Other than catchy beats and flashy costumes, you will also see some awesome choreography whenever you watch a Korean-pop (K-pop) music video. It’s one of the best things about watching K-pop!
If you’re looking for easy K-pop dances to learn, then we have good news: there’s no shortage of good dances that are suitable for beginners, even those who have little to no dance experience!
In this guide, we’ll show you some of these dances as well as tips and tricks on how to become a better Kpop-style dancer.
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Are K-Pop Dances Hard to Learn?
It’s a very common misconception that K-pop dances are hard to learn. The truth is that K-pop dances vary in difficulty greatly.
You will find some simple dances that most people (even those with zero dance experience) can master in a few minutes.
But there are also many music videos with complicated choreography so you will need to take classes to perform them properly.
So, when you first start, you must pick the correct song or dance to practice. And that’s where this list comes in!
8 Easy K-Pop Dances For Beginners
We have curated a list of simple K-Pop dances that you can try.
Watch videos of these dances, then pick out the ones you like best and think you can do. Then, get to practice!
“Go Go” by BTS – The Easiest K-pop Dance
BTS is currently the face of K-pop everywhere. You cannot talk about the topic without mentioning them!
Although most of the choreography in BTS’ music videos is complicated, the one from “Go Go” is simple to learn.
It mostly consists of basic leg and arm movements, with the most challenging dance sequences with basic twists and upper body movements.
It may take a while to master them and get them to look fluid and good. But it shouldn’t take too long to figure it out.
Like most BTS songs, the dance became popular when the boy band released the song in the “Love Yourself: Her” album in 2017.
But it didn’t go viral until The Williams Fam – a popular YouTube channel – made a cover of the dance because they found it funny.
So, if you’re looking for an easy and fun K-pop dance to practice, this one will be it!
“BANG BANG BANG” by Big Bang – Easy K-Pop dance for beginner boy group
If you’re practicing your K-pop dance as a group, then we highly recommend starting with the dance sequences from “BANG BANG BANG” by Big Bang. It’s a very fast-paced song with a lot of energy.
And if you don’t have a lot of dancing experience, to begin with, the frantic and powerful movements of the band members in the video can be pretty intimidating.
But don’t let that scare you! Trust us when we say that the dance is much simpler than it looks.
Like “Go Go”, the most complicated part you and your group need to master is the upper body movement. The choreography uses a lot of chest pops and undulation (especially during the beginning sequences).
The highlight of the dance is the arm movements during the song’s chorus. They may look pretty complicated. But using break-down videos and tutorials, you should be able to learn them all in a couple of days.
And since the chorus is the special part of “BANG BANG BANG” (and also the easiest), you should practice that part first before you give the other sequences a go.
“BANG BANG BANG” is a pretty old song that was released all the way back in 2016. TikTok trends revived it as recently as 2021, and now the dance is more popular than ever before.
Check more: Top 10 Famous K-pop Backup Dancers
“Dance The Night Away” by TWICE – Easy K-Pop dance for beginner girl group
For girl dance groups, the choreography from “Dance the Night Away” by TWICE will be a fitting choice as a starter project.
The song itself is fast-paced and energetic. Once again, this can be intimidating for beginners.
If you only look at the music video itself, it could be hard to see why it’s a good choice for beginners. The dance looks very complicated!
But when it’s broken down properly, the choreography mostly consists of elementary steps.
They use foot stomps, shuffles, and a lot of hip movements. These lower-body moves are combined with quirky arm and upper-body movements.
The upper-body moves will be the most difficult part of this dance. They differ from one sequence to another, so you must focus on practicing them.
“Dance the Night Away” was released in 2018, and the dance became popular thanks to the KPOP IN PUBLIC challenge.
“I Am the Best” by 2NE1
2NE1 was a monument of the early 2010s. Many of their songs became enduring hits, and so are their dances!
The choreography from “I Am the Best” is popular not just because it looks good, but because they’re also simple enough for many people to try and replicate.
A lot of young Kpop dancers today had their first lessons to the beat of “I Am the Best”!
Since it’s an upbeat song, the tempo is fast. So, when you practice, slow down to learn the moves. You can gradually speed up when you’re more familiar with the dance steps.
The choreography has a lot of evocative hip movements. So, to pull this dance off, you will need to practice this part as well as you can.
“New Face” by PSY
PSY is the K-pop artist best known for being the mastermind behind the huge hit “Gangnam Style”. But his other songs are just as great (some are even better!)
The choreography from “New Face” is considered beginner-intermediate. So, if you don’t have any prior experience with dancing, we recommend you look at some of the earlier entries and consider them instead.
Looking at the video, there are a lot of foot lifts and hops that require strength, endurance, and balance. Complete beginners may have problems with these and become injured.
“New Face” was released in 2017 within PSY’s seventh album, “4X2=8”.
“Gee” by Girls Generation
This is an excellent girl group dance for complete beginners.
The choreography from “Gee” is as simple as K-pop could get. It only involves some hip movements, side-to-side sways, and basic arm movements.
With a good studio, a few tutorials, and break-downs, it’s possible to learn the whole dance in about a week or two.
“Gee” is a pretty old song, released back in 2009. But it still holds its (literal) sway to this day!
“Nobody” by Wonder Girls
Like other girl group dances on this list, the highlight of the choreography in the “Nobody” song by Wonder Girls is the hip movements.
Sways, twists, and rocks … this one has everything! But the key here is to perform them as fluidly and sensually as possible.
The highlight also turns out to be the most difficult part of this dance.
When we look through the complete choreography, that seems to be the most difficult part. Upper-body and lower-body movements are mostly basic moves.
“Nobody” was released in 2010 in Wonder Girls’ “2 Different Tears” album. It was a big hit when it came out, and it’s considered one of the songs that brought K-pop to the wider international public!
“Shake It” by SISTAR
If you’re going to practice dancing as a girl group, then “Shake It” by SISTAR is an excellent option to practice coordination.
Choreography-wise, the moves are simple. Like most songs on this list, it’s heavy in hip movements, and there are a lot of flashy arm moves.
But as always, if you’re patient and have some dance tutorials on a screen, the group should be able to master the moves in a week or so.
But that’s not the special part. In this dance, the dancers shuffle around a lot, then break up and form into small formations before merging into a whole.
In K-pop group dancing, coordination between every group member is crucial. This song (and its dance) can help you practice that.
“Shake It” was released in 2015.
Tips For Beginners To Learn K-Pop Dances Easily
Here’s the thing: learning K-pop dances can be very hard. But so long that you practice and are patient, you’ll be able to learn all of these moves eventually.
Here are a few tips and tricks that you can use to become a better K-pop learner and dancer.
Choose simple & repetitive moves
You don’t necessarily have to study the choreography of the song from beginning to end.
As a beginner, you can pick the easiest or most interesting part of the song and focus on that. You can come around and learn the rest later!
Learn how 4-8 counts work first
By counting, dancers can break down the dance into shorter, simpler sections to practice. That’s why you’ll always hear someone counting “5-6-7-8” in dance studios or tutorials.
Understanding how the 4-8 count works will make your learning process much easier. Besides helping you digest complex moves, the 4-8 counts will also train your muscle memory.
With enough practice, you’ll be able to transition to dancing effortlessly!
Dance with mirrors
Dancing in front of the mirror helps you keep track of your moves, flow, and accuracy. A mirror can also help you manage the group’s synchronicity if you dance as a group.
Many K-pop groups and artists release mirrored dance videos on their websites or YouTube channels to help other people learn their dances. They are excellent learning resources for beginners!
Sign up for dance classes
It’s possible to learn K-pop dances at home, but it can be extremely hard if you don’t have prior dancing experience. It may even be dangerous. In that case, we recommend signing up for dance classes.
Having a dance instructor to teach you the basics and prevent you from getting injured will be more than worth the money spent.
Practice dancing daily
Practice makes perfect. The same thing applies to K-pop dancing.
To be a good dancer or master a choreography sequence, you must practice it regularly. Unless you plan on becoming a professional dancer, you don’t necessarily have to spend several hours a day practicing.
15 to 30 minutes a day will be sufficient.
Besides helping you learn the choreography, K-pop dancing is also great for your health. It’ll help you avoid a sedentary lifestyle, strengthen your body, and even lose weight!
Last Words
Learning to dance K-pop will require a lot of discipline, dedication, focus, and, most importantly, patience. This applies even to the simpler dances seen on this list.
Most of the performers in these music videos have had years of practice. So, if you want to be like them, don’t give up and be consistent!
We hope this list of easy K-Pop dances to learn has given you an idea of where to start for your journey in dancing. Good luck!