K-pop fans love dance practice videos. Not only do these videos give the audience a look behind the scenes, but they also show some of the hard work that goes into their favorite choreography moments. However, if you, like me, aren’t a trained dancer, you might wonder what a professional thinks of your favorite K-pop dances. To learn more, I spoke to professional choreographer Moon Lee to get his expert opinion on five different K-pop dance practice videos.

Lee has over 14 years of experience in the performing arts. He's even worked as a choreographer and artistic director for clients such as SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and YG Entertainment. During an interview, we discussed his thoughts on five different dance practice videos. From identifying standout moves to ranking the complexity of each dance on a scale of 1-10, here’s what Lee had to say.

Spider by HOSHI

“First of all,” Lee said upon seeing the video, “I have huge respect for him.” Hoshi’s talent as a dancer is clear here. “I know he does a lot of choreography for his group — that’s hard,” Lee points out, adding, “You can see his quality of work.” He also stressed how impressive the dance’s opening bars routine is, emphasizing the athleticism it requires. “There’s not a lot of artists that can do that,” Lee said. “When it comes down to performance, this guy runs this generation.”

Standout Move: Opening bars

Complexity Ranking: 8

DDU-DU DDU-DU by BLACKPINK

Right off the bat, Lee said he liked the choreography here. The choreographers (Kyle Hanagami and Kiel Tutin) have a lot of their style shine through, but Lee added that BLACKPINK was "confident to put their artistry in it.” Specifically, he referenced how the group improvised the song’s memorable gun-hands move. It’s an eye-catching choice that helped the dance go viral.

Standout Move: Gun-hands

Complexity Ranking: 4

Snapping by CHUNG HA

As the video begins, Lee notes the song’s trendy choreography. “I like [Chung Ha] as an artist,” he begins. He elaborates on the song’s choreography, noting how the background dancers support Chung Ha and keep her in focus. According to Lee, the simple yet stylish choreography helps emphasize Chung Ha as a soloist.

Standout Move: Breakout moment with a male dancer

Complexity Ranking: 4

Thunderous (소리꾼) by Stray Kids

From the start, Lee noted how much the members' physical ability stands out in this video. "They do a lot of group moves," he said, “it adds a lot of complexity.” The group’s chemistry also shows as they perform together. “Their chemistry is already next-level. Which means they practice a lot. That’s nice to see,” Lee added.

Standout Move: The set-up into the hook

Complexity Ranking: 7

Lucifer by SHINee

Ending with a classic, we have SHINee’s unforgettable dance practice video for “Lucifer.” Lee reminisced on growing up watching and listening to SHINee, saying, “It was cool to see how they were growing up as an artist." He describes the choreography as "old school" and highlights Taemin's center stage moment. “Taemin is killing it,” he added with a laugh.

Standout Move: Taemin’s opening moment

Complexity Ranking: 5