Cover dance
{{Short description|Recreation of a dance choreography}}
Cover dance (also known as dance cover) is the act of replicating a dance choreography, particularly from Japanese idol or Korean idol music acts and Vocaloid songs.{{cite magazine |author=Billboard Korea Staff |date=2011-10-18 |title=A Look Inside the 'K-Pop Cover Dance' Trend |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/a-look-inside-the-k-pop-cover-dance-trend-465675/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=2023-06-29 |quote=“K-Pop Cover Dance” is a term used to describe the imitation of K-Pop artist’s dance choreography.}} Cover dances may be uploaded onto video-sharing services like YouTube and TikTok in which dancers reenact the choreography of a song or music video or perform an original choreography for an existing song.{{cite web
| url = https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220727000843
| title = [Herald Interview] 'K-pop cover dance is democratizing dance education'
| last = Hyun-su
| first = Yim
| date = July 27, 2022
| website = The Korea Herald
| publisher=Herald Corporation
| access-date = 2023-06-29
| archive-date = 2023-06-03
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230603184518/https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20220727000843
| url-status = live
}}
History
File:Hare Hare Yukai 2007.jpg 2007.]]
Cover dances first gained popularity online in Japan in March 2007, with many people posting videos of themselves performing the choreography for "Hare Hare Yukai" (colloquially referred to as the "Haruhi dance"), the ending theme song to the 2006 anime adaptation of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.{{cite news | url=https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/4565356/ | title=『ニコニコ動画』で定番ジャンルとなった"踊ってみた"動画！ 何故踊る？その心理を聞いてみた | language=ja | work=Gadget News | date=2010-01-23 | accessdate=2023-07-13 | archive-date=2010-01-30 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130060941/http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/4565356/ | url-status=live }} This later grew to include cover dances of Berryz Kobo and other Japanese idol singers and groups. Cover dance videos created through MikuMikuDance were also associated with the category. It became established as a genre known as {{nihongo|odottemita|踊ってみた||{{literal translation}} "I tried dancing"}} on video-sharing websites, named after the search keyword on the video-sharing website Niconico.{{cite news | url=https://ascii.jp/elem/000/000/659/659162/ | title=決定版！絶対見るべきニコニコ動画2011【ダンス＆MMD編】 | trans-title=Decisive version! Videos you should watch on Nico Nico Douga in 2011 (Dance and MikuMikuDance version) | language=ja | work=ASCII Media Works | date=2011-12-28 | accessdate=2023-07-13 | archive-date=2022-08-19 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819014442/https://ascii.jp/elem/000/000/659/659162/ | url-status=live }} People who performed cover dances were known as {{nihongo|odorite|踊り手}}. Notable {{Transliteration|ja|odorite}} who later became idols themselves include {{ill|Kozue Aikawa|ja|愛川こずえ}} from Danceroid and Dempagumi.inc,{{cite news | url=https://wpb.shueisha.co.jp/news/technology/2016/11/25/75650/ | title=「ニコニコ動画」からアイドルデビューした愛川こずえ 「ニコニコがなかったらたぶんニートになってた（笑）」 | trans-title=Kozue Aikawa, an idol who debuted from Nico Nico Douga: "If it weren't for Niconico, I might've become a NEET (laughs)" | language=ja | work=Weekly Playboy | publisher=Shueisha | date=2016-11-25 | accessdate=2023-07-13 | archive-date=2023-07-14 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230714084438/https://wpb.shueisha.co.jp/news/technology/2016/11/25/75650/ | url-status=live }} Beckii Cruel,{{cite news | url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/72162/full/ | title="可愛いにもほどがある!"英ネットアイドルのベッキー・クルーエルが初のテレビ出演! | trans-title="She has so much cuteness!" British net idol Beckii Cruel makes her first television appearance! | language=ja | work=Oricon | date=2010-01-05 | accessdate=2023-07-10 | archive-date=2023-07-10 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710192611/https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/72162/full/ | url-status=live }} and Keekihime.{{cite web | first=Minoru | last=Hirota | url=https://weekly.ascii.jp/elem/000/002/615/2615137/ | title=ニコ動が引きつけた才能"ケーキ姫☆優海"【ニコ動今昔物語】 | trans-title=Keekihime, a talent drawn in by Nico Douga (A past and present tale on Nico Douga) | language=ja | work=Weekly ASCII | publisher=Kadokawa Future Publishing | date=2013-04-25 | accessdate=2023-06-18 | archive-date=2023-06-19 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230619002530/https://weekly.ascii.jp/elem/000/002/615/2615137/ | url-status=live }}
Impact
Cover dance videos on YouTube get tens of thousands of views, with groups like Chocomint HK becoming viral sensations.{{cite news
|last = Ji-won
|first = Park
|date = 2022-11-04
|title = Meet the women of cover dance crew Chocomint HK, whose 'K-pop in public' videos have gone viral
|url = https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/06/398_339116.html
|work = The Korea Times
|location = Hong Kong
|access-date = 2023-06-29
|archive-date = 2023-06-29
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230629040242/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/06/398_339116.html
|url-status = live
| last = Jiwon
| first = Park
| date = 2022-11-01
| title = So good they could be Blackpink – meet the women of cover dance crew Chocomint HK, whose 'K-pop in public' videos have gone viral on YouTube
| url = https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3197953/so-good-they-could-be-blackpink-meet-women-cover-dance-crew-chocomint-hk-whose-k-pop-public-videos?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article&campaign=3197953
| work = South China Morning Post
| access-date = 2023-06-29
| archive-date = 2023-06-29
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230629040242/https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/news/article/3197953/so-good-they-could-be-blackpink-meet-women-cover-dance-crew-chocomint-hk-whose-k-pop-public-videos?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article&campaign=3197953
| url-status = live
}}
A worldwide phenomenon, Paris has become a hub for recording these videos, and has a K-pop dance academy.{{cite news
|last = Loeb McClain
|first = Dylan
|date = September 6, 2021
|title = A Mirrored Mecca for K-Pop Moves
|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/arts/dance/paris-kpop-dancers-la-defense.html
|work = New York Times
|location = Paris
|access-date = 2023-06-29
|archive-date = 2023-06-29
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230629034318/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/arts/dance/paris-kpop-dancers-la-defense.html
|url-status = live
}}
The K-POP Cover Dance Festival has been held annually since 2011.{{cite news
|last = Yeon-soo
|first = Kwak
|date = 2022-10-16
|title = K-pop fans gather in Seoul to compete in finals of 2022 K-Pop Cover Dance Festival
|url = https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/06/398_337912.html
|work = The Korea Times
|access-date = 2023-06-29
|quote = The KCDF, which began in 2011
|archive-date = 2023-06-29
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230629071518/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/art/2023/06/398_337912.html
|url-status = live
}} The competition takes place worldwide with the final round in Seoul.{{cite web
| url = https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/20/philippines-wins-at-2022-k-pop-cover-dance-festival-in-seoul/
| title = Philippines wins at 2022 K-pop Cover Dance Festival in Seoul
| last = Hicap
| first = Jonathan
| date = October 20, 2022
| website = Manila Bulletin
| access-date = 2023-06-29
| archive-date = 2023-06-29
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230629170946/https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/20/philippines-wins-at-2022-k-pop-cover-dance-festival-in-seoul/
| url-status = live
}}