The choreography flawlessly harnesses the song’s emotion and angst, as the guys are swallowed by the crowd only to come roaring back at the end. One of the year’s most unique routines, Side Effects bolstered Stray Kids with a small army of back-up dancers, allowing them to play with formations in a really theatrical way. Its chorus is particularly memorable, though the spirited bridge best highlights the group’s brand. Dalla Dalla‘s charismatic choreography helped to fuel that, punchy and enthusiastic with a sense of unpredictability that keeps eyes glued to the screen. Like TXT, ITZY came out of the gate with a fully-formed identity. I love how it opens and closes with the exact same formation, giving the routine a satisfying symmetry. Emphasizing friendship and unity, the choreography is unique and playful with an undeniably youthful charm.
Still, some of its most impressive moments shine spotlight on only one or two members.įresh and fun, Crown‘s routine was yet another ingredient that contributed to TXT’s musical identity. Hit is one of their most fast-paced, unrelenting dances, perfectly capturing the intensity of the song while taking advantage of their large configuration. Seventeen have never produced a bad dance routine, but they’re at their best when they really go for the jugular.
Its chorus is instantly iconic, offering endless fodder for cover performances and random play dance challenges. Opening with an addictive, twirling diagonal formation, Fancy goes on to deliver some of the most memorable girl group choreo of the year. Of all of their routines, it felt the closest to the pirate aesthetic they were going for, highlighted by that eye-catching point dance during the chorus. Say My Name‘s choreography played around with pacing, speeding up and slowing down as the song warranted. The routine is all about restraint, drawing the eye with its languid movements before clobbering you over the head with a dynamic breakdown.ĭelicate and interpretive, LOONA’s Butterfly produced some memorable formations, morphing to replicate wings and delivering a satisfying domino effect as the girls descended into a perfectly synchronized dance line. Wannabe repainted Golden Child’s concept with darker tones, and its choreography matched that transformation. There’s a connectivity to the formations, often linking the members together for some inventive interactions. Perfectly accentuating the music, Violeta‘s choreography was all about the girls’ near-constant arm movement, taking advantage of IZ*ONE’s large group configuration to craft waves of synchronized point moves.Ī very stylish routine, with a sense of fluidity you don’t often see in boy group choreography. + Make sure to check out the rest of the year-end countdowns here! Instead, these are the top ten performances that really stood out to me this year. I’m nowhere near qualified to judge that. You can’t have a K-pop comeback without choreography! However, this is not a list of 2019’s most difficult or technically impressive dance routines.