Professional Dancer Breaks Down BTS ON (방탄소년단)

[@rikilikemagic]

Circle Time! What do you see? Circle Time is a place in the comments for you to tell me what you see; what you like, what you don’t like, what you feel, what you want more of, less of etc. It’s a safe place for you to learn and explore how to articulate what you experience. Be kind, be compassionate with yourself and others and have FUN!

[@marca.ziegler82]

Love you pts. Do you know the surprise about BTS ? See here:kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4OTnKuOhqpsrNE

[@Sarah-mh9fh]

Riki! I legit GASPED when you said you don't like this dance! It's been one of my favorites since the first time I saw it in the Kinetic Manifesto MV. Unlike pretty much every other kpop dance, I prefer watching that MV to the dance practice just because, like you said, the camera is supposed to be in specific places so that you can focus on BTS instead of the chorus of dancers. That said, I totally understand where you're coming from and the points you're making! I agree with you on the drum part, it's weird. I've never quite liked it because I don't like that they're pantomiming hitting drums--I feel like it'd be rad for them to actually DRUM at that part. In a similar vein, I don't get why the dancers come out holding huge instruments if they're not actually playing them! And YES, I love the dancers shouting their support. As a dancer myself who does hip hop, that kind of shouting is super common even at performances, lots of "let's go" and "heyyyy" (is this regional? I know this studio is in LA and I'm in southern CA too so I'm not sure if this is common everywhere).

[@rabotnemrac]

This is precisely why I didn't vote for On on Patreon; it's not that I dislike it, but it's not the best choreography to showcase BTS' talent. You can see it in the music videos a lot more because the camera focuses on them, but... I get what they were going for, though. And I don't think it was about having more money, therefore wanting a bigger production. It seems clear they wanted the marching band vibe--the "let's all march together as equals" kind of thing. When you see them perform this, it really does feel like the dancers are matching towards you, preparing for battle. It matches the production of the song, and as a whole it can be considered an entertaining performance. Kinda like watching synchronized swimming, where the shapes and movements are the focus rather than the swimmers. But yes, BTS gets drowned out by the crowd in this, most of the time. It's great that you're able to break down why, though, including positives *and* negatives as impartially as you can. It's the reason your dance breakdowns are my favorites!

[@burningshadows01]

I am honestly not surprised that you didn't like this one, I figured you wouldn't as much. I love this choreo but as Sarah put, I prefer watching the Kinetic Manifesto MV because that is where I got a feel for the dance and what I should be focusing on. Because I became familiar with the dance that way, I honestly think it that it helped me avoid a LOT of the issues you're having. Since the members were in fact given close ups and such. Because I watched that MV so much I could focus on when and where the members were going to be. Where if you watch just the dance practice they do get hidden here and there, I don't pick up on the slight rhythm issues like the nod of Namjoon's head like you mentioned but I am also not really well versed in dance. The choreographer is 19 and in the Kinetic Manifesto she has a close up right before the music and the MV really starts. I honestly saw this as like an attempt at a step up from Not Today but I can see how you talk about them getting lost and how there are so many people on the stage, I think that perhaps the Choreographer was going for a similar vibe since the songs are both high energy. But with Not Today the other dancers are used in such a different manner than the ones here are. Honestly my favorite parts is the breakdown in the middle of the song, where there is some stomping/stepping style dancing, I also love when they line up and step away to show off Jeongguk before his solo because it goes from eldest to youngest in the group and I really found that one part to be very neat and kind of sweet at the same time. I do love this dance a lot and I really love seeing it in live versions and in the MV and such, I don't think the dance practice does it justice at all compared to the other versions there are. Also I am not going to lie I didn't pay attention to the drummers feet when BTS was pretending to play with the drums. I tend to focus on the members specifically. Honestly I think it might be that if there is something I don't want to focus on, in the dance, I can find something I do want to focus on and since that is BTS they are always the ones I follow regardless of what the backup dancers are doing. Also I have a friend who is a bandkid in school and he felt that it was amazing because it was a medium that he felt familiar with, the whole marching band basically instead of backup dancers, they are more like a marching band with BTS. Which if you look at it that way it very much opens up how it looks completely. I hope some of this made sense

[@taizhu]

It's interesting. I love your thorough analysis of this and your attention to detail. But I only realized at the end (when you mentioned not understanding why the instruments were necessary) that you didn't address this fact that this dance has an American football marching band theme (hence all the dancers, marching, and the brass-line). So personally, while I think it is busy--it works. Lyrics aside--so much about the musical arrangement of this song screams marching band (all the brass and tubas and drums) and the song has a very American sound in general. It was even recorded by actual marching band members. So for me, seeing that echoed in the dance, performance and staging was extremely exciting. Overall the dance works because marching bands are all about people, formations and volume. I don't think that would have worked with fewer people. In the actual performances, I think BTS used their costuming and camera angles to great effect to give the members the highlight that they need. Thanks for the awesome analysis and sharing your thoughts!

[@istanthegreatest]

Now I understand why my favorite part in this video is J-hope's part 😅 there's no much distraction on the background.

[@bjorkyorke]

lol i remember replying to another comment you made on a different video like a year ago ahahah love to see youre still loving hobiiiii

[@bjorkyorke]

also jhope is now my bias ahaha along with jin

[@rikilikemagic]

To everyone who's commented so far: I love your minds and opinions, your compassion and your respect and care for myself and each other 🙏🏼💕

[@marca.ziegler82]

ارمي العربي ولكم فهموني هاي قنات منو🤡🤡. Do you know the surprise about BTS ? See here:kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4OTnKuOhqpsrNE

[@adiac6386]

Hi! I just want to start off by saying that I love your videos sooo much and I always enjoy your breakdowns especially when you are so adamant about your opinion. Thank you. Having said that I would like to state my opinion on this dance. I really feel that it captures the spirit of a marching band in ways that would not be possible utilizing some of your critiques. Everything about HBCU marching bands is about the scale and performance. It needs to be larger than life and invoke military drills and precision. The formations must be elaborate and crisp. I agree with you that some of the moves are a lot to digest and can be distracting but some of those same moves I have seen on an actual football field. For example the feet thing with the drums is very similar to a move from a scene in “Drumline” the movie. While BTS do not stand out as much as they do in their other choreographies they remind me of majorettes, the dancers (usually female) that appear with the marching band. They appear as stars for brief moments of intensity but blend back into the band when the entire picture or effect needs to be conveyed to the audience. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk lol.

[@nassimtanha318]

Hi Riki, first off, obviously it's absolutely okay not to like something. It's not like we sign a contract when we become a fan of a group to loooove everything they put out there. And of course there's nothing wrong with verbalizing the critiques one has on a certain piece as long as it is thoughtful and not hateful. That's also the beauty of art. That we can all experience it differently and all of it is valid. Now I actually never thought of the backup dancers in ON as distracting as they seem to be to you. It was kind of hilarious to realize that I never really payed attention to them except for the beginning because they are opening up the stage. I don't know maybe I have a tunnel vision and I only focus on BTS members? After you pointed the backup dancers out, I was like... oh they are doing a lot of things that I'm noticing for the first time, even though I have watched this choreo a gazilion times. It might also be that I rarely watch the dance practice. Here, I think the rest of the setup is not helping either. For example while the backup dancers are wearing black, BTS members are mostly wearing dark clothes. And also the background (the walls and the floors) are also black. So there's a lot of black on black on black and maybe visually there's nothing to direct the eyes on the center piece. I have watched the kinetic manifesto version many many times though, and that is one of my favorite things. And I really cannot say that I'm distracted by the backup dancers. But there's a lot of camera movement, very neutral background and the contrast between white clothing of BTS members and the black clothing of the backup dancers. I don't know, do you feel as distracted on the kinetic manifesto MV as well? As a non-dancer I think I also pay a lot of attention to the context of the song and the performance. They are incorporating marching band into this piece. So to me it seems natural to incorporate it visually and in the performance and the choreography as well. And marching bands are big and loud and bombastic. So to me, even with the risk of members getting a bit lost in the crowd, it makes sense to reproduce the feeling of a marching band. I also think they are paying homage and I love that. Also Joon emphasized a few times (I think both in a vlive and iirc in some interviews, idk anymore. its been a while) that the main message here is to go crazy in order to stay sane. And I think the huge production of this choreography and the intensity of the movements emphasize on that. My favorite part of this choreo is the bridge with Jungkook solo. MY GOD, it's sooo good. Again in the cinematic manifesto, the camera is zooming in on him and right at the end of his solo as he sings "got no fears I'm singing oooooooo", and the beat comes back and he pops (or idk if that's the correct term for what he does), and he does it on that beat and it is sooooo satisfying. I can't tell you how many times I have rewind that 10 seconds. I don't know why. Maybe because it is a very subtle movement to the sudden change in the music. I have been obsessed with this moment. Oh also, for whatever reason, I have never paid attention to what the other group were doing when Jhope starts his verse and you pointed it out and I love love love it. I will go obsessively rewind that bit a few times after this hehehe. Thank you for your honesty and thoughtfulness and enthusiasm. Have a lovely day Riki. p.s. this is somewhat irrelevant to this piece but I don't know if you've heard that SUGA had a shoulder surgery few months ago, because of a very old injury that he has been carrying around for a decade. Since his surgery, whenever I watch ON I think about him, I have to think about his shoulder injury. because apparently this was the time that he was in lots of pain.

[@unorthodoxpeach]

I was going to write a long comment, but you have said most of what I wanted to say. I think BTS are purposely being drowned out by the backup dancers in the first part of the dance mostly because the song is about fighting to go on and get through. Then starting at JK's solo they have broken through which is why in the end the dancers highlight them well.

[@aishacrew]

Yes!!!! I wanted to comment a lot about the clothes and how they’re kinda blending in with the dancers in this video!! I think that makes a lot of difference because even the grand central performance, where it’s not zoomed in cameras like the manifesto, it makes a difference to have the visual separation. But now that I’ve stopped exclusively paying attention to bts only and have seen a different perspective from riki I can sort of see how there’s a lot going on the beginning. But I think I like how it looks! I think I enjoy seeing jimin/tae come out of the all the mess of the dancers moving around at the beginning and make their way to the front. It really gives me the message of pushing through

[@reneezemlock7880]

The defense I have for the amount of back-up dancers is two-fold: The first is that the actual music was done by a drum line and BTS wanted to go for a look and feel of a US marching band. The second is that bu dancers are acting as if they are ARMY being led by the BTS members.

[@tataatkookie]

this video was a dance practice,,that's why they are not focusing their visuals,.but the MV itself shows the balance between a good singer,a good dancer and the king of visuals.

[@simphiwinkosindaba1036]

I loved hearing your perspective Riki. I didn’t have strong opinions about this dance in general...I saw it I thought it was a spectacle...very grand which felt like the vibe they were going for but besides the breakdown in the middle I didn’t dislike it but I didn’t like it all that much either and I think you’ve made me aware of why that might be. I likely don’t feel a strong connection to the dance because I couldn’t focus on the members all that much. Like you said I think the members sometimes fall in line with what’s happening around them and behind them and as much as I think that what the dancers at the back are doing is cool...they’re not who I came to see. The one time I sit up and focus during the dance practice especially (when the camera is stationary) is during the dance break because that’s when I can focus on the guys and what they’re doing. And that is my favorite part of the dance Another thing that you pointed out that I noticed but couldn’t articulate is the possible lack of direction that you spoke about for the members... I noticed the difference in timing for RM’s head tilt during different performances but that one doesn’t stick out to me as much as their arms while they drum... bts normally has so much clarity in their shapes but those arms always look different not just throughout various performances but from member to members...the angle of their sticks is different...where they hold them is different...the extension of their arms is different ALL THE TIME and I always notice I feel like I learn something new whenever I watch your videos but more importantly I think you help me sort out and understand my own feelings about what I’m seeing and that’s so cool as I’m not a dancer so I find it hard to articulate what I appreciates as well as what I dislike about dance

[@Lovmyself]

It's a rehearsal?!? without final costumes...?!? Eg, I'm sure you saw in the final work the reason for the plethora of dancers

[@tataatkookie]

FYI,this is just a dance practice....you must watch the Kinetic Manifesto ON MV.

[@lesley1346]

i understand what youre saying about the background dancers doing too much and there being too many of them. as a non dancer army, honestly im focused on the members. for example, i never even noticed that the dancers feet are doing things during the drum sequence until you said something hehe.

[@SixtyDoesStuff]

The light coming in from behind the camera (I'm assuming the window?) is gorrrgeous. And I have questions about the layout of this room. XD I had to go watch this dance before your breakdown, I hadn't seen it yet. How can I respectfully disagree if I'm not familiar with it. I think it has a really slow opening that is interesting to watch, but not because of the BTS members. I think it gets going with the first chorus. I think you are right about the distraction. For me, it's how far away the camera is. Like, you can't see a lot of what's going on. I like the large, sweeping movements of the chorus a lot. JHOPE shines, as usual. I'll be honest, I didn't even notice on first viewing that it was BTS playing the drums... I just saw the feet, until you pointed it out. I really really really like Jin's purple outfit. AND THEN AN ACTUAL MARCHING BAND COMES OUT This feels like a special version of the dance, do you know? Like... for a specific stage or event. As opposed to a dance practice with just the members. I like it but I don't love it. I'm here for BTS and more interested in seeing them in a dance practice.

[@flaura_99]

I haven't finished the video but I just wanna say that I don't really like that there are so many dancers either. Not to mention that they appear more than some of the members... Watching the individual fancams is actually very sad. I just feel that they think having more dancers means being more successful/more popular? It's cool if you want to make a big impact I guess? But maybe it would be better for them to appear in the end, like with Not Today or Idol, but for me BTS will always be more than enough. It's them I'm a fan of.

[@DEE-305]

It has nothing to do with being more popular 😭 it's supposed to be a marching band. No one in particular is supposed to stand out in a marching band performance. But anyhow when they actually perform it, like in the Kinetic Manifesto they easily stand out. This is a dance practice & they are just practicing in casual clothes, not giving a stage performance or anything.

[@flaura_99]

@@DEE-305 Yes, in the Kinetic Manifesto they clearly stand out and it was amazing. But I think they should have changed the choreo a little for the stage performances, especially the beginning, when we can barely see Jimin (although they haven't performed it in front of armys irl yet 😢). And I was talking about having a lot of dancers in general, not just in this particular one. If I'm not wrong, MAMAMOO was criticised in the past for having very few back-up dancers. And now it's quite common (especially in awards) for idols to have a huge amount of back-up dancers. Of course in a marching band no one is supposed to stand out, but I agree with her, it could've been done in a different way in this dance. And it stresses me that they appear more than the actual members of the group 😢 But anyways, the fact that I don't like when idols have a lot of back-up dancers is just my personal opinion 😅

[@DEE-305]

@@flaura_99 The whole theme of ON is a marching band. They made an actual drum line & band record the instrumentation, it's reasonable they would incorporate the marching band into the choreography. The whole purpose is to have marching band like formations. And the members appear when they hve their singing parts, it also provides them with breaks to catch their breaths, unless u want them to collapse of exhaustion ? They sing live if u are forgetting ? And they stand out just fine in the actual performances when they are dressed up ? U don't hve a problem with backup dancers i think, because there's many in say Dionysus as well. You probably have a problem with the marching band theme. It's also obvious ON was supposed to be the concert opening track just like Dionysus or Not Today & if you hve seen these songs live at concerts you would know they all have alot of backup dancers for them.

[@flaura_99]

@@DEE-305 I don't think you read the first comment well? I never said anything wrong about the marching band. "Maybe it would be better for them to appear in the end, like with Not Today or Idol". The problem (for me) is not the marching band, I in fact think it's a marvelous idea, something very unique and new. The thing is that I don't like that there are so many backup dancers and they appear /all the time/. Of course BTS needs time to rest! There's nothing I wish more. The choreo must be exhausting af :( But again it's sad to see them less than the dancers. I also think ON would have been the opening song, yep. And I still think the same, they should at least change the beginning so that we can clearly see JImin. I don't know if you are in a marching band or something? But I am sorry if something I wrote offended you. I was just sharing my opinion on the matter.

[@DEE-305]

@@flaura_99 But a marching band is literally just a group of people marching & doing formations, how can u just add them at the end ? That would just make them them the usual backup dancers ? And Jimin's entry is fine bcoz in the end you will see him through a screen anyways and the camera is adjusted accordingly ? And there's a reason why they make him wear white often for ON to contrast him with backup dressed in black to make him stand out. Also the frame here is very wide because it's a dance practice. Just like in Dionysus where the camera movement is very important bcoz there's​ alot of pushing pulling and adjustment of props by backup dancers which you only notice when u hve a wide angle shots in dance practice. Anyways in the end it's still subjective, i just tried to explain their choices.

[@aishacrew]

Riki!!!! I remember a few month ago I asked you on patreon to do this song and your opinion has made me laaaaaaugh!!! Because I was like “YOU HAVE TO DO THIS DANCE “ and you’re like “thanks I hate it!!!” Jdjshsns im just kidding you obviously don’t!! I really enjoyed this because you explain why you say everything you say!! Every opinion has an explanation. Hopefully one day positive disagreements will be the norm and you dont Have to do a 5 minute disclaimer. I really enjoy this dance because I feel like there’s a lot going on and even the members who are not the strongest dancers have been given such cool moments in the dance. And I think I’m just chaotic and enjoy when there’s so much going on. This video really made me laugh though!! Because you were like “wait I loooove this bit” and it’s just 3 bts dancers on camera. Too funny!! I think because you’re a dancer you see things differently but I just have my Stan goggles on and mainly notice bts. I do get what you meant now though. Thank you for this video !!

[@tenyouusness]

Thank you for putting this out there. Constructive criticism is good for the brain to chew on every now and again in this kpop fandom bubble. They may be idols, but they're putting out art, and art has to be talked about. Overall I don't feel as strongly about your concerns, though I understand them and realize that my attention does go a bit fuzzy in the parts you brought up. And that shouldn't happen. Other comments mentioned the Kinetic Manifesto version, which through camerawork erases most of your issues. But... the choreography was designed that way. It was designed to be seen in full, dancers and all. A good performance should stand on its own anyway and not only from certain angles or fields of view. Obviously good camerawork can make jaws drop, plus it's literally an idol's job to look good in front of the camera. But BTS are genuine performers and should have nothing to *hide* from any angle. And I'm not going to let go of that despite the pandemic creating this dependence on pre-recorded performances where the only viewpoint is the camera. [reeling myself in before I go on *that* rant] I really wonder how ON would have gone down if they'd gotten to perform it on tour as was so carefully planned. The visual clarity would still be missing, but maybe the sheer live energy and spectacle would just make it all worth it? We may never know. 😢

[@chuchuchie]

I'm actually sooo happy you broke down this one, because your perspective is so insightful! I am biased and love this choreo, but I never noticed that yea, I was mostly focused on The LAB the whole time. I'm still glad that you liked bits of it and you finally got your "squeal" in ^_^ I liiiive for you excited "squee" of joy when you just love a bit! Keep being yourself and we'll still be there for you!! 💜

[@jasperavelis9678]

I was really wondering what you would say after you stated you didn't care for this choreo. After watching I understand completely. It almost sounds like you have an issue with sensory overload with everything that's going on. I think that may be BECAUSE you are a dancer. I, on the other hand hardly even take notice of the background dancers in most parts. They simply fade into the background for and eyes might make notice of vague movements, but not too much. I have no problem fixating on the members in pretty much anything. As always, good breakdown and explaining of how you feel and what you see.

[@amiii5292]

I understand your point of view but I have to disagree. I think the choreography is gorgeous and fits the theme perfectly. In my opinion this is exactly what they were going for: the massiveness and the ´chaos’ on first glance. If you do not look at the dance, the lyrics and the music separately, you can see why it fits perfectly. First musically, they combine a pop song with a kind of ´R&B-ish‘ slowed down beat, a gospel choir and a marching band which seems chaotic on the first listen but it fits together surprisingly well. The choreography emphasizes this chaos created by the music (I would call it something like ´organized chaos’) and fits to the lyrics such as ´To remain sane, one must go insane‘. The amount of dancers takes up the theme of a marching band which can consist of up to 500 people and kind of resembles an army. This highlights the strong vibe of the song and the whole ´fighting´ theme which I get from the song. It is also shown in their lyrics such as ´Can’t hold me down cuz you know I’m a fighter´. It is open for interpretation but I get the feeling that despite of the negativity and the chaos of the world or the inner self (thinking of their message of loving yourself and finding your true self), they are still fighting and they don‘t let nothing get them down. This is also stated in the lyrics ´ Even if I fall, I get back up. Because that’s what we always did. Even if my knees drop to the ground, unless they are buried under it, it will be just an ordinary happening.‘ There are many ways to interpret things so maybe the dancers represents ARMY. Especially in their live performances it seems like this because the dancers hype the members up and build a square around them (it seems like a wall to protect them). There seems to be a kind of back and forth between the dancers and BTS. BTS are in between because of their connection to ARMY and pushed by them to greater heights and encouraged to fight. For this kind of interpretation with the topic marching band in mind and the feeling of a whole army, you also need a huge amount of dancers to show how massive it is. Maybe the dancers represents the ´shadows’ of one inner self or the chaos and pressure of the world outside. That was my first thought, when I watched the ON kinetic manifesto MV. In this MV all dancers wear black and BTS mostly white or a combination of both so it could be interpreted as their shadows or hardships they have to deal with. I don‘t think it was their intention to separate the dancers from BTS or to use the dancers to highlight BTS. Quite the contrary, I think this back and forth between the dancers and BTS and that BTS seems to get lost in between sometimes is exactly what they were going for to showcase the struggles and fighting. In the end of the song the members are also dancing in the front and holding each other (overcoming the bad things/ shadows or considering the interpretation of the dancers being ARMY overcoming the negativity backed up by army in the back). At least that‘s what I‘m getting from the dance, music and lyrics combined. Sorry for the mistakes, english is not my first language 🥺 (and not my second 😅)

[@redistrying]

I totally get where you are coming from with your comments on this dance. The Back up dancers didn't bother me in the manifesto because of the filming strategy they had set up, so I was able to focus more on the members and just enjoy to back ups throughout. However, I could not say the same about the live performances. Jimin in particular kept getting lost for me in all the performances. His dancing and presence was amazing, but he's still tiny compared to a lot of the people surrounding him in the beginning and right after JK's solo and I felt like he kept getting swallowed. The drum section didn't bother me because it resembles a lot of drumline/marching band performances in the US, so I guess I was used to that, but the sheer volume of activity is disorienting on a stage. I do feel that a lot of their staging looks like the idols are trying to "avoid" the backup dancers. It's a lot of walking through lines of people and adlib dancing as they see fit during their solos. Not necessarily a bad thing, but can be difficult for the eyes to follow and understand. Side/Random note: every time I watch the bridge/chorus right before JK's solo I think that Jimin is late getting into formation. He's not though. I've watched every performance and practice several times and he does it every time, but it throughs me off so much. Usually their transitions are so on point, this felt last minute and made me sad. I love this choreographer and I think she is gonna go far in her career (especially with getting this kind of exposure), but I do see a few places she could edit to be even more amazing that she already is. The Dance Crew is phenomenal and it makes me so happy hearing them hype up the boys at the end. LOVE LOVE LOVE This was one of the first performances where I could pick my favorite sections, because I found I was a little lost in other sections. That makes me sad, but they by no means disappointed me and I'm so proud of everything this did. RM's and JHope's portions always stand out to me and everything from JK's solo on where my favorite parts. Though Jimin, JHope, and V's part in the dance break is my ultimate favorite because it brought back memories of my step team days and I loved that so very very much. Thank you for not being afraid to state your opinion while giving you personal and legit reasons why you feel that way. It is brave, but needed in this world. I look forward to more videos!! "You nice, Keep Going. - Jimin"

[@aydann2251]

Riki, I totally understand what you meant when you said BTS should be the highlight of the dance. Too many things happening at the same time in the practice video and I could barely focus on the members. The way I see it, it's more like BTS and marching band rather than BTS and back up dancers. Because just like you said, for me the dancers behind them are just as highlighted as BTS. They dance amazingly and took my attention away from the members. It's not a bad thing but just feel a lot to take in. It may have been someone elses cup of tea but it's not mine. For Black Swan, the MV and James Corden show are my favorite while the practice video is feel a little bit empty. I think Black Swan and On are both could only work with a close up camera and that's what they aim for. I love to hear your honest and unfiltered opinion so I enjoyed this video a lot 💜

[@asueta8528]

47 minutes to say that he did not like the choreography of this song. If a choreography really catches your attention, it does not matter how many dancers there are and what they are doing, your eyes will focus on the bailalin. At no time do the backup dancers distract me from the members, if they are there but they do not interfere with my attention from Jimin, V, RM, Jin, Jungkook, J-Hope and Suga. Regarding the part that you say about RM, I do not agree with you, I have watched several presentations, the MVs, etc. and Namjoon always does the quick head tilt at the same point that is right when he says "down-down".

[@satriaardian3566]

I think you have to watch On MV kinetic manifesto after react ON dance practice ...than you will give opinion...it's fair

[@boopshadoop9758]

i think some of the challenge with this choreo is that it's designed to match the style of the music, which is like, marching band/marching group (idk what to call it i'm not american), and more designed to be viewed from like, not just the front like, on a football field? like the formations of the large group of people viewed from the intended angle make this kind of choreo impressive, and with added things like costuming, lighting and camera work, make the idols actually stand out in the parts where get lost in the busy-ness in this context? i've always found this practice impossible to focus on while watching it, as opposed to the performance video where the camera work especially makes everything so much clearer there is one section that has always felt weird about this choreo to me though, and that's the part where bts 'play the drums' but they Don't Actually Play The Drums! as a musician it's one of those things that without fail will bring me out of a performance, if someone is miming an instrument that they either don't know how to play, or they aren't actually playing along with the music playing in the background. i found it so funny when you pointed out the dancers doing weird leg things because i hadn't ever noticed that before as i was too busy staring at the drumsticks hovering 10cm above the actual drums ksjdfh... i feel like it's similar to something you talked about in another video(?) where you said it's important when you are acting like you're touching like, your own arm, that you actually Touch the arm, don't just hover over it, because you can Tell that you aren't and that just, feels weird? also the chorus just after that section with the split choreo still doesn't feel right to me like, it just feels like the start of a chorus should be this Big Together Part and instead they're like, hold on we have to wind up to it, like, you're there already? why are you not All There? i usually do try very hard to focus on the things i love, but i really appreciate the space you create here where we can talk about all of the aspects in a kind and thoughtful way! this turned into a very long comment oops! (also idk if i said it bc i am Not proofreading it's 1am dksfh but i do really love this dance and like, the way they performed it at a sports venue? thing? field? that one time was like, oh right, this is what this was meant to be (although maybe the extra cheerleaders and the throws and stuff were a Little extra kdskdjf)) (also i haven't actually finished watching the video yet but i wanted to get my thoughts out before i accidentally fall asleep maybe ksdjf) ok edit: i'm nearly actually finished watching the dance again and i wonder if, like how they wait until the end to bring in the instruments, if they'd had a smaller group of dancers at the start and grown it? idk maybe tired brain needs to calm down and stop pretending she knows anything about dance... it's just musician brain says there is too much from the start and it becomes fatiguing to sit through (exhibit a: me trying to stay awake rn) it just requires too much energy and focus (which is why i often don't love their big, high energy songs generally i think? i need to be in a very specific headspace not to just become overwhelmed and tired)

[@dots_com1386]

It is an interesting performance for sure. It's trying to both be a dance crew piece as well as a kpop piece. When I first watched it, I was taken by the whole production. It seemed so fun, so high energy and so grand and as if it was choreo for a dance competition. And it's something we haven't gotten from BTS in a long time. If you look at it as a kpop performance, then it is disappointing because you are spot on about how distracting all the movement is. If you look at it as a dance crew performance it is better, but also confusing because there is so much movement during the verse, but the chorus is just BTS and the background dancers are transitioning around behind them. I think the point was to create cool pictures, match the high energy of the song and create a spectacle. I think those goals were met, but it was quite a lot and maybe too much. I still love this performance, but I was challenged to think a little more critically about this dance, which I really appreciate :)

[@EllieElizabethE]

This is the first video of yours I have watched so I was a bit shocked at first to hear that you didn't like the choreo, because other reactions I have watched always praise it, but when I heard you explain it and go through it I actually found myself agreeing. I guess I always paid more attention to BTS than the background dancers. The choreo for the group is amazing and so intense, but the need for the background dancers isn't quite met. The shot in the beginning with the "drummers" is an great intro but I agree that there is so much happening in the background for the rest of the video that is so focus stealing and unnecessary. I can understand why as a professional dancer, who notices things like this more intuitivly, it can be quite annoying to see. I respect that choreographer and her crew and they are all also incredible dancers, they just didn't blend as well together as they could have. Because, as a non dancer, I imagine a dance crew is more used to dancing by themselves and not as background dancers, but I'm not sure. But if they are more used to being center stage, I can imagine that it can be quite difficult to choreograph something in which they are not supposed to be. I don't know... as I said I am not a dancer, I have no clue.

[@joy40633]

I'm glad you explained the different opinions of this work, and it does make me viewing this work on different aspects.

[@Maya-vw8ij]

I agree I don't like this dance at all even the song was the first time I didn't enjoy a title from bts. That's why I prefer dynamite and black swan over this. If you watch ON fancams the members are sometimes missing and all you see is dancers for a longer time than usual. I would fast forward to see the boys and they did the dancing so fiercely wish they had more time on screen.

[@merlel.6219]

It's so interesting. Every time I watched the dance practice before I didn't know why exactly I couldn't really enjoy it but after you talked about those visual noise I totally agree. There is just so much stuff going on that you can't really enjoy the dance.

[@bluebeanbaby]

CLARIFICATION: THE PERFORMANCE IS TO CELEBRATE COLLEGIATE/HBCU DANCE LINES, DRUM LINES AND MARCHING BANDS. THE CHOREO WAS IN RESPECT TO THAT. THE CHOREOGRAPHER, SHE IS A SOUTH PACIFIC ARTIST AND ALSO BORROWS FROM HER CULTURE AS WELL. IT WAS ALSO MADE IN RESPECT TO CAMERA AND FOCUSED PERFORMANCE.

[@alegiron.c.1738]

I like it cause you like it the part I love it and as always I love your perspective of everything also I am ready to throw hands with whoever are rude with you.

[@meghanwaddell9228]

That drum line/cypher concept that you pointed out at the dance break (which I also adore, it feels like some sort of competitive fever breaks and they're actually enjoying themselves and each other) is probably exactly what they were going for throughout -- a solid, precise baseline of movement for BTS to groove over top of. Their 'intro performance trailer' is a more successful example of the same idea, where they play off of a uniform/marching style but it's more grounded and well-paced, and the dancers extend BTS's reach rather than introducing a 'partner' with a different skill-set. I think you're totally right that the marching band style doesn't feel fully incorporated. It's a bit oil and water, the members sit on top without either submerging into it or fully embracing the kpop contrast. I think there are conflicting purposes here -- the back-up dancers are all in black as usual, they're supposed to be a kind of anonymous frame to showcase the idol painting, but they're also being choreographed to absolute hell, so it's like a crowd screaming out to be noticed whilst wearing camouflage, you know? I think I, probably like a lot of fans, watched ON with laser-focus on the members. I literally didn't zoom out to pay attention to the other dancers, so I could just focus on BTS working hard and being very stylish, which adds up to a hell of a performance (even if it's not their strongest choreo). But you've opened my eyes to the visual clutter, which I do think plays better in the MV, but is nonetheless a lot to grapple with. Like I was actually IGNORING the back-up dancers! Subconsciously tuning them out! And that's a waste of their exceptional efforts, and it also means that BTS has to work themselves much harder to be noticed much less.

[@bluebeanbaby]

CAN YOU PLEASE DO JIMINS BLACK SWAN SOLO BOMB....ALSO YOUR INTRO IS MAGICAL

[@anyaoconnor1558]

I've always been slightly off with the choreography, i love when it's focused on bts and my favourite part is jhopes and now i can finally understand why, you put my feelings into words. I actually like the dance, it's hard yes but i like it i just as you said like the dance separate of the backup dancers, my eyes are like 👆👇☝️👉👆👈👆☝️👇👈☝️👇

[@hanulmaruna]

I totally see your points. However, I see what are the roles of the back dancers. I think there are 4 acts in the song. BTS usually tells a story from their choreo and performances. In this performance, I think the back dancers were literally pain and almost enemies that tried to overpower BTS in the first act ( before Jungkook's solo), Jungkook's solo found a way to fight back and the dancebreak is the fight and finally the victory. The back dancers changed their roles throughout the acts. And it makes sense to me. I love how passionate and respectful you are aboutBTS. I am not a dancer and I adore them a lot as well. Back dancers did not really distract them by the way since I only or mostly see BTS no matter how many back dancers there are😉

[@treebles]

firstly, i wish you would have also had a link to this vid in your description box. [next in sarcastic tone~ now i have to look it up myself, ugh.] this is my first time watching any of your vids, i will watch more before i actually comment. i will say i appreciate your openness to peaceful disagreeing discussions. thanks for giving your professional opinion. i am a huge bts fan, so also thanks for reviewing them. 💜

[@treebles]

ps~ your kitchen is cute! 💗🏡 i also love watching house tours of international homes.

[@emilllyfox9632]

lilifilm try to checkout also

[@reneemariner6043]

Yeah I totally agree with pretty much everything you said but I kinda want to explain why from my perspective as a musician. While watching this I had the same thought as you in that the background dancers clashed a lot with BTS when they should be the focus but I didn't like it from a pacing perspective. It almost felt like the final chorus for every chorus and it just felt like too much to me despite how impressive every single one was. It very much reminds me of how in music when you're deciding the instrumentation of a song you usually want to gradually add instruments up to each chorus until the largest final build to the final chorus where you usually have the most amount of instrumentation for impact. But the most important thing about instrumentation is to not distract from the main component that should be highlighted, which I think is very comparable to this situation. There were definitely other components to why it felt off that you described really well but this is what stood out to me personally.

[@NerdyGirl187]

27 seconds in and I already paused haha. I just have to say that I love your yellow socks, they make me so happy on the less than ideal work day I just had. Thank you for this little bit of sunshine on a gray, gloomy Saturday☀️❤️ About the dance: I think that with these promotions the dance was supposed to be a more “in your face” spectacle, rather than just another dance to a song they were promoting. Especially with BTS becoming more and more prominent in the mainstream. I feel almost as if it was more of a flex than just a normal music video/performance. Tome this is corroborated by the grandiosity of the ON music video and the dramatics of the black swan music video. BTS are (and especially SUGA) are always quick to mention that KPOP is a not just the song and dance but more of the “big picture” with performance, videography, hair and makeup etc... combined. BTS seem to be in the cycle of trying to “one up” themselves with every new promotion/era and I wonder if that just got in the way this time. I also think that maybe both this dance and black swan were choreographed with more of a focus to be on camera than on stage. I saw this especially with Jimin’s highlighted solo parts. Both at the very beginning of this dance once the (excessive number of) dancers part , as well as what you mentioned in the black swan video with his section going on that diagonal. It’s easier to “keep track” of the members on camera with very specific angles, but once you add a sea of dancers and you are distanced from the performers ( meaning physically from an audience) it almost gets muddled. Again this may very well be a calculated idea and a form of greater “theatrics.” Doing this the audience is constantly surprised as to which member is popping up where, and it may be perceived as cooler because of it. Interested to see what everyone else’s thoughts are. I purple everyone. And hope everyone has a great day❤️

[@jillythegirl]

I have been waiting for your reaction to this! I also am not the biggest fan of this choreography. I get that ON is kind of like an anthem kind of song but I definitely don’t think they need that many people to convey that because the song itself already sounds like an anthem. Another thing that took me out it was that I understood the scale of the choreography if it was just for the kinetic manifesto film but then when they started to perform it on music shows in korea and it basically was the same thing. It bothered me bc if they didn’t release this is 2020, they would have an audience who will watch this but the audience even in the beginning itself would be distracted and be blocked alot from actually seeing the members. The entire thing is heavily choreographed in the sense that not only are they choreographing the dance but they’re also choreographing how the camera moves to film the performance properly and seeing it live would make it seem like they’re choreographing you, as the audience member, to look at it a certain way because it’s framed a certain way. I thought that when they would promote this on shows and music shows there was a simplified version but, no, they had to bring so many dancers with them and the instruments that didn’t have any purpose. There are definitely moments where it is beautiful to watch but the performance as a whole is just messy to me.

[@nandstefan]

I 100% agree with you when it comes to this dance practice! I love the manifesto mv and it is one of my favorite mvs that they have done BUT this dance is only as epic and grand and wonderful when there is a camera focused in on BTS. I watched the dance practice once and never watched it again because of all the reasons that you said. The camera is to far away and you can’t see BTS because of all of the people. Jimin does amazing things right there at the beginning as does V and you can’t see any of it in the dance practice because of the backup dancers. I also agree that the backup dancers aren’t dancing like they are backup dancers and it can, at times, feel like they are some how competing with BTS for the spotlight and that is never something that you want from your backup dancers. You are 100% right all throughout your video. This is probably my least favorite of the dance practices that they have done.

[@ebony7177]

As a couple here said, all your points are very valid with this dance practice and I think especially the ones (dancers and not), we watched the Kinetic Manifesto MV first which was better at showing what this dance is supposed to be. In this dance practice you don't have the best camera angles and they aren't dressed to be highlighted which they were in the KM MV. I like your idea about sorta couple dances with each member but it's not what or how BTS kinda work. Only with their solos do they parse them apart like that with dancers, it's sorta their philosophy that they do everything together or not at all unless of course it's a solo. Also because they are talking as a group "Bring the pain" it needs to focus on the group IMO. This wasn't a song talking about their individual struggles. Doing parts fully separate from the rest with random dancers wouldn't convey the 'group is gonna keep fighting so bring the pain" that feels more like how they did Tae's Singularity. I think this is another one of "Things they do for the music which may not work for dancers" episode lol. I know I remarked on a different song that the showcase of the song is sometimes more important to them because they are singer/songwriters first and foremost. So they do things that highlights that. I think it was Black Swan that I mentioned them doing some moves that was based on the song. This song is an anthem. It's a call to battle with full drum corp and I think that is what they were conveying with all the dancers and the marching band in the back. These are also elements they used in the making of the music for the song, so they brought those elements to emphasize that. They scale it down to do on shows or if they toured. The tiny room didn't help the vision for this dance for you I think. To me they looked cramped in there but I had seen the Kinetic Manifest already so I knew what the dance was. But not all things are loved by all ARMY Riki, you're so fine not to love some things lol. I love Chris Parry, I wished he continued to react. I also love Emeroy Bernardo, he tries to break everything down as well.

[@amazonlola78]

I really appreciate your breakdown for the simple fact that it proves you are genuine in the things you say and feel. You appreciate the talent and skill of BTS and the dancers, but are still able to respectfully give your opinion on why you like or didn't like something. As a viewer, I really enjoy it, because I can comfortably watch and not feel like you're tearing into the dance just for the sake of forcing your opinion. I absolutely love the song, the message behind it and of course think the boys killed it with their dancing. That being said, I remember watching the MV for the first time, something kept nagging at me and it wasn't until I watched this video that I realized what it was. My eyes kept straying to the back up dancers, so much that I had to re-watch sections of the MV to focus on what the boys were doing. While it's true most ARMY are strictly focused on the boys and may not pay attention to the back up dancers, I can agree with you that there was just SO much happening that it is distracting. Less would have definitely been more in this particular case. Anyway thank you for taking the time to review this and share your viewpoint. I look forward to watching more of your videos.

[@Mixitup098]

I was prepared to be triggered haha but I do agree with most of what you said! I really agreed with you when you talked about the dancers pointing to bts and that's also why jungkooks part is the best because every movement has purpose and is, as you said, highlighting the member/members. I also think that part looks the cleanest overall. I do think the dance works so much better in the mv because of the camera movements just like you said so I hope they find a way to make it translate on stage in a similar way because in the end I do love this dance a lot. Really interesting break down! :)

[@allison8971]

In all honesty, before you even began talking i knew you would say that you didn't like the dance, lol. We appreciate the honesty

[@yoongisbsf]

hii! i just wanted to let you know that i understand where you're coming from, and that for the most part i agree with you. also, im not a dancer and i have no experience what so ever. there were certain parts that felt unnecessary, like the feet part where the dancers are holding the drums for bts, i didnt even notice they were moving because i was focused on bts. i feel like because the theme they were going for was marching band, and i think they did a great job showcasing that, with the props and the mass of bodies moving and doing these different transitions. i do disagree with the thing about it feeling large just to be large because a marching band has to be large 😂 like there's no way to make a marching band with only 20 people. so maybe thats why they werent as focused on using the dance to showcase the lyrics. and i know you studied contemporary dance so maybe thats a big part that didnt sit well with you as a dancer. honestly, this was one of my favorite dances, so maybe i am a bit biased 😂

[@caycecarson]

Honestly I kinda get why you don't like this dance (more so than black swan cause I still love that dance lol) and they've done a version of ON for an award show in a football stadium and imho it was wayyyy too much lol. Like there was sooo much going on and bc of that the camera was way far back to get it all and in doing so you cant even see some of the members 🙄 I 100% agree that more does not equal better. Also let me just say you are braver than any US Marine for posting this ✊

[@rikilikemagic]

Hahaha 😅🙏🏼

[@annalexander5823]

I totally understand where you’re coming from. I love how well you explain things because it helps me see things from a new perspective. I personally loved this dance when I first saw it, but after your break down I completely see how the other dancers drown out BTS. I think a factor that contributed to this is that BTS took a little bit of a different approach with the Map of the Soul: 7 project. I also noticed Namjoon’s head move thing and it confused me too, I know that Namjoon definitely it meticulous about trying his best to be on time so it weirded me out when there were differences. I also love your comment about the dancers and BTS essentially having different approaches to moving because I picked up on it but I didn’t realize it until you said it. I wish you could be one of BTS’ choreographers because I think you are so good at seeing things that most don’t think about I feel.

[@deedee0199]

I can see the dance practice as feeling like there is so much going on. I think the space is so small. I feel the MV is more controlled because it is such a big space. I have always enjoyed the ON MV vs the dance practice.

[@m2k16]

Yes the visual clarity and contrast of depth in detail

[@erume5776]

as a not-even-a-bit dancer myself, idk if it's a fair point, but i think the main direction w this choreo was a camera-view. not only in a sence of the positions of the back dancers to highlight bts like in the beginning w Jimin, but also just in a visual aspect. i mean the clothes, the colors in the picture, that would bring this needed contrast. my eye works the way that when i see this visual difference between main and not main characters of the frame, i concentrate on the main and the rest becomes just a nicely moving background. kinetic manifesto overall was the best example: white outfits emphasized bts out of all people and the place itself also hasn't added anything extra on top, just light grey and blue, nothing distracting. while grand central made the performance too... eclectic? and in the dance practices it's the other way: everything mashes, an eye can't catch the spot to look on, because it's grey bts members with grey back dancers on the grey floor with the grey curtains behind them so it's like the choreo requires a particular environment to be... whole, not just bombasting and ambitious. they were going for something grandious and maybe the scales haven't worked out fully the way it was intended. mama2020 performance with a football pitch as a scene felt more free. though there were even more people, there were also a way more space. so what i want to say, when the scale of the place/occasion got bigger, the number of participating people on the scene became justified but just as i can see the critical side, i anyway love ON with all my heart. in a way it was a great challenge to take, with all physical complicacy and the scales. it also allowed them to try new things with performance production. in the end you'll never learn if you don't try :) thanks for the review! i always appreciate your opinion, sometimes you make me see new things in bts's choreos, because i perceive things very different haha

[@issa4839]

I am also not that fond of this dance, as I don't feel like it allows the members to be themselves and live and breathe the dance as much as they normally do, which makes sense given the timing of everything within the song and the moves themselves. I also feel like some members aren't given as many opportunities to shine the way that they should be, particularly in Jin's case, as he often gets left out of the dance break and it frustrates me. That said, I like the song, but I do feel like it would have been a better performance if there wasn't so much going on behind the members.

[@tammiel.9641]

This is a dance practice that is why they do not focus on each member. Also, I don't think you should watch other reactors reacting to the video to figure out what you're going to say. If you have watched it before than to me it's not a reaction video.

[@rabotnemrac]

She said she watched *after* she wrote the notes of what she was going to say. And this isn't a reaction video, it's a commentary.

[@nassimtanha318]

lol this is not a reaction video, because this is not a reaction channel. She literally says that at the beginning of every single video she makes. She watches the dance practice and several other versions and then breaks down the choreography. Sorry that you didn't find what you'd expected, but if you like first impression/reaction content, maybe you should look in other channels.

[@adria3086]

I actually liked the dance quite a lot, but now that you've mentioned it, I can see why it might be too much. I think the right camera angles do a lot for this dance, which is why I probably liked the kinetic manifesto film the most. I love the way you analyze dances. I would love for you to check out Lili's Film THE MOVIE if you can. The dancer in it is Lisa from Blackpink. I honestly think she's the best female dancer in Kpop and I would love for you to watch the video and share your thoughts on it.