“I just want to dance in an expanded realm.”
Dancer Lee Jung (26, real name Lee Yi-jung) considers dance to be her very essence. Having entered the dance world since childhood, she has grown alongside it into her mid-twenties. Her dance philosophy and ongoing ultimate goal is to showcase her dance in a wider space and in front of more people.
Recently, after the conclusion of the Mnet dance survival program 'World of Street Woman Fighter' (hereafter 'Swoopa'), Lee Jung shared her thoughts with Maeil Business Star Today, exuding her characteristic powerful and ambitious energy as she candidly expressed her opinions.
‘Swoopa’ is the third season of 'Street Woman Fighter', featuring a concept of 'national competition' with six crews from five countries, including South Korea, New Zealand, the United States, Japan, and Australia. The Korean team 'Bumsup', which included Lee Jung and the leaders of 'Street Woman Fighter', was eliminated in the semi-finals, finishing in fourth place. However, their mega crew mission video surpassed 10 million views just three days after its release, proving their undeniable dance skills and influence.
Lee Jung stated, “I have no personal regrets about not winning. I did my best at every moment. Nevertheless, not making it to the finals is something I must humbly accept,” adding, “Any of the participating teams could have won. Regardless of rankings, the process of participating was a continuous growth for me. I believe there was value beyond just being first.”
She also expressed deep respect for the leader of 'Bumsup', Honey J. “That position must have been very burdensome, but I’m grateful she willingly took it on. I really couldn’t have done it. Having her allowed me to elevate my capabilities. I’m very thankful to the team members,” she conveyed her affection.
It was a moment when she took on the significant role of 'representing Korea' through a public broadcast program. “It would be a lie to say I wasn’t burdened by the responsibility of representing my country. I love Korea so much that I wanted to do well. Being able to represent my country and express my emotions through dance was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a moving experience for me.”
‘Swoopa’ and ‘Swoopa’ served as a stimulus for Lee Jung. “I felt that I was quite lacking,” she reflected, “I’ve been in the dance scene for about 10 years, but I’ve never felt it so deeply. It was good to find elements that I could develop further, and it was a moment of motivation for me.”
Four years ago, during her first appearance on 'Street Woman Fighter', she made headlines with her impactful statement, “But what were you doing at 24?” as the leader of the dance team YGX, despite her young age. This statement became a meme for a while. Describing herself as someone more like fire than water, Lee Jung said, “I have a mindset that there are certain things I shouldn’t do. I have a fiery tendency to always perform above average. Even then and now, I try to maximize my abilities in the right place, whether visible or not.”
Lee Jung started learning dance at the age of 16 and passed the audition for the global dance team 'Just Jerk' within a year, stepping into the industry as a member of the 'Jerk Family'. Since then, she has built her reputation by participating in numerous dance battle competitions. In 2019, she joined YGX, a choreographic agency under YG Entertainment, officially making her mark in the K-Pop dance scene.
However, looking back, Lee Jung feels that the dance industry has not gained the public attention or popularity she hoped for. “I didn’t expect our industry to receive significant attention after dancing for a long time,” she said, “but I think my desire to show the parts that are gradually changing and growing, even in an unstable process, has increased.”
This was fulfilled by 'Swoopa'. Lee Jung said, “I thought participating in the program was an opportunity to promote myself and invigorate the dance scene. Many people now know us. I thought we were only sharing and communicating among ourselves, but now it’s not at all in the shadows,” she said with a proud expression.
When asked if she would be willing to participate in a follow-up program to 'Swoopa' or 'Swoopa', she confidently replied, “Absolutely, I will definitely do it,” adding, “I’m someone who loves competition...” radiating confidence until the end.
Having danced for over 10 years, she expressed her desire to continue growing through various activities, including the 'Swoopa' series.
