ARMY Magazine - Special Issues ARMY Magazine Jimin Special Edition | Page 31

Perhaps we should start by introducing our- selves. Our names are Chim and Cat and we run the dance analysis account @JiminUncut, which is devoted to studying Jimin’s dance technique and explaining the intricacies be- hind his talent. There is no question that Jimin is an amazing dancer. His talent and abilities are highly re- spected by fans and industry professionals and he has proven that he is a force to be reckoned with. His captivating dancing has won the hearts of millions. We have both been dancing for over 20 years in a variety of styles, including tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, step dancing, swing dancing and hip hop. So what is it that makes Jimin’s dance stand out so much? Sure, K-pop is full of amazing talent. There are dancers that will blow your mind, so what is it about Jimin’s talent in par- ticular that stuns us? Let’s rewind. Chim was a professional dancer in LA, danc- ing for many TV shows, videos and movies. She also spent many years as a choreogra- pher and casting director. Her knowledge of dance is a lifetime of gathering information here and there, experiencing the ups and downs of being a dancer, trying to break into the business and of trying to maintain a cer- tain level of professionalism on top of 60+ hour weeks of dance. Cat grew up taking recreational ballet classes at a professional ballet school in Canada and eventually branched out to many other styles. She completed all 8 levels of the Cecchetti ballet examinations and continued dancing in university, abroad in Japan and even now. With many experiences and years in dance, we saw the outstanding talent that Jimin has and wanted as many people to know, from a dancer’s point of view, how special that talent really is. So, without further ado... What makes Jimin such a great dancer? Around 8th grade, Jimin began popping. Ac- cording to a post in fancafé, Jimin was drawn to dancing because it made “bad thoughts” he was having disappear. He stated that was how he found the charm in dancing. He studied this style of dance for approximate- ly 2 years, prior to entering Busan Arts High School. It must be mentioned that he was accepted into Busan Arts High School as a top student of the whole batch of freshmen and of the modern dance department. And upon entrance into the school, he majored in contemporary, taking classes in ballet, mod- ern and traditional Korean dance. His old teacher stated that though most stu- dents were only focused on their specialty, Jimin gave his best to all dance styles. In Jimin’s interview for the Wings concept book, he revealed that he would wake up, practice, go to school, practice during lunch, practice again after school, practice until dawn, sleep for a little bit, and then practice again before going back to school. For an entire year. 31