If you’re a K-pop fan, you’ve probably heard about idols’ ‘pre-debut’ era—the time when they train hard to improve their skills and chase their dreams. Surprisingly, several famous K-pop idols started their journey as backup dancers for other celebrities. While some are well known for their transition from background roles to center stage, others might just surprise you! Let’s dive into some of these unexpected stories.
BTS Members
Wait—what? For real?
Calling BTS “famous” would be a huge understatement since they’re practically synonymous with the word K-pop itself. Even during their temporary break due to military enlistment, their influence remains as powerful as ever, dominating streaming platforms globally. But could you imagine these world-famous idols once performing in the background?
Back in 2012, just before BTS officially debuted, members Jungkook and j-hope danced behind Jo Kwon from 2AM during his solo performance of ‘I’m Da One,’ while Jin, V, and Suga appeared in the music video. Also, Jimin, SUGA, Jungkook, and j-hope were backup dancers for the girl group Glam’s debut stage.
Unbelievable, right?
Stray Kids’ Lee Know
It’s no secret among fans: Lee Know from Stray Kids was once a backup dancer for BTS. Even before joining JYP Entertainment, Lee Know frequently performed alongside BTS. Fans notably spotted him in the ‘Not Today’ MV and its comeback stage.
In fact, the star himself shared his experiences on the Mnet show ‘TMI News,’ saying: “I was a backup dancer from ‘Fire’ to ‘Spring Day’ and ‘Not Today’. I even toured with BTS. One time, J-Hope sunbaenim recognized me at a broadcasting station and asked, ‘Aren’t you Lee Know?’”
Imagine that moment!
Kang Daniel
Who hasn’t heard of Kang Daniel? Even if you’re not his fan, he’s hard to miss!
He rose to fame as the winner of ‘Produce 101’ Season 2 and later became a beloved member of Wanna One. Not only did he gain massive popularity, but Forbes Korea also included him in their top 40 celebrities list in 2022. You might also have seen him in dance competition shows like ‘Street Man Fighter ‘ and ‘Street Woman Fighter.’
But before he became famous, Kang Daniel performed as a backup dancer for Fiestar’s Cao Lu on the show ‘Her Secret Weapon’ in 2015. In fact, during an interview with SBS’s ‘Access Showbiz Tonight’ in 2017, he confessed that dancing with a girl for the first time made him so nervous that his hands were shaking!
Yeonjun (TOMORROW X TOGETHER)
Let’s be real—everyone has that one Yeonjun dance cover they’ve watched a million times (and probably still not over it).
TXT’s Yeonjun is often called the 4th Gen IT Boy, and it’s not just because of his killer stage presence and solid rap skills. He’s seriously known for his dancing—and wow, the way he moves and how he just flows with the music? Okay, I’m fangirling a bit, but can you blame me?
What a lot of people don’t know, though, is that before debuting, Yeonjun actually performed as a backup dancer for BTS. One of his most iconic moments was when he shared the stage with V for the song ‘Singularity’ at the 2018 KBS Song Festival.
Sung Hanbin (ZEROBASEONE)
ZEROBASEONE’s leader, Sung Hanbin, quickly caught attention for his amazing dance skills. He is known for his impressive dance covers—his ‘Like Jennie’ performance was even reposted by BLACKPINK’s Jennie herself on TikTok! He’s also known for his stunning tutting and waacking dance skills, likely why he was recently chosen as the MC for ‘World of Street Woman Fighter.’ But here’s another twist—Sung Hanbin also danced behind BTS!
Eagle-eyed fans recognized him during BTS’s iconic ‘Dionysus’ performance at the 2019 Melon Music Awards. He further confirmed his backup dancer past on Jonathan’s show, ‘KStarNextDoor’, revealing he danced behind both BTS and Wanna One.
OMG, the BTS backup dancer-to-idol pipeline seems pretty real!
MONSTA X’s Shownu
Shownu was famous among trainees at JYP for his exceptional dance skills. But did you know that he danced behind the legendary Lee Hyori? Monbebes probably remember that adorable moment when Lee Hyori’s ‘Bad Girls’ played, and I.M excitedly pointed to Shownu, shouting, “You danced to this song!” while Minhyuk cuddled up, teasing him for more details.
Moreover, it is believed that back when he was just a backup dancer, Shownu managed to catch fans’ eyes with his charming looks and impressive dance moves!
Lay Zhang
Most people know Lay as a member and main dancer of the hugely popular K-pop group EXO. But even before that, he was already making a name for himself as a child actor in China—and he’s still considered one of the biggest celebs there today.
But here’s something you might not know: Lay actually started as a backup dancer for none other than SHINee! At one point, he even filled in for SHINee’s Jonghyun when the latter couldn’t perform. And honestly, considering how tough and iconic SHINee’s choreo is, that just shows how insanely talented Lay is as a dancer.
Ni-Ki (ENHYPEN)
Way before the survival show ‘I-LAND,’ 16-year-old Ni-Ki had already won over a lot of hearts with his charismatic facial expressions and incredible talent. Even though he’s the maknae of ENHYPEN, he’s also one of the most popular members. Thanks to his powerful dance moves, people often call him the 4th Generation Dance Prodigy. Fun fact—he started dancing when he was just 3 years old, which probably explains how he can learn completely new choreos in just 10 to 20 minutes (seriously, WOW!). ENGENEs might already know that he used to spend five hours a day imitating Michael Jackson when he was younger.
But here’s something not everyone knows: Ni-Ki was actually a backup dancer for SHINee!
He was only around 11 or 12 when he got the chance to perform with them. And considering how tough SHINee’s choreographies are, especially for someone that young, it just goes to show how insanely talented he’s always been.
So, were you surprised by any of these “names”? It’s fascinating how these idols started as backup dancers and went on to become popular idols, shining brightly in the spotlight!
Why don’t you share with us which backup dancer-turned-idol surprised you the most? Or, who’s your favorite K-pop dancer right now? Share your thoughts and favorites in the comments below!
Written by Diksha Gangadeen
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I knew about BTS being as a backup dancers but I didn’t knew that they were backup dancers for the girl group Glam’s debut stage.
The ways k-pop artists work on significant matters and it’s advocacy is incredible.
Sung Hanbin being a BTS backup dancer makes my allin-army heart race
Sung Hanbin is very surprising since he has such a unique dance background as he specializes in waacking and tutting while also dives into genres like hip pop and locking.