much from his upright posture Super glad that Hoya got the recognition he deserves. He has always been my favorite Kpop male dancer till this day and the best part is he’s still hungry for further improvements
@@curvytangerine for infinite songs, mainly their title track are showcasing enough dance/choreo to see, especially Before the Dawn, Destiny, The Chaser, Last Romeo, Bad, The Eye, Be Mine, Paradise and Man in Love. But a lot of their b-side have good choreos too, you can check their concert clips, mu fave is Just Another Lonely Night (japanese song). His solo release that still iconic to this day for me still Angel
@@curvytangerineOh and Be Mbitious (pre- street men fighter), SMF, and Mbitious, u can check them out to see how his dancing (with other dancer/choreographer) post military service
@ivana-fr7ri Ngl I be the same😂, like give me more swag and sauce bro!!! His past dance practice/ performances i think he had more down groove(not alot). But MAYBE he'll get better at it if he does more hip hop heavy choreo and works with others that are good at it(like Kany the choreographer). But it's also his choice obv since he's pretty stylistic(which I like)
From a non-dancer perspective, thank you for this because I now understand why, despite Taemin being one of my favorite artists (and is always ranked high in a lot of lists of who's best or who's great at dancing), I can't fully tell why I still think "there's something else that's a little little little something that makes me want a little more" whenever I'm watching him dance more hip-hop stuff. In Move, Criminal, and Want, I have no problem - he's a delight to watch. But I almost always find him a little too elegant (? I don't know what word fully describes it) when he's dancing choreos like Juice and Hard. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, though; I just find myself wanting a little bit more power or bounce, I guess. Also, seeing some comments saying Hoya improved after leaving his group, I can't help but think that being an idol restricts (?) the improvement or progress of a lot of Kpop artists - and that's quite frustrating since a lot could have unlocked more of their potentials and capabilities in dancing. Nevertheless, I still think Taemin deserves his place on this ranking. He's found his style, he's absolutely excellent at it, and I hope he lovingly ruins more of his fans' (and more people!) sanity with his performances. And I love, love, love that you included Key! I don't see him being praised that much from Kpop fans. I always thought he's sooo fitting for choreos like in Bound, Helium, and Hard. Thank you for this! PS I love your videos - they make sense and are justified (hough I don't understand some terms because I know no sh-t about dancing lmao)!
non fans only mention taemin, so you wouldn’t think someone at the level of key was another dancer in shinee. thanks for giving him his flowers! and no surprise with taemin and hoya at the top. i haven’t really kept up with hoya since he left infinite, so it was nice to see some of the more recent clips. i guess hoya is more versatile and fits more open style stuff meanwhile taemin’s goal is to always dance with his particular personal style. infinite and shinee were two of the most influential dance groups of their time and were instrumental in upping the difficulty and distinctiveness in choreo for their gen and popularizing being in sync. i hope people who want to learn more about second gen check them out!
YESSS, I hope more newer fans get into Infinite just by this video. Many mention Shinee but forget about Infinite(even tho their very popular still). They both did alot for the Kpop industry when it comes to choreo
Idk much about 2nd generation but as a dancer lover I knew Hoya and Taemin would be #1 and #2 without a doubt lol I love that dancers have different approaches even if from a technical pov it might not be optimal. Taemin sacrifices versatility but his way of dancing is so impressive and mesmerising regardless. Hoya has always been such a well rounded, diversely skilled dancer but unfortunately not many ppl know about him.
I’ll echo basically every other second comment here- it’s nice to see Key getting his notice here. Love him. Glad you leaned on the Good Evening clips for him- he absolutely owned that choreo IMHO. Insane.
I feel like all of super junior is very mood-based? If that makes sense. They won't go all out if they just don't want to. Especially since Shindong, Heechul, Kyuhyun, and Leeteuk have gotten major injuries to their legs/lungs/heads, and that they're the longest lasting idols on this list aside from DBSK, I can guess that they probably want to preserve their bodies as long as possible, smth a lot of idols forsake in their earlier years. Like even members who aren't strictly any category are capable of dancing really impressively should the mood strike them, the problem is the mood rarely strikes them 😂😂
As always, I love your analysis! The amount of effort you put in is deeply appreciated and your information always impacts the way I view dance among idols, even though I’m not a dancer myself. Honestly, as a big fan of Taemin, I was worried about where he’d place on this list. We all know he’s one of the best dancers in general, but, I had no idea how good his open-style technique would be. This is probably due to my unfamiliarity with what open-style exactly was. My perception of open-style was always how 3rd/4th gen idols danced, so I was surprised to learn that 2nd gen idols have applied that concept all along! In addition, Taemin’s dance style is so unique. It sometimes made me wonder if he was truly an amazing dancer overall or if he was just good at what he distinctively did. Especially since being too specialized could restrict your well-roundedness. Therefore, I was overjoyed and amazed to see him rated so well and only “slightly less well-rounded” than Hoya. If I’m not mistaken, your ranking doesn’t consider abstract qualities such as stage presence or artistry right? If so, Taemin’s place seems that much more impressive in my eyes. I think nowadays people focus more on Taemin’s talent as a performer and place him as their favorite/best dancer for those reasons. It’s great to know that underneath the artistry and presence, he’s still an amazing technical and well-rounded dancer. Also, I love Hoya as well and think he’s definitely the most underrated dancer in Kpop. People either forget or don’t know that both Shinee and Infinite were among the top dancers as a group for awhile. So a lot of times I see Hoya being left out of the “greatest dancers” conversation despite being so good. I’m curious to hear more about how close or much of a toss-up Hoya and Taemin are in terms of skill, especially since their dance styles seem so different, as well as how they compare with other idols you’ve already analyzed such as those in the 3rd gen. Finally, I wanted to know who your favorite dancer(s) is in either this gen or the entirety of K-pop and why. Once again, great video as always, I wish you well!
Thanks! Yes, stage presence and artistry aren't part of the ranking. It's honestly difficult to say regarding the difference between the two, for example Taemin's footwork is better but since the criteria is heavily on being well-rounded and versatile I personally think that it's quite clearly Hoya The top 6, Junsu and Wooyoung are my favourites in 2nd gen I think, difficult to decide on one though
I saw another comment mentioning the kind of "collective amnesia" fans had over the top-tier dance skills of Shinee and Infinite and I think it's because they both debuted late into 2nd gen: Shinee in 2009, Infinite in 2010. Most bg's notoriously take a while to reach their peak and both groups were racking up momentum--and then 2012 happened. The year 2012 was a *massive* year for 3rd gen bg debuts (Exo, BtoB, BAP, Vixx, etc) and BTS debuted a year after. Even to this day, a sizable percentage of the top-selling bgs are from the 3rd gen. I am sadly not suprised notable 2nd gen bg members, specially those from outside Big 3/4 companies like Hoya, have been forgotten 🥲. Unrelated to the dance convo, but I still wonder what heights Shinee and Infinite could've reached if they were given more space to flourish. Infinite had an obvious dip in singles sales after 2012. Also, despite being 2013 being one of their busiest years with 3 whopping Korean comebacks, Shinee only got 1 daesang in year-end awards while their hoobaes got WAYYY more. That is not to say these groups didn't get more popular after 3rd gen began, only speculating that their potential growth was hindered. ...that's just how the fast-paced factory-like kpop industry works ig
Now I'm super curious how the top of this list stacks up to the top of 3rd gen... I am a fairly recent Kpop fan (hugely into Shinee, don't know anything about Hoya/Infinite), but when I got to your #1 here I thought it was pretty similar to your comments about J-hope! Also, thanks for giving Key so much love. He's not my favourite dancer to watch, but he is a consummate professional and deserves the career he's got. It was nice seeing a collection of those awesome hip hop clips.
Fun fact: Jhope used to be called "smile Hoya" pre-debut cos he ressembled Hoya dance wise but he would always look so happy and smiley whilst dancing instead of serious. At the time Hoya was one of the most famous kpop dancers with recognition in both the kpop and general dance industry so this comparison was a huge compliment for baby Jhope.
Gikwang getting more recognition! Somehow, he rarely gets mentioned despite his amazing dance talents. Support him as an actor now. His most recent work is Marry My Husband
this is so fascinating to me because despite my getting into Korean music during 2nd gen, I'm really not familiar with a lot of the boy groups (I was more into solo idols back then, with a few exceptions), and Infinite is one of the ones I never got into. like I've def heard of all these groups and I heard their big hits back in the day, but didn't know any individual members from most of them. I've been a fan of Taemin for a while now and I admire his dancing a LOT! many say he's the best male 2nd gen dancer, and I've always thought that was a pretty well-founded statement... but I have learned something today! 👀 Howon (is he typically called Howon or Hoya?) will be getting an investigation from me! wow! this is why I love your channel! I really enjoyed seeing discussions of dancers I'm more familiar with as well, like Eunhyuk, Shindong, Yunho, Junsu, Key, Taeyang, Jay, etc. there's something so pleasing about the way Yunho and Junsu dance. it's great they're still active and improving to this day, despite everything. and Key is incredible... having Key and Taemin at 4 and 2 really shows why SHINee is the dancing powerhouse group it's known to be. lol Shindong not taking performances that seriously dancing-wise seems so... him. so generally SuJu too, in a way, lmao. I wonder if this is why so many people are surprised to learn that he has such a strong dance foundation. he only brings it out for a laugh.
The thing about Hoya is that, in my opinion, he improved significantly only after he quit his day job as an idol. That's not really surprising since he can devote a lot more time to honing his craft. Back when he was active in Infinite, he was consistently one of the best dancers of the generation, but I don't think he was better than Taemin back then. But he's had 7 years of full-time devotion to perfecting his craft, and it really showed during his Mbitious days.
This is quite interesting because Taemin inserting his own unique style into hiphop and making the moves look elegant and therefore a bit off is exactly why I like it 😂 It must have taken you a lot of time and so much effort to make this video. Thank you so much for your hard work.
@@adeley9318 No, we should just stop the silly arguing altogether.Taemin is an amazing dancer and it can still be argued he is the best since this ranking focuses on open style which is just one way to evaluate but at the end of the day there will never be a certain answer to who is the best dancer. We should appreciate multiple dancers and their different strengths instead cos there will never be agreement and too many subjective elements.
I started getting into kpop during 2nd gen and thrilled to see your analysis. Always insightful and glad to revisit so many of my favorite idols back then 😊
I’ve always been rooting for Hoya, he has to be perhaps the first idol who allured me into Kpop! I’m so glad seeing him getting more recognition and appreciation as he deserves. Thank you so much for your work, this must have taken alot of your time.
Thanks, FiF. I always enjoy your analyses. Taemin is my ult, but I was ecstatic to see you include Key here as well. He is nearly as good as Taemin overall (IMO) and he always has a bit of his signature sassiness or swag in his movements as well. I also appreciated the visual comparison of Mark's and Taemin's form in Tiger Inside. I haven't paid much attention to Hoya before, but will definitely check out some of his work.
I died when the iconic Pass the Mic TikTok appeared because that is absolutely my impression of Jay Park dancing. Anyways, it's nice to know that Infinite really is such a well-rounded group. Their albums are perfection musically too. I've always preferred Dongwoo's dancing (it's probably my bias towards his personality) but it's clear that Hoya has that stand-out element. Thank you for the analysis! A lot of these names don't get the recognition they deserve by nature of their group being much less well-known. Now to go watch some Infinite stages lol
Seeing Prepix's ILL made me think of potential topics for future videos: It could be cool to look at notable K-pop choreographers and identify their style/preferences/habits. Once I correctly guessed Parris Goebel as the choreographer for a song I was watching and I felt very proud of myself. 😎
Loved your breakdown of Hyunseung. I never liked to watch him compared to the other Beast members and couldn't put a finger on why. Because of his obvious effort and interjections of stylistic flair, I assumed I didn't want to focus on him just because his style wasn't my taste. Your discussion about where he struggles and how overdancing means standing out in a negative way explained a lot of the "why" for me.
The AUDACITY of people to forget Hoya as a dancer is ridiculous... Honestly I have the most respect for 2nd gen dancers... because all of them learnt these skills on their own...Street dancers always thought themselves as superior to idol dancers..
I am wondering if you will compare idols of different generations too since kpop seems to be more dance focused in 4th gen yet the best dancers in 4th gen dont seem as good as the best in 2nd or 3rd even though overall the amount if high level dancers increased.
i'd be curious to see where hoya, taemin etc rank amongst 3rd and 4th + 5th gen if you ever do an overall top 30 dancers ranked vid or something! but especially hoya because i feel like he isnt talked about at all
Loved the video, great analysis It’s so interesting to see the difference in requirements for between typical 2nd gen, 3rd gen and 4thgen dancers. I tried to play a game and guess the top 10 in no particular order(except Hoya,I did put him first cuz he was a big dance inspo for me when I got into K-pop especially since his hit the stage stage with Hyojin Choi🥹), I guessed 7 right🎉. I thought Xia and Jay Park would be swapped but your explanations definitely make sense, wasn’t expecting Ricky(not well verse in teen top) but pleasantly surprised to see Gikwang. Thank you so much for the video❤, nice to see so many deserving dancers being acknowledged ❤️. Also I can’t imagine the amount of work that goes into these videos, thank you so much🫶🏽🫶🏽 PS: I was a bit surprised that Jo Kwon didn’t make the cut
Thanks! Jo kwon's skillset is just very different from the others here, so it would be difficult to figure out how to fairly rank him in open style. I'm also not a heels dancer so I can't judge his proficiency in it. Of course he's a really good dancer too though!
I've never seen most of the GD dance practice videos(the predebut ones), even tho i was a huge Big Bang fan. But he's always been my favorite dancer in Big Bang, i also liked Taeyang, but for some reason, i like Gds moves just a little bit more(even tho he doesnt dance as much as Tae 😂). U always find and use very good videos for your analysis 👍. Just watching the choreo of some of these idols brings back a lot of old memories
Taemin is muy ult and I have such a pleasure watching hime dance. He is so unique. But you are right....he is not right for every song.....in Tiger inside he looked more like a baby tiger. Hard was not for him either ( Although juice was.....that footwork omg ). He is best at sexy , elegant and/or dark concepts. Btw....I love Key dancing as well , even though is so different from Taemin´s....the best way I can explain is like he is floating, weightless. So I love choreos like good and great for him.
Good job making this ranking, it must have taken a lot of work!! Hoya said that he still feels pain when dancing to this day because of the injury he had in the past, but he still does his best. Honestly, I think participating in the SMF was great for him, he improved his dancing and freestyle technique a lot, it's visible. And Hoya is not only a great dancer but also a great actor, rapper, lyricist and he can sing quite well too. With his good arm control, maybe tutting would be a good dance style for him, what do you think?
@@ninaitsnotme In Infinite Woohyun, but both him and L are probably LD In Bigbang I'm not sure who was 2nd to be honest but I didn't bother with analysing seungri for Obvious Reasons
Thank you for working so hard to make this video! I don’t know too much about dance so I was pleasantly surprised to see my ult Dongwoo make it into top 10 👾
i love watching key cover girl group choreos. so often male idols seem to miss the precision and detail and just focus on strength. but key always seems to understand
I'm so happy hoya in the 1st place he dance skill need to recognised even though he's not in infinite anymore i do agree he dance skill improved & also dongwoo 💛 & also i'm happy gikwang Included in this list 💚
so excited to see more second gen dancer content!! i'm really happy to see eunhyuk get third place (even if it wasn't very surprising lol). he's always been my favourite kpop dancer and i'm so glad to see him continue to get the recognition he deserves. also, even though he just barely didn't make top 10, i'm always happy to see yunho's dance skills recognized! same with junsu, key, and shindong, seeing all of them here made me super happy. thank you so much for this video!!
I thought you would put junho for 2PM, but anyways, great video. It looks like so much work. I'm not a dancer but i really like to see Shindong dancing, it looks effortless. For Wooyoung, you said you like his style, in 2pm channel he has one or two videos called wooreography, that it's just him dancing, it's nice to watch.
I don’t think I’ve ever looked out so much to see a yt video 😂 It didn’t disappoint! Also, who do you think is the best between Ten, Taemin, Shotaro and Dino? Or are they around the same level?
there are plenty shinee choreos where Key shines the most and Good Evening is probably my fave example especially in the final verse. i'd love to see him work w/ Koharu Sugawara on a solo track...
I dont know what any of this means all i know is at one point or another each and i mean each of these men have ruled my life yes even shindong, Key has always been my favourite but i really enjoyed watching this. Was cute to see there differences and really why hoya is a great dancer. I miss that man ❤️
Insightful and entertaining video like always! I’m greatly looking forward to you tackling the gg side of dance which is probably going to be an even larger undertaking(have you btw come to an conclusion on how you are going to rate gg dance skills?) but I assume you are going to do a 4th gen bg version next
Taemin n 1 👑 él es fascinante con su baile con sus expreciones,con sus movimientos delicados y finos al igual fuertes. él es un Genio en el escenario ,en sus solos ,presentaciones 👑
I understand the sentiment behind the term "over dancing". But it’s a bit too general to gain any specific insight from imo. I would rather have people stop using the term, and just say "too much - " instead and elaborate from there. Because with "over dancing“ people can use the same term for different meanings, it could mean too much energy, too much extension, too much tension, too much personality, etc. or it could mean all of those and we wouldn’t know. Anything could lead to a lack of musicality, so I would rather have people just be more specific at the start, especially if they’re trying to make concise analyses.
Thanks so much for making this! Taemin is still my #1, but I know I might be biased 😂 (and I love Hoya too) You mentioned some dancers were 'typical 2nd gen MD' and others 'typical 3rd gen MD', could you explain the difference?
But Taemin can groove, right? but not for hip hop but for funk style, we can say that he has the "potential" if he gets into hip hop, but since Shinee's songs and his solo stuffs are not hip hop oriented, i think he wont do it. Anyways he is such a captivating dancer/performer. I didn't know about Hoya, so I searched about him and he hasn't been an idol for 7 years, so he focused completely on dancing and acting. it's interesting to know about him. I love your channel, I learn a lot about dance. can't wait for 4th gen bg ranking🙂
Recently Taemin has delved into Hip-Hop through SHINee's "Hard" (and portions of "Don't Call Me") and Taemin's "The Rizzness". However, Taemin always incorporates his own unique style to everything. That's precisely why I like him so much, regardless of whether it's his dancing, singing, or storytelling. For me he's the whole package. His eclectic ability to absorb other dance genres and then incorporate them into his repertoire, it's like he's created his own self-made dance genre. I feel like Taemin is always evolving into something more and always bringing something new to the industry. Like SHINee, he's not afraid to experiment and take risks.
Loved the video as always, tbh I don't know many of them but glad to know more now. Happy that Hoya gets recognised, although I think Taemin is still the best dancer in kpop (but I agree on him not being the best at hip hop). Both of them are really an inspiration. I thought Gikwang would be third but tbh I don't know much yet. Key being so good and not a main dancer in SHINee says a lot about the level of their dance line. I wondered if Jay Park was in this, tbh he's good but he's pretty overrated as a bboy which happens often with bboys in kpop. Edit: not related to this but what do you think about Ten's Nightwalker?
@@facts_in_fiction me too and also I think SM is really good with their soloists at giving them what fits them, like this with Ten-Nightwalker, Taemin-Guilty, Advice, Idea, etc, Taeyong-Shalala, Kai-Mmmh, Peaches, etc. I think with all of these every aspects (music, concept, choreo, etc) fits their identity and skills.
First of all, omg thankyou so much!! I really really appreciate your efforts that would've gone into this..the amount of research, preparation, finding and putting in the right clips and editing too!! Wow just, thank you!! Secondly, I wanted to know your opinion on Infinite's Woohyun as his dancing has improved a lot! As someone who started getting into dancing only last year and as someone who's a huge infinite fan.. I'd love to know more about his dancing .. I could tell it's very performative, detail oriented and sharp. It just seems impressive. I'd also love to know your opinion about Sungjong of Infinite (as he's my bias ahaha ).
I agree about Woohyun being detailed oriented and sharp - you can tell that he has the idol training (while Hoya and Dongwoo started dancing before becoming trainees). His technique works great for infinite's choreo, but I think he is lacking groove and some other basics to an extent. I would consider him LD tier. Of course it's a pity that he had that shoulder injury which probably held him back Sungjong is of course mostly known for girl group dances (one of the few 2nd gen idols who do them seriously, love his dedication), overall I think that he is decent (A tier) but I had the impression that he' lacking strength, especially lower body strength
@@facts_in_fiction Ahh I see. Thank you! 😊 Btw how exactly do you see if someone's lacking groove because I don't think I understand what groove exactly is .. Also, in Sj's case if you could find some time, could you maybe suggest what I could watch to understand what exactly you mean by "lacking lower body strength"? PS. I'm not questioning your observations, I just wanna know more to understand dance concepts in general
@@sophiewilde_inspirit4evuh I have a video on groove ruclips.net/video/TUVZYEcWUgs/видео.htmlsi=_iK1aT71yATtnj0N For Woohyun you can see some stiffness during the groovy sections of New Emotions for example. For Sungjong, he often avoids moves that require lower body strength like squatting positions
im so so so excited about 4th gen, hope my little soul from p1h makes into top 10 🎉 btw if i may ask, can you think about any 5th gen idol that would make it to md or past md+?? love your videos, always learning and studying from them, ty
I think it goes without saying that we also need to acknowledge that some of these groups had exposure to better (higher paid and higher ranked) choreographers and dance teachers and opportunities as well. Some agencies can't afford what other's could. So I think we just need to respect that these things alone can can reduce exposure to 'improve' or 'refine'. However, I cannot believe that you would put Shindong at 6 ahead of many other much better dancers. IMO he has limited 'range' in terms of styles, strength, flexibility, long stretched out moves I find he dances 'safe' and for me that leaves me little interest. Popping meh. I love that Key got into the higher rankings, I've always loved his dancing. I was surprised Taemin didn't make #1 (which would've been predictable on anyone else's ranking), however after seeing Hoya, who I'd never seen before, I totally agree with you. In fact I missed the whole Infinite train, so I'm about to go fall down a RUclips rabbit hole now. 😂
There are few idols who have done as many covers as Shindong, most who are lower on this list have showcased much less "range" due to dancing in the same choreographic style through their entire career. He is lacking extensions (what you called "long stretched out moves") and athleticism to an extent yes, but is making up for it with excellent control. One of the few animation focused idols who don't have messy placement. It might not be interesting to you, but that's not the point of the evaluation
I understand why hoya is ur pick. But when i see taemin, his moves is actually clean, plus i wanted to say that this is more like objective? Bcs i would say taemin artistic side is unmatched. Thats pointing out taemin only less in that sharp n clean moves againt hoya, for other parts i dont see taemin gets beaten.
well if we talk about artistry he is definitely the best but OP as a dancer only sees the technique part. the criteria is on being well rounded and versatile that it's quite clearly hoya
@@jessie4610 technique for hiphop only? can the 1st place do other dance genre perfectly like Taemin's Me and You, Sayonara Hitori, Criminal, Idea, Advice, Move, Want, etc? The OP's main focus was hip hop only and why did the OP did not include Taemin's other dance practices, like Advice?
@@preciousminho open styles takes many moves and components out of hip hop, popping, breaking, jazz, lyrical and contemporary and other dance styles. I honestly don't know what taemin's choreography has to do with it??? we are talking 100% about technique search hoya dance and you will see all his repertory
I think that Eunhyuk (and other SuJu members too, but mostly the dance line, especially him) dance…effortlessy. I mean, when I was a baby ELF, the first time I saw Eunhyuk dance, I thought: “He is the main dancer, shouldn’t he dance smth more difficult?” And now those clips are the evidence to show that he is the 3rd best dancer in the 2nd gen.
I don't think that live performance for tiger inside is a good exemple because taemin was super tired with his solo and group comeback and superm. He was going at 70% during the promotion with superm. I think a good exemple would be the live performance for supercar with superm. 👌🏼
@@melissa2397 in super car i really think that he has the bounce that she was looking for. Also his arms are more open. But yeah sometimes taemin does put his own style in choreographies
See this is fair and balanced, acknowledging the flaws. Comparing that upper body thing to mark and Key in the areas Taemin struggles. And then people like Hopeflakes say Taemin doesn’t have groove lmao. Like what? Saying he struggles with hip hop. Hope is clearly not a Shawol and only ranked Taemin in superm comparing him to mark in a particular choreo or soemthing. Like smh? Of course Taemin isn’t better than NCT at NCT choreo. People are actually dumb. Sorry for the rant. Idk Hoya, but I’m sure you know what you’re talking about
@@avrilsmith I was happy OP was being fair and ballanced and acknowledging his flaws and strengths without saying some dumb as nonsense. Hopeflakes said that Taemin “lacks groove and fluidity”. OP here shows that groove is what Taemin is BEST at. Clearly these posters have a different definition of groove, or more likely, Hope knows nothing about taemin’s background and was judging him in superm as a hip hop dancer only.
All of this being said, JUICE, HARD, Advice(?) and some covers/challenges with other idols, he adds his own style to hip hop choreo and makes it look good still imo.
taemin just needs get more into hip hop but since his solo stuff are not hip hop oriented he wont do it also people forget that he is not just a dancer he is a singer ( a good one) he has created his own identity an artist
It's funny that U-know Yunho who's at 11th ranking had inspired so many of today's idols and dancers like Moonbyul and Kasper to be dancers and to dance like him 😂😂
I agree especially about taemin with superm choreo, a lot of superm choreo felt like it was built for the nct guys skill set and taemin seemed out of place sometimes, I think Kai handled super m choreo better because of the hip hop/Krump influence in exo choreo and his style
@@jazmine9429Yes, Taemin is better than Kai (technique-wise). Kai is not good at hip hop either, but he has some foundations like (bounce and rocking) so he could adapt,to super m choreos.
SuperM has 2 cb. Fst their debuted album and tours. Taemin dancing and performance is powerful in this tours. SuperM 2nd cb is during mco. This is the time I saw Taemin hold back so much. I do think tiger inside just not for him...also 100. But is not it. He just not there like he don't want to do that feeling! He also make a solo cb during this time and SMe not even promoting him.
So the video title should be "Best in Hiphop and open style dance" ONLY, not best dancer since this analysis focus mainly on hiphop and open style dancing. Because can the 1st place execute other dance genre perfectly like Taemin's Just Me and You, Guilty, Sayonara Hitori, Criminal, Idea, Advice, Want, Move, Famous, Drip Drop, Thirsty, etc.? And it seems you only picked video clips of Taemin's where you can criticize and say that he's lacking.
I have a 11 minute long Taemin analysis on the channel that discusses positive points, why would I repeat all of that? I linked the video in the beginning of his section. All of your examples are also open style, or typical open style execution. Hoya has more "lyrical" stuff like the 7 years dance as well. I precisely picked him because he is more versatile. If we consider outside of open style choreo, Hoya's freestyles would be an even more reasonable argument to consider him "better", not that I really think it matters in the end
First of all, I feel proud of my comment on the community post, since I guessed almost every dancer on the "high MD" to "MD plus" tiers. I chose Junsu over Ricky because I value angles and lines a lot (including my personal dancing style), but from the moment I watched Teen Top's Rocking dance practice I knew their main dancer should be high on this ranking for the footwork alone.
Secondly, I want to add some observations to those dancers (just a few, since I mostly agree with your analysis and think you do a great job not only at understanding open style but explaining your points and criteria). It is interesting to notice that Dongwoo and Hoya have well developed despite Infinite's reputation (Hoya was already at a high level before leaving), because many times people say that the reason why (insert fitting name) has poor dynamics and use of power is that they are part of a group that focuses on synchronization and therefore there is less room for personal style as they need to prioritize blending with the other members. I think that the reason why this does not applies to Infinite is that both their main dancers train dancing outside of what is expected in their groups.
It is funny that both Shindong and Eunhyuk are so similar with their chill approaches, are both at about the same level technique wise and both of them are said to "dance for fun". Shindong seems to only puts the most effort when it comes to variety shows and Eunhyuk getting teased by the members for being a "lazy" dancer but still being great regardless.
You said basically all I had to say about Gikwang, but I wanna add a subjective opinion: his dancing fits perfectly with Yoseob's vocals. I do not even know hot to explain it, but those skills are a perfect combo.
Now, my favorite dancers in kpop: Taemin and Key. I love how even at choreographies that do not highlight Taemin's strengths (like the ones you showed in the video) he does not look awkward and applies his personal style in a way that does not look neither off or outstanding in a negative way. For Key, he is collecting kpop dancing tropes, but he actually deserves them. He is known for his girl group idol dancing, except that he is actually good at it and performs songs like Red Light, Russian Roulette and Savage while executing the steps fairly well and not in a open style way. People often says that (insert name) could be a main dancer in other groups, except Key could really be a main dancer in three generations.
Side note: have you ever watched Shinee's Identity performance? The three present members executed the "little jumps" in the chorus differently: Taemin is explosive, Key is elegant and Minho is controlled.
Great video :D
Just watched Identity, really interesting how it brings out their individual styles!
Love the comment about Yoseob's vocals and Gikwang's dancing suiting each other, Yoseob is one of my favourite kpop vocalist
I'm happy seeing Key getting the recognition he deserves. He would easily be a main dancer if he was in any other group.
Also I have to say, Taemin is 2nd but he's a main vocalist too. I think that's impressive. He has said in multiple ocassions during concerts or performances that he'd like to go harder at dance but he can't because of the vocals.
He is a great dancer and has a great technique but he focused more on his singing because in the end that is how he was going to survive in this industry, he is the only male dancer who is a strong vocalist better than many popular main vocalist from other companies
@@monique2939taemin exists lol taemin is a strong vocalist too
@@le_pierrot_rouge I'm talking about Taemin 💀
@@monique2939 Sorry, my fault I read that wrong🙏
Taemin and Key both being top dancers and also excellent vocalists. SHINee is such a well-rounded group.
This is a side note, but I’d love to hear your opinions on the other SHINee members.
Happy to see Shindong and Key getting the recognition they deserve and don't always get. I remember Key said as a trainee he thought he would be the main dancer, then Taemin joined the debut team... Also want to point out Junsu (Xia) is one of the best main vocalists in the industry, ranking in top 10 for his dancing is hella impressive.
SM dancers at the top half of the list is a testament to their choreographers/trainees. Thanks for making this! Super entertaining. 👏
I'm so happy seeing Key and Taemin 4th and 2nd! Shinee is truly a powerhouse. I'm always blown away by Key's dancing and I've never understood why people don't acknowledge it more, I usually prefer watching him over Taemin when watching Shinee dancing - though Taemin is always a pleasure to watch.
Thanks for the video, really informative. I will have to look into Hoya!!
Thats why its always so funny when new stans say that SM is the house of vocals only while JYP/YG is dance. Like ??? Do you not know about all SM's legendary dancers or...?
SM vocalists really overshadowing their great dancers lol. But probably the reason JYP is more notable for their dancing even when SM has better dancers because until 3rd gen, their dancing is not super highlighted beside Shinee. For example SNSD and Suju have Hyoyeon and Eunhyuk but their groups choreo don’t really give them justice since mostly it focusing on creating iconic moves and compromising some of the members who tend to be weaker in dance.
I knew Hoya would be first, this man is so good at dancing! Thank you for this very detailed analysis 💖
I appreciate the appreciation for Shindong, Key, and Junsu. Three great dancers that often get overlooked. (Though i agree Shindong has stagnated as he's obviously focused on other things.)
I have always wanted more content about 2nd gen idols, so I am really happy that you made this well thought out video😍😍😍
Taemin and Hoya as predicted 🔥
What the hell?! I never knew that Shindong was such a good dancer?! 😭
SO MANY FORGET how good he is, but also newer fans just don't know. I also forget that he's pretty good but then get reminded when he starts randomly dancing in Knowing Bros 😂
Yeah - Shindong's nickname is Dancing Machine
Top 7 were surprisingly the ones I predicted!! Eunhyuk and Shindong were the clear standouts in Super Junior back then, imo at the beginning they were quite neck to neck skill wise, with Eunhyuk being very groovy yet clean, while Shindong being very controlled and precise. Over the time, Eunhyuk has honed in his skills more while Shindong were still stagnant, probably since he focused more on comedy/variety.
Key has ALWAYS been a great dancer who was unfortunately in the same group with one of the most captivating Kpop dancer & performer Lee Taemin. Key is super versatile, he can execute the moves with such interesting textures, and thank you for confirming my observations that Key has the best Hip Hop down grooves in SHINee! He does keep his torso quite relaxed while Taemin tends to not stray away much from his upright posture
Super glad that Hoya got the recognition he deserves. He has always been my favorite Kpop male dancer till this day and the best part is he’s still hungry for further improvements
I agree with everything!
since Hoya is your fave, can you give me some recommendations for him? Infinite songs, solo work, dance vids?
@@curvytangerine for infinite songs, mainly their title track are showcasing enough dance/choreo to see, especially Before the Dawn, Destiny, The Chaser, Last Romeo, Bad, The Eye, Be Mine, Paradise and Man in Love. But a lot of their b-side have good choreos too, you can check their concert clips, mu fave is Just Another Lonely Night (japanese song).
His solo release that still iconic to this day for me still Angel
@@curvytangerineOh and Be Mbitious (pre- street men fighter), SMF, and Mbitious, u can check them out to see how his dancing (with other dancer/choreographer) post military service
@ivana-fr7ri Ngl I be the same😂, like give me more swag and sauce bro!!! His past dance practice/ performances i think he had more down groove(not alot). But MAYBE he'll get better at it if he does more hip hop heavy choreo and works with others that are good at it(like Kany the choreographer). But it's also his choice obv since he's pretty stylistic(which I like)
From a non-dancer perspective, thank you for this because I now understand why, despite Taemin being one of my favorite artists (and is always ranked high in a lot of lists of who's best or who's great at dancing), I can't fully tell why I still think "there's something else that's a little little little something that makes me want a little more" whenever I'm watching him dance more hip-hop stuff. In Move, Criminal, and Want, I have no problem - he's a delight to watch. But I almost always find him a little too elegant (? I don't know what word fully describes it) when he's dancing choreos like Juice and Hard. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, though; I just find myself wanting a little bit more power or bounce, I guess. Also, seeing some comments saying Hoya improved after leaving his group, I can't help but think that being an idol restricts (?) the improvement or progress of a lot of Kpop artists - and that's quite frustrating since a lot could have unlocked more of their potentials and capabilities in dancing.
Nevertheless, I still think Taemin deserves his place on this ranking. He's found his style, he's absolutely excellent at it, and I hope he lovingly ruins more of his fans' (and more people!) sanity with his performances. And I love, love, love that you included Key! I don't see him being praised that much from Kpop fans. I always thought he's sooo fitting for choreos like in Bound, Helium, and Hard.
Thank you for this! PS I love your videos - they make sense and are justified (hough I don't understand some terms because I know no sh-t about dancing lmao)!
Thanks!
For a second I was confused if this is the comment section of my video because of your profile picture lmao
He only needs to get more into hip hop .
He has the technique
non fans only mention taemin, so you wouldn’t think someone at the level of key was another dancer in shinee. thanks for giving him his flowers!
and no surprise with taemin and hoya at the top. i haven’t really kept up with hoya since he left infinite, so it was nice to see some of the more recent clips. i guess hoya is more versatile and fits more open style stuff meanwhile taemin’s goal is to always dance with his particular personal style.
infinite and shinee were two of the most influential dance groups of their time and were instrumental in upping the difficulty and distinctiveness in choreo for their gen and popularizing being in sync. i hope people who want to learn more about second gen check them out!
YESSS, I hope more newer fans get into Infinite just by this video. Many mention Shinee but forget about Infinite(even tho their very popular still). They both did alot for the Kpop industry when it comes to choreo
Yes, absolutely agree
Idk much about 2nd generation but as a dancer lover I knew Hoya and Taemin would be #1 and #2 without a doubt lol
I love that dancers have different approaches even if from a technical pov it might not be optimal. Taemin sacrifices versatility but his way of dancing is so impressive and mesmerising regardless. Hoya has always been such a well rounded, diversely skilled dancer but unfortunately not many ppl know about him.
I’ll echo basically every other second comment here- it’s nice to see Key getting his notice here. Love him. Glad you leaned on the Good Evening clips for him- he absolutely owned that choreo IMHO. Insane.
I feel like all of super junior is very mood-based? If that makes sense. They won't go all out if they just don't want to. Especially since Shindong, Heechul, Kyuhyun, and Leeteuk have gotten major injuries to their legs/lungs/heads, and that they're the longest lasting idols on this list aside from DBSK, I can guess that they probably want to preserve their bodies as long as possible, smth a lot of idols forsake in their earlier years. Like even members who aren't strictly any category are capable of dancing really impressively should the mood strike them, the problem is the mood rarely strikes them 😂😂
Key is not recognized enough for this skills. He’s also a solid singer. He obviously puts a lot of effort into both, and pays attention to trends.
Thank you for the continual dance education! :D
And so happy to see Key's dance skills get some more love and attention xx
Nice to see Key's appreciation :)
As always, I love your analysis! The amount of effort you put in is deeply appreciated and your information always impacts the way I view dance among idols, even though I’m not a dancer myself.
Honestly, as a big fan of Taemin, I was worried about where he’d place on this list. We all know he’s one of the best dancers in general, but, I had no idea how good his open-style technique would be.
This is probably due to my unfamiliarity with what open-style exactly was. My perception of open-style was always how 3rd/4th gen idols danced, so I was surprised to learn that 2nd gen idols have applied that concept all along!
In addition, Taemin’s dance style is so unique. It sometimes made me wonder if he was truly an amazing dancer overall or if he was just good at what he distinctively did. Especially since being too specialized could restrict your well-roundedness.
Therefore, I was overjoyed and amazed to see him rated so well and only “slightly less well-rounded” than Hoya.
If I’m not mistaken, your ranking doesn’t consider abstract qualities such as stage presence or artistry right? If so, Taemin’s place seems that much more impressive in my eyes. I think nowadays people focus more on Taemin’s talent as a performer and place him as their favorite/best dancer for those reasons. It’s great to know that underneath the artistry and presence, he’s still an amazing technical and well-rounded dancer.
Also, I love Hoya as well and think he’s definitely the most underrated dancer in Kpop. People either forget or don’t know that both Shinee and Infinite were among the top dancers as a group for awhile. So a lot of times I see Hoya being left out of the “greatest dancers” conversation despite being so good.
I’m curious to hear more about how close or much of a toss-up Hoya and Taemin are in terms of skill, especially since their dance styles seem so different, as well as how they compare with other idols you’ve already analyzed such as those in the 3rd gen.
Finally, I wanted to know who your favorite dancer(s) is in either this gen or the entirety of K-pop and why.
Once again, great video as always, I wish you well!
Thanks! Yes, stage presence and artistry aren't part of the ranking. It's honestly difficult to say regarding the difference between the two, for example Taemin's footwork is better but since the criteria is heavily on being well-rounded and versatile I personally think that it's quite clearly Hoya
The top 6, Junsu and Wooyoung are my favourites in 2nd gen I think, difficult to decide on one though
I saw another comment mentioning the kind of "collective amnesia" fans had over the top-tier dance skills of Shinee and Infinite and I think it's because they both debuted late into 2nd gen: Shinee in 2009, Infinite in 2010. Most bg's notoriously take a while to reach their peak and both groups were racking up momentum--and then 2012 happened. The year 2012 was a *massive* year for 3rd gen bg debuts (Exo, BtoB, BAP, Vixx, etc) and BTS debuted a year after. Even to this day, a sizable percentage of the top-selling bgs are from the 3rd gen. I am sadly not suprised notable 2nd gen bg members, specially those from outside Big 3/4 companies like Hoya, have been forgotten 🥲.
Unrelated to the dance convo, but I still wonder what heights Shinee and Infinite could've reached if they were given more space to flourish. Infinite had an obvious dip in singles sales after 2012. Also, despite being 2013 being one of their busiest years with 3 whopping Korean comebacks, Shinee only got 1 daesang in year-end awards while their hoobaes got WAYYY more. That is not to say these groups didn't get more popular after 3rd gen began, only speculating that their potential growth was hindered.
...that's just how the fast-paced factory-like kpop industry works ig
@@nymla313SHINee debutó el 25 de mayo de 2008 no en 2009 como lo dices😅
Now I'm super curious how the top of this list stacks up to the top of 3rd gen... I am a fairly recent Kpop fan (hugely into Shinee, don't know anything about Hoya/Infinite), but when I got to your #1 here I thought it was pretty similar to your comments about J-hope!
Also, thanks for giving Key so much love. He's not my favourite dancer to watch, but he is a consummate professional and deserves the career he's got. It was nice seeing a collection of those awesome hip hop clips.
Fun fact: Jhope used to be called "smile Hoya" pre-debut cos he ressembled Hoya dance wise but he would always look so happy and smiley whilst dancing instead of serious. At the time Hoya was one of the most famous kpop dancers with recognition in both the kpop and general dance industry so this comparison was a huge compliment for baby Jhope.
@@kuroneko8343 Awesome! Thanks for sharing.
So glad you didn't overlook Kibumah ^^ - that Taemin would be in here was a given, heh.
Gikwang getting more recognition! Somehow, he rarely gets mentioned despite his amazing dance talents. Support him as an actor now. His most recent work is Marry My Husband
this is so fascinating to me because despite my getting into Korean music during 2nd gen, I'm really not familiar with a lot of the boy groups (I was more into solo idols back then, with a few exceptions), and Infinite is one of the ones I never got into. like I've def heard of all these groups and I heard their big hits back in the day, but didn't know any individual members from most of them.
I've been a fan of Taemin for a while now and I admire his dancing a LOT! many say he's the best male 2nd gen dancer, and I've always thought that was a pretty well-founded statement... but I have learned something today! 👀 Howon (is he typically called Howon or Hoya?) will be getting an investigation from me! wow! this is why I love your channel!
I really enjoyed seeing discussions of dancers I'm more familiar with as well, like Eunhyuk, Shindong, Yunho, Junsu, Key, Taeyang, Jay, etc. there's something so pleasing about the way Yunho and Junsu dance. it's great they're still active and improving to this day, despite everything. and Key is incredible... having Key and Taemin at 4 and 2 really shows why SHINee is the dancing powerhouse group it's known to be.
lol Shindong not taking performances that seriously dancing-wise seems so... him. so generally SuJu too, in a way, lmao. I wonder if this is why so many people are surprised to learn that he has such a strong dance foundation. he only brings it out for a laugh.
The thing about Hoya is that, in my opinion, he improved significantly only after he quit his day job as an idol. That's not really surprising since he can devote a lot more time to honing his craft. Back when he was active in Infinite, he was consistently one of the best dancers of the generation, but I don't think he was better than Taemin back then. But he's had 7 years of full-time devotion to perfecting his craft, and it really showed during his Mbitious days.
Glad I could introduce you to hoya! And yes, absolutely agree about Shindong and Suju
@@victorrotto it's so cool though that he could take advantage of the transition in his career to increase his talent even more! I love hearing that!
This is quite interesting because Taemin inserting his own unique style into hiphop and making the moves look elegant and therefore a bit off is exactly why I like it 😂 It must have taken you a lot of time and so much effort to make this video. Thank you so much for your hard work.
All his fans should watch this video and stop saying "he outdance everyone" (even jhope)😂😂
@@adeley9318
No, we should just stop the silly arguing altogether.Taemin is an amazing dancer and it can still be argued he is the best since this ranking focuses on open style which is just one way to evaluate but at the end of the day there will never be a certain answer to who is the best dancer. We should appreciate multiple dancers and their different strengths instead cos there will never be agreement and too many subjective elements.
Taemin not really elegant he flop on the floor for a bit liek a fish
The way I am waiting for the 2nd gen girl group analysis 🙏
REQUEST : Can you please make a video about "Top 30 Best dancers in kpop (Overall)"?
Maybe in a few months when all the gens have videos?
@@facts_in_fiction Ok take your time, I'll wait 😊
Happy to see a good recognition for Key too! ❤
now we know that sm not only houses powerhouse vocalists but also impeccable dancers.
I started getting into kpop during 2nd gen and thrilled to see your analysis. Always insightful and glad to revisit so many of my favorite idols back then 😊
INFINITE IS just THE group when it comes to amazing dancing, synchronise knife-like choregraphy same with SHINEE
I’ve always been rooting for Hoya, he has to be perhaps the first idol who allured me into Kpop! I’m so glad seeing him getting more recognition and appreciation as he deserves.
Thank you so much for your work, this must have taken alot of your time.
Thanks, FiF. I always enjoy your analyses. Taemin is my ult, but I was ecstatic to see you include Key here as well. He is nearly as good as Taemin overall (IMO) and he always has a bit of his signature sassiness or swag in his movements as well. I also appreciated the visual comparison of Mark's and Taemin's form in Tiger Inside. I haven't paid much attention to Hoya before, but will definitely check out some of his work.
I died when the iconic Pass the Mic TikTok appeared because that is absolutely my impression of Jay Park dancing. Anyways, it's nice to know that Infinite really is such a well-rounded group. Their albums are perfection musically too. I've always preferred Dongwoo's dancing (it's probably my bias towards his personality) but it's clear that Hoya has that stand-out element. Thank you for the analysis! A lot of these names don't get the recognition they deserve by nature of their group being much less well-known. Now to go watch some Infinite stages lol
Seeing Prepix's ILL made me think of potential topics for future videos: It could be cool to look at notable K-pop choreographers and identify their style/preferences/habits. Once I correctly guessed Parris Goebel as the choreographer for a song I was watching and I felt very proud of myself. 😎
Oh yeah that is a good idea
Love the Key and Taemin appreciation
Wow you are amazing analyze all these dancers from1st 2nd and 3rd gen requires a lot of work and time
Thankss you for taking the time to do it
Thanks for the appreciation
Loved your breakdown of Hyunseung. I never liked to watch him compared to the other Beast members and couldn't put a finger on why. Because of his obvious effort and interjections of stylistic flair, I assumed I didn't want to focus on him just because his style wasn't my taste. Your discussion about where he struggles and how overdancing means standing out in a negative way explained a lot of the "why" for me.
I'm so happy for Hoya here. I love to see him dancing on the group, but I guess he prefer to have his own career.
The AUDACITY of people to forget Hoya as a dancer is ridiculous...
Honestly I have the most respect for 2nd gen dancers... because all of them learnt these skills on their own...Street dancers always thought themselves as superior to idol dancers..
I think a few of them were actually trained by street dancers, for example the Eunhyuk popping video is from him practicing with nam hyunjoon
YAAAAAAAAAASSSS this is what I've been waiting for!!! Video hasn't even started haha, I'm just that excited
I am wondering if you will compare idols of different generations too since kpop seems to be more dance focused in 4th gen yet the best dancers in 4th gen dont seem as good as the best in 2nd or 3rd even though overall the amount if high level dancers increased.
This is such a well thought out analysis/ranking. Hoping we get one for some girl groups someday ❤
Hoya ❤❤❤❤❤
i'd be curious to see where hoya, taemin etc rank amongst 3rd and 4th + 5th gen if you ever do an overall top 30 dancers ranked vid or something! but especially hoya because i feel like he isnt talked about at all
Loved the video, great analysis It’s so interesting to see the difference in requirements for between typical 2nd gen, 3rd gen and 4thgen dancers. I tried to play a game and guess the top 10 in no particular order(except Hoya,I did put him first cuz he was a big dance inspo for me when I got into K-pop especially since his hit the stage stage with Hyojin Choi🥹), I guessed 7 right🎉. I thought Xia and Jay Park would be swapped but your explanations definitely make sense, wasn’t expecting Ricky(not well verse in teen top) but pleasantly surprised to see Gikwang. Thank you so much for the video❤, nice to see so many deserving dancers being acknowledged ❤️. Also I can’t imagine the amount of work that goes into these videos, thank you so much🫶🏽🫶🏽
PS: I was a bit surprised that Jo Kwon didn’t make the cut
Thanks!
Jo kwon's skillset is just very different from the others here, so it would be difficult to figure out how to fairly rank him in open style. I'm also not a heels dancer so I can't judge his proficiency in it. Of course he's a really good dancer too though!
@@facts_in_fiction I see I see, makes a lot of sense.
@@facts_in_fiction love Kwonnie 💕
I've never seen most of the GD dance practice videos(the predebut ones), even tho i was a huge Big Bang fan. But he's always been my favorite dancer in Big Bang, i also liked Taeyang, but for some reason, i like Gds moves just a little bit more(even tho he doesnt dance as much as Tae 😂). U always find and use very good videos for your analysis 👍. Just watching the choreo of some of these idols brings back a lot of old memories
Taemin is muy ult and I have such a pleasure watching hime dance. He is so unique. But you are right....he is not right for every song.....in Tiger inside he looked more like a baby tiger. Hard was not for him either ( Although juice was.....that footwork omg ). He is best at sexy , elegant and/or dark concepts. Btw....I love Key dancing as well , even though is so different from Taemin´s....the best way I can explain is like he is floating, weightless. So I love choreos like good and great for him.
Didn’t know about Hoya but wow!
Good job making this ranking, it must have taken a lot of work!!
Hoya said that he still feels pain when dancing to this day because of the injury he had in the past, but he still does his best. Honestly, I think participating in the SMF was great for him, he improved his dancing and freestyle technique a lot, it's visible. And Hoya is not only a great dancer but also a great actor, rapper, lyricist and he can sing quite well too.
With his good arm control, maybe tutting would be a good dance style for him, what do you think?
Agreed he grew a lot esp training outside the kpop environment, sad that the injury is still causing problems.
Oh tutting would be nice, yes
@@facts_in_fiction I have another question, who would be the third best dancer in BigBang and Infinite?
@@ninaitsnotme In Infinite Woohyun, but both him and L are probably LD
In Bigbang I'm not sure who was 2nd to be honest but I didn't bother with analysing seungri for Obvious Reasons
@@facts_in_fiction thanks for your answers hehe and it's okay, I feel u ☠️
For me Hoya's the best, i miss him so much ❤
Thank you for working so hard to make this video! I don’t know too much about dance so I was pleasantly surprised to see my ult Dongwoo make it into top 10 👾
Can't wait for 4th gen ranking🎉
i love watching key cover girl group choreos. so often male idols seem to miss the precision and detail and just focus on strength. but key always seems to understand
Could you do a tvxq dance ranking? I always kind of wonder how good the remaining 3 members are other than the two that are here
Great analysys i always learn with your videos🎉
Key 🙌🙌🥲
I'm so happy hoya in the 1st place he dance skill need to recognised even though he's not in infinite anymore i do agree he dance skill improved & also dongwoo 💛 & also i'm happy gikwang Included in this list 💚
so excited to see more second gen dancer content!! i'm really happy to see eunhyuk get third place (even if it wasn't very surprising lol). he's always been my favourite kpop dancer and i'm so glad to see him continue to get the recognition he deserves.
also, even though he just barely didn't make top 10, i'm always happy to see yunho's dance skills recognized! same with junsu, key, and shindong, seeing all of them here made me super happy. thank you so much for this video!!
only know suju, tvxq and shinee, they are at the top definitely SM has top tier dancers
could you do riize dance ranking? i get that shotaro is the best, but i'm curious what you think about others
I thought you would put junho for 2PM, but anyways, great video. It looks like so much work.
I'm not a dancer but i really like to see Shindong dancing, it looks effortless.
For Wooyoung, you said you like his style, in 2pm channel he has one or two videos called wooreography, that it's just him dancing, it's nice to watch.
I don’t think I’ve ever looked out so much to see a yt video 😂 It didn’t disappoint!
Also, who do you think is the best between Ten, Taemin, Shotaro and Dino? Or are they around the same level?
All in the same tier but I won't answer this for certain until I analysed Shotaro for the 4th gen video
there are plenty shinee choreos where Key shines the most and Good Evening is probably my fave example especially in the final verse. i'd love to see him work w/ Koharu Sugawara on a solo track...
as a 4th gen girl it's so interesting to see how their seniors dance(d) and how the overall criteria has changed. love the vid as always ❤
I dont know what any of this means all i know is at one point or another each and i mean each of these men have ruled my life yes even shindong, Key has always been my favourite but i really enjoyed watching this.
Was cute to see there differences and really why hoya is a great dancer. I miss that man ❤️
I agree with what you said about Taemin, hip hop is not his thing.he has a great technique tho but i find him too stylistic
Woah I had never noticed how good Hoya was
The amount of effort this must've took... Thank you so much 💓
Insightful and entertaining video like always! I’m greatly looking forward to you tackling the gg side of dance which is probably going to be an even larger undertaking(have you btw come to an conclusion on how you are going to rate gg dance skills?) but I assume you are going to do a 4th gen bg version next
I will make a video soon to explain the criteria for gg, and yes next is the 4th gen bg ranking
Key is honestly such an amazing artist. Really the definition of full package
How would the rest of SHINee rank on here? Great video by the way!
Taemin>key>jong>minho>onew
Taemin n 1 👑 él es fascinante con su baile con sus expreciones,con sus movimientos delicados y finos al igual fuertes. él es un Genio en el escenario ,en sus solos ,presentaciones 👑
I understand the sentiment behind the term "over dancing". But it’s a bit too general to gain any specific insight from imo. I would rather have people stop using the term, and just say "too much - " instead and elaborate from there. Because with "over dancing“ people can use the same term for different meanings, it could mean too much energy, too much extension, too much tension, too much personality, etc. or it could mean all of those and we wouldn’t know. Anything could lead to a lack of musicality, so I would rather have people just be more specific at the start, especially if they’re trying to make concise analyses.
This is pretty much what I think too, there are more precise ways of expressing what exactly is 'too much' about a dance/performance
Thanks so much for making this! Taemin is still my #1, but I know I might be biased 😂 (and I love Hoya too)
You mentioned some dancers were 'typical 2nd gen MD' and others 'typical 3rd gen MD', could you explain the difference?
Typical 2nd gen = relaxed execution without particular quirks, rarely uses power
Typical 3rd gen = more focused on sharpness and angles
@@facts_in_fiction Thanks!
But Taemin can groove, right? but not for hip hop but for funk style, we can say that he has the "potential" if he gets into hip hop, but since Shinee's songs and his solo stuffs are not hip hop oriented, i think he wont do it.
Anyways he is such a captivating dancer/performer. I didn't know about Hoya, so I searched about him and he hasn't been an idol for 7 years, so he focused completely on dancing and acting. it's interesting to know about him.
I love your channel, I learn a lot about dance.
can't wait for 4th gen bg ranking🙂
Recently Taemin has delved into Hip-Hop through SHINee's "Hard" (and portions of "Don't Call Me") and Taemin's "The Rizzness". However, Taemin always incorporates his own unique style to everything. That's precisely why I like him so much, regardless of whether it's his dancing, singing, or storytelling. For me he's the whole package. His eclectic ability to absorb other dance genres and then incorporate them into his repertoire, it's like he's created his own self-made dance genre. I feel like Taemin is always evolving into something more and always bringing something new to the industry. Like SHINee, he's not afraid to experiment and take risks.
are you going to do a 4th gen version? love your videos ❤
Yes
Loved the video as always, tbh I don't know many of them but glad to know more now.
Happy that Hoya gets recognised, although I think Taemin is still the best dancer in kpop (but I agree on him not being the best at hip hop). Both of them are really an inspiration.
I thought Gikwang would be third but tbh I don't know much yet.
Key being so good and not a main dancer in SHINee says a lot about the level of their dance line.
I wondered if Jay Park was in this, tbh he's good but he's pretty overrated as a bboy which happens often with bboys in kpop.
Edit: not related to this but what do you think about Ten's Nightwalker?
I like Nightwalker, the atmosphere and the focus on hands (sadly rare to see with male idol choreos) what about you?
@@facts_in_fiction me too and also I think SM is really good with their soloists at giving them what fits them, like this with Ten-Nightwalker, Taemin-Guilty, Advice, Idea, etc, Taeyong-Shalala, Kai-Mmmh, Peaches, etc. I think with all of these every aspects (music, concept, choreo, etc) fits their identity and skills.
@@MorePara8yes, I heard sm soloists have more control over their solo work so it makes sense
@@facts_in_fiction yeah for example I heard Ten had a say on the choreo and the concept/MV which is great
First of all, omg thankyou so much!! I really really appreciate your efforts that would've gone into this..the amount of research, preparation, finding and putting in the right clips and editing too!! Wow just, thank you!!
Secondly, I wanted to know your opinion on Infinite's Woohyun as his dancing has improved a lot! As someone who started getting into dancing only last year and as someone who's a huge infinite fan.. I'd love to know more about his dancing .. I could tell it's very performative, detail oriented and sharp. It just seems impressive.
I'd also love to know your opinion about Sungjong of Infinite (as he's my bias ahaha ).
I agree about Woohyun being detailed oriented and sharp - you can tell that he has the idol training (while Hoya and Dongwoo started dancing before becoming trainees). His technique works great for infinite's choreo, but I think he is lacking groove and some other basics to an extent. I would consider him LD tier. Of course it's a pity that he had that shoulder injury which probably held him back
Sungjong is of course mostly known for girl group dances (one of the few 2nd gen idols who do them seriously, love his dedication), overall I think that he is decent (A tier) but I had the impression that he' lacking strength, especially lower body strength
@@facts_in_fiction Ahh I see. Thank you! 😊
Btw how exactly do you see if someone's lacking groove because I don't think I understand what groove exactly is ..
Also, in Sj's case if you could find some time, could you maybe suggest what I could watch to understand what exactly you mean by "lacking lower body strength"?
PS. I'm not questioning your observations, I just wanna know more to understand dance concepts in general
@@sophiewilde_inspirit4evuh I have a video on groove ruclips.net/video/TUVZYEcWUgs/видео.htmlsi=_iK1aT71yATtnj0N
For Woohyun you can see some stiffness during the groovy sections of New Emotions for example. For Sungjong, he often avoids moves that require lower body strength like squatting positions
@@facts_in_fiction Ohkay I see.
Thank you 😊..and sorry, I didn't get the notification if your reply
What do you mean by "texture" in a dance context? I'm familiar with the musical term, but it's used differently here.
It's easier to understand with examples so I'll link a steezy video on the topic
ruclips.net/video/T7o-PT0_Pvg/видео.htmlsi=I4n-1sOlTWQEJEVH
Oh I had the same question, thanks! 😁
what about 2nd gen female dancer, does hyoyeon number 1?
Possibly
im so so so excited about 4th gen, hope my little soul from p1h makes into top 10 🎉
btw if i may ask, can you think about any 5th gen idol that would make it to md or past md+??
love your videos, always learning and studying from them, ty
Sung hanbin might be md+, Xikers have a good dance line too
I think it goes without saying that we also need to acknowledge that some of these groups had exposure to better (higher paid and higher ranked) choreographers and dance teachers and opportunities as well. Some agencies can't afford what other's could. So I think we just need to respect that these things alone can can reduce exposure to 'improve' or 'refine'. However, I cannot believe that you would put Shindong at 6 ahead of many other much better dancers. IMO he has limited 'range' in terms of styles, strength, flexibility, long stretched out moves I find he dances 'safe' and for me that leaves me little interest. Popping meh. I love that Key got into the higher rankings, I've always loved his dancing. I was surprised Taemin didn't make #1 (which would've been predictable on anyone else's ranking), however after seeing Hoya, who I'd never seen before, I totally agree with you. In fact I missed the whole Infinite train, so I'm about to go fall down a RUclips rabbit hole now. 😂
There are few idols who have done as many covers as Shindong, most who are lower on this list have showcased much less "range" due to dancing in the same choreographic style through their entire career. He is lacking extensions (what you called "long stretched out moves") and athleticism to an extent yes, but is making up for it with excellent control. One of the few animation focused idols who don't have messy placement. It might not be interesting to you, but that's not the point of the evaluation
Agree hoya is the best..❤❤❤
Hoya IS INSANEEE
Yippee, found gi kwang recently. I like his dancing style, it's just fluid and flexible. He can fit in any concept flawlessly💃🙌
I understand why hoya is ur pick. But when i see taemin, his moves is actually clean, plus i wanted to say that this is more like objective? Bcs i would say taemin artistic side is unmatched. Thats pointing out taemin only less in that sharp n clean moves againt hoya, for other parts i dont see taemin gets beaten.
well if we talk about artistry he is definitely the best but OP as a dancer only sees the technique part.
the criteria is on being well rounded and versatile that it's quite clearly hoya
@@jessie4610 technique for hiphop only? can the 1st place do other dance genre perfectly like Taemin's Me and You, Sayonara Hitori, Criminal, Idea, Advice, Move, Want, etc? The OP's main focus was hip hop only and why did the OP did not include Taemin's other dance practices, like Advice?
@@preciousminho open styles takes many moves and components out of hip hop, popping, breaking, jazz, lyrical and contemporary and other dance styles.
I honestly don't know what taemin's choreography has to do with it??? we are talking 100% about technique
search hoya dance and you will see all his repertory
I think that Eunhyuk (and other SuJu members too, but mostly the dance line, especially him) dance…effortlessy.
I mean, when I was a baby ELF, the first time I saw Eunhyuk dance, I thought: “He is the main dancer, shouldn’t he dance smth more difficult?”
And now those clips are the evidence to show that he is the 3rd best dancer in the 2nd gen.
TIL/Thing I further confirmed: SM knows how to cultivate excellent dancers.
I don't think that live performance for tiger inside is a good exemple because taemin was super tired with his solo and group comeback and superm. He was going at 70% during the promotion with superm. I think a good exemple would be the live performance for supercar with superm. 👌🏼
@@melissa2397 in super car i really think that he has the bounce that she was looking for. Also his arms are more open. But yeah sometimes taemin does put his own style in choreographies
Can you please do Nct 0t23 dance ranking
they're not even 23 anymore or
@facts_in_fiction that's why I'm asking u to do it ot23 cause I wanna see where shotaro would rank with them
And nct wish just debuted but there might not be enough dance clips to analyse that's why I'm asking ot23
See this is fair and balanced, acknowledging the flaws. Comparing that upper body thing to mark and Key in the areas Taemin struggles. And then people like Hopeflakes say Taemin doesn’t have groove lmao. Like what? Saying he struggles with hip hop. Hope is clearly not a Shawol and only ranked Taemin in superm comparing him to mark in a particular choreo or soemthing. Like smh? Of course Taemin isn’t better than NCT at NCT choreo. People are actually dumb.
Sorry for the rant. Idk Hoya, but I’m sure you know what you’re talking about
@@riahlexington taemin lacks of hip hop foundations 😩
@@avrilsmith that’s literally what OP said…
@@avrilsmith I was happy OP was being fair and ballanced and acknowledging his flaws and strengths without saying some dumb as nonsense. Hopeflakes said that Taemin “lacks groove and fluidity”. OP here shows that groove is what Taemin is BEST at. Clearly these posters have a different definition of groove, or more likely, Hope knows nothing about taemin’s background and was judging him in superm as a hip hop dancer only.
All of this being said, JUICE, HARD, Advice(?) and some covers/challenges with other idols, he adds his own style to hip hop choreo and makes it look good still imo.
taemin just needs get more into hip hop but since his solo stuff are not hip hop oriented he wont do it
also people forget that he is not just a dancer he is a singer ( a good one) he has created his own identity an artist
It's funny that U-know Yunho who's at 11th ranking had inspired so many of today's idols and dancers like Moonbyul and Kasper to be dancers and to dance like him 😂😂
What is LD and MD?
Lead dancer /main dancer
I didn’t know that Junsu was a good dancer 😮 I was too focused on his beautiful vocal
I agree especially about taemin with superm choreo, a lot of superm choreo felt like it was built for the nct guys skill set and taemin seemed out of place sometimes, I think Kai handled super m choreo better because of the hip hop/Krump influence in exo choreo and his style
is not taemin better dancer than kai?
@@jazmine9429 i think by most rankings he is, but kai's exo experience seems to have blended better with superm than taemin's shinee experience
@@jazmine9429Yes, Taemin is better than Kai (technique-wise). Kai is not good at hip hop either, but
he has some foundations like (bounce and rocking) so
he could adapt,to super m choreos.
SuperM has 2 cb. Fst their debuted album and tours. Taemin dancing and performance is powerful in this tours. SuperM 2nd cb is during mco. This is the time I saw Taemin hold back so much. I do think tiger inside just not for him...also 100. But is not it. He just not there like he don't want to do that feeling! He also make a solo cb during this time and SMe not even promoting him.
Amazing analysis by bias Taemin rocking😅
So the video title should be "Best in Hiphop and open style dance" ONLY, not best dancer since this analysis focus mainly on hiphop and open style dancing. Because can the 1st place execute other dance genre perfectly like Taemin's Just Me and You, Guilty, Sayonara Hitori, Criminal, Idea, Advice, Want, Move, Famous, Drip Drop, Thirsty, etc.? And it seems you only picked video clips of Taemin's where you can criticize and say that he's lacking.
I have a 11 minute long Taemin analysis on the channel that discusses positive points, why would I repeat all of that? I linked the video in the beginning of his section.
All of your examples are also open style, or typical open style execution. Hoya has more "lyrical" stuff like the 7 years dance as well. I precisely picked him because he is more versatile.
If we consider outside of open style choreo, Hoya's freestyles would be an even more reasonable argument to consider him "better", not that I really think it matters in the end
a placement doesn’t define anything😂 taemin being at the top is already enough, what more could you ask?
I'd still put Taemin at nr 1 since his technique is just so well refined and majestic that nobody else can pull off