Q: Among the musicians you’ve choreographed for, who was the most impressive? In what aspects do you rate them highly?
Shaun Evaristo (Movement Lifestyle): G-Dragon and Taeyang. G-Dragon is a born entertainer with diverse talents, like acting, producing and rap. With such talents, he absorbed choreography with ease as well. With Taeyang, though I coached him in dance, our relationship has already passed that of teacher and student. He’s a friend, or, rather, you can say I’m a fan of Taeyang. His attitude toward learning and practicing dance is incomparable.
Q: If you were to pick a choreo that you were really satisfied with, but which didn’t get the public response that you’d hoped for?
SE: I would pick Taeyang’s “Where U At.” I think it’s because the moves don’t grab you immediately and were somewhat difficult to follow/learn.
Q: What’s the difference between choreographing for a solo artist and for a group?
SE: I personally favor solo. While making the choreography, I become the musician, and sometimes the musician becomes me. I enjoy that. It’s not easy choreographing for a group. You have to make sure that the members’ individuality doesn’t get buried in the group. For instance, with Big Bang each member has his own personality, so I have to make sure it remains alive within the group.
Q: If you were to pick one “Dance King” and one “Dance Queen” among the Korean musicians?
SE: Dance Queen is Boa. I really like her music, and I’d love to have a chance to work with her. I’ve even thought of a different concept for her. 2NE1’s Minzy would be like the Dance Princess. She has talent at a young age, but she’s humble and has great potential. Dance King is Taeyang. My friends in America call him “Tae-Daddy.” They believe he’s going to do big things not only in Korea, but also internationally.
Park Nam-Yong (JYP Head Choreographer): Bi. Would anyone think otherwise? I don’t know about a female musician.
Jeon Hong-Bok (Dance Team “Yama” Leader): For male, Taeyang. For female, I want to pick After School’s Gahee. I’ve heard that Taeyang practices constantly. He doesn’t have a big build, and yet he completely owns the stage. I think long arms are a big advantage. I worked with Gahee when she was a young dancer, and even then she stood out. Her moves are clean and powerful at the same time.
(translated: sylvia@alwaystaeyang)