Kpop has made dance more than just an art. Kpop has some of the best dancers in the world who have taken their passion and joy to inspire others. One might say dancing in Kpop is one of the major reasons why Kpop is loved all around the world. Dance is universal and you would hardly see anyone who doesn’t like it. It is a way of expressing one’s emotions and visually it is amazing to watch. We already did an article on the best Female Kpop Dancers of all time. So now we are doing one for the best male Kpop dancers of all time.
Many Kpop entertainment company producers have stressed that they would take a great dancer over a great singer any day when searching for new talent. To be a great dancer, it takes years and even decades to become great. Every Kpop Idol on this list has spent over 10 years practicing, training, and rehearsing their dance abilities to get to where they are now. While there are hundreds of great dancers in Kpop, we at SEOULSPACE have selected the top 10 all-time greatest male Kpop Dancers.
Taemin – SHINee
When it comes down to the greatest male Kpop dancers of all time, Taemin is always at the top of the list. Taemin is our choice for the greatest male Kpop dancer of all time by a narrow margin. He was one of the first Kpop male idols to be recognized for his amazing dance skills. What sets him apart from many of the others on this list is his pure experience. He has over a decade in the industry. This is why he is so smooth and precise. Has a style all his own and you can tell it is Taemin even if he stands behind a curtain and only his shadow is shown. His moves are unique and not a lot of other Kpop Idols can say this.
Kai – EXO
Kai is EXO’s main dancer and is known for dominating the stage with his powerful moves. He is usually on everyone’s list of the best dancers in Kpop. Kai had a solo dance performance in the Olympic’s closing ceremony, doing a traditional dance with a modern twist. He is known for hitting every beat. Kai used to be in ballet so his strength is more in modern dance than hip hop.
Ten – WayV
There is a reason why he is the only Thai Idol to ever get accepted by SM Entertainment. His balance and fluidity are unmatched. Plus he can do all forms of dance from hip-hop to Modern, to pretty much anything. While Ten might not have the history of Taemin or Kai, he has gained the reputation of the best Kpop dancer of his generation. There are really no weaknesses to his skills and in a few more years he will easily rank #1 on this list. To be honest, these three, Taemin, Kai, and Ten are on a tier above the others on this list.
BTS – J-Hope
One of the most versatile dancers in Kpop has to be J-Hope. However, he is mainly known for his hip-hop dance style. When watching BTS music videos, notice just how many styles of dance they incorporate. From disco to street jazz, J-Hope plays a huge role in their choreography as the group’s main dancer. If you really want to see him shine in a Music Video check out “Boy Meets Evil” on YouTube. Plus, similar to Lisa from BLACKPINK, J-Hope has a natural skill of being able to learn choreography very quickly. This also makes him a great teacher as he is able to teach the group. He also went on Under Nineteen as a guest director to teach the trainees on the Fake Love choreography.
Got7 – Yugyeom
He was the winner of the popular TV dance competition called “Hit The Stage”. Through the competition, his popping skills were on full display. Therefore, he is very good at freestyle and has great footwork. One of the major reasons why he is so good is that he has amazing lower body control. He might be one of the most underrated male Kpop dancers of all time and some feel he deserves to be on the level of Kai and Taemin. Some might blame it on a last of charisma or lack of attention in general as GOT7 is not as popular as BTS, EXO, or even SHINee. Follow him on Instagram where he uploads a lot of freestyle dance videos.
Lay – EXO
While Lay might not be as explosive as Kai, Lay brings a more relaxed and natural style to his dance. Lay has a reputation for working with a lot of choreographers in both China and South Korea. He is constantly improving and his fluidity and control in his movements look effortless. He could be seen as another Kpop star that is underrated for his dancing mainly because Kai gets most of the attention. Since Lay seems so comfortable and does his moves in an effortless manner, many don’t give him the recognition he deserves. While some might poke fun at his “balance” advice, you can tell he really wants to pass his knowledge on to others and learn from others as well. Fans of EXO? Try our EXO Quiz.
BTS – Jimin
Jimin has trained in modern dance/ballet/hip-hop and it shows. He was the top student in the modern dance department at Busan High School of Arts. In addition, he had many years of experience in freestyle street battles in Busan. His moves are very smooth and graceful. His biggest asset is his flexibility, something that helped him in ballet. He has a solid overall build with strengths in both his upper and lower body. This allows him to perform very athletic moves that other Kpop idols can’t.
Rain
Rain has established himself as the Michael Jackson of Kpop/King of Dance in Asia. He will forever be on any list of the top Male Kpop Dancers. He became the first-ever Korean artist to make an impact in the United States. This was a decade before BTS and BLACKPINK came on the scene. At the time no one could have matched his dance skills. However as dance evolved, others rose to the top. However, Rain will forever be known as one of the greatest. It is rumored that before his JYP audition, Rain was rejected by 19 agencies. This goes to show just how much heart and dedication Rain has. He has had an amazing career and is even relevant now. Those looking to not just be great dancers but great performers should watch as many Rain performances as possible. Start with his TikTok compilation above!
Eunhyuk – Super Junior
The best dancer on Super Junior is by far Eunhyuk who comes in at #8 on the list of the best Male Kpop Dancers of all time. He is known for his full-body control and has an unofficial title of being the “Dancing Machine” of the Kpop Industry. He is now past his prime but you can’t take him off any top 10 list of great Kpop male dancers. Eunhyuk has built his reputation as a great dancer not just from his solo performances but how he was able to showcase his skills on Korean variety shows. Moreover, he was a dance mentor on the Korean reality show “Under Nineteen” in 2018.
SEVENTEEN – Hoshi
The best dancer on SEVENTEEN is Hoshi. The Performance Unit of SEVENTEEN is amazing. However, Hoshi stands alone. He co-choreographs all of SEVENTEEN’s dances and even teaches the group the choreographies himself. When you see how well they are synchronized, the credit mostly goes to Hoshi. He has a very smooth style and is a great freestyle dancer. However, he is still able to bring a lot of power and technique. One of the most creative choreographers in Kpop at the moment. He needs to put in a few more years to break into the top 5, however, being in the top 10 at such a young stage in his career shows just how good he is.
Rocky – ASTRO
The best dancer on ASTRO is Rocky who just makes the top 10. Therefore, those who feel their favorite artist should have made the list must ask themselves…are they better than Rocky? Rocky does most of the choreography for the group. He is known for his ability to flawlessly transition. He is known for taking risks with his choreography and is seen as one of the most creative dancers in Kpop. While ASTRO is not a super popular group which is why not a single fan of ASTRO has been able to get 20/20 on our ASTRO Quiz. Despite their lack of popularity, Rocky is still recognized for his amazing dance skills. Rocky along with EXO was named as the perfect Kpop Idol dancer by Kwon Jae Seung, a top choreographer in Korea.
58 comments
Taemin King🥰
There was only ever going to be ne winner Taemin is the worlds number 1
TAEMIN KING!!!♡
excuse me …did j-hope go on Produce 101? i thought i was Under nineteen
He went on as a guest director. Did you not see the episode?
“Therefore, those who feel their favorite artist should have made the list must ask themselves…are they better than Rocky?” —this line is obviously trying to provoke or stir a fight between fandoms
“While ASTRO is not a super popular group which is why not a single fan of ASTRO has been able to get 20/20 on our ASTRO Quiz. ” — no one gives a shit on your quiz and popularity from overseas doesnt necessarily equate to popularity to their own country.
You should hire a better editor.
Only true Astro fans should take that quiz….it is not for you.
Ist echt so. Auch bei jimin haben sie zu wenig bei der Beschreibung geschrieben im Vergleich zu den anderen, bei denen sie noch andere Sachen zum Schauen fürs Entdecken der Tanztalente vorgeschlagen haben. Jimin ist ein sehr talentierter rafinierter Tänzer, nicht nur in Ballet und modern Dance auch im Hiphop, das macht ihn nähmlich so besonders. Auch mit seiner Karriere, er musste in einer kurzen Zeit vor BTS’ Debüt sich von modern Dance zu Hiphop umschalten bzw. erstmal lernen und anpassen, sehr erfolgreich durchgemacht.
im sure that the program j-hope went on as a special director was “under nineteen” not “produce 101”. you can search that on youtube.
Thanks updated.
The best budget Taemin
Yes I agree
Glad to see J-Hope up there. He’s a true professional when it comes to dance and has outstanding stage presence and passion. Sadly, official mv and choreos hardly make him justice, and company fails to promote him as the brilliant dancer he is. But for those who pay attention, you will see how immensely talented and passionate he is. He will definitely steal your heart with his impeccable moves and irresistible charisma. Can’t wait to see more of him and his solo projects.
Agree and also he should get a lot of credit for helping the other members who have improved a lot with J-Hope’s help.
Jackson Wang from got7 should be on the list.
He was in two very popular dance shows (Hot Blood Dance Crew and Street Dance of China) and he won on both shows. He is easily one of the best dancers in kpop.
Well done to everyone on the list, they’re all amazing dancers 👏
Hello Tamara,
It is very interesting you mention Jackson Wang as there was much debate on him vs Rocky…and the team felt that Rocky was slightly better. He barely missed the cut.
this is bullshit i hope whoever wrote this gets fired
Yes, he has been fired and canceled! Thanks for the comment.
I was surprised they put yugyeom and rain over Jimin. This list is just individuals who’ve got more spotlight from their company and the writer ran with it. They didn’t mention that Jimin had over 5yrs experience in pop-locking, hip-hop, and street dance before he did contemporary for over 1 year. He was street battling in Busan before he did contemporary. J-hope on the other hand is already the best hip-hop dancer that can pop-lock and dance 10 diff styles that go with it. This list is sus fasho lol
I totally agree. Jimin should be SOMEWHERE on the list!
Taemin es el rey del kpop y merece estar en el número uno,un artista que lleva trece años de carrera y que se ha formado asi mismo con su esfuerzo y talento
Todos son excelentes bailarines 🙂
Oooh some of my favourite kpop dancers are here!
I love Rain especially, he is a lot older than the others here but he has still got it. He is so smooth when he dances, a real legend.
One more that I wish was here is Jackson Wang. He works with world renowned dancers like The Kinjaz, and I think he is on par with them. Professional dancers want him to become a full-time dancer too, he is that good.
Thanks for putting this list together!
Sorry baby, Rocky is the best.
Ok
Yugyeom dance machine. Ahgase love you babe
Okay I’m glad you included yugyeom but don’t you think you’re being disrespectful to GoT7 by saying that they’re not as popular as other groups when they are always top3 almost everywhere and by saying even shinee don’t you think you’re belittling them. And for the record, yugyeom is underrated because jyp never promoted him as a dancer and not because got7 isn’t famous. Got7 are everywhere they’re the top3 most popular k-pop group with a strong international fanbase and it would be nice if you can word it properly without disrespecting anybody
Did you just say that Got7 is in the top 3 of the most popular Kpop group?? Are you serious when you say this?
Yes agree with you. Got7 has always been the top 3 or top 5 considering the era rn. Some may think that got7 is underrated, but they are actually well known internationally
I agree with this message! 🙂 ask in thailand where they are number 1
Taemin is also so much more than a dancer. He’s the most full package and full feathered performer, not only in Korea but in the whole world. He’s a top singer, and also has the greatest discography of them all. Taemin is the youngest artist to have released albums every year for 14 years in a row, with SHINee, as a soloist and with SuperM. All in all more than 25 albums.
No one can beat his CV, and he’s far ahead careerwise. I hold Taemin as the GOAT, and think he deserves the world. The most phenomenal, but underrated artist/performer in the world. SM could have promoted him better. Taemin’s career is movie material. Why didn’t SM make dance&music movies? Taemin could easily have become a superstar worldwide. He’s got the potential, but SM slept on it.
Agree.
I’m so glad TEN made it in top 3, he is an amazing dancer and deserves to be appreciated, hope we can see more of his dance videos. Thank you for this list!!
Again there is a tier 1 which includes Ten, Taemin, and Kai. Those three are pretty much interchangeable. When it is all said and done and their carriers are over. Ten might end up being considered the best Kpop dancer of all time.
TVXQ’s Yunho should also be on the list. His dance is very powerful and remarkable, he himself has collaborated with choreographies for his group. Even due to his talent in dance he was selected to be the representative of all Asia at the Michael Jackson tribute by his choreographers in 2010, and he was even invited to rehearse in the United States. He has also been an inspiration for many artists and Taemin himself says that he has consulted him for his works as in “Criminal”. I don’t know, all of this artist are so talented and I think that Yunho also should be in the list without a doubt.
I disagree. Rocky is a better dancer than Yunho. Yunho might be in the top 20 list but not the top 10.
This is the honest and best raking ever
Where’s CIX Bae JinYoung.
SHOWNU Monsta X best dancer 💜
I so much agree with this. There’s something about the top 3 that’s impactful, they have the skills, the technique, yet they also have their own styles. Every single move they do is so detailed, they don’t just stick to the choreo, they are also creative about it and you can feel that something ia being expressed by their dance. They are indeed professional dancers.
Also, I think that whoever is interested in idol dancers should also take a look at Sf9’s Yoo Taeyang. Lately he’s taking my attention because he’s just great and his lack of popularity doesn’t make him justice 🙂
Just wanted to say thank you for putting Ten in this especially the top 3. Incredible when you see how he only debuted 5 years ago but even as a rookie became Taemin’s favorite after Hit the Stage. Adding to this his two year hiatus where he wasn’t put in a fixed unit and STILL manages to be this excellent. I truly think he will be at Taemin’s level of skill when he gets to Taemin’s current age. Kind of incredible the two best idol dancers of the 3.5 generation are Thai – him and Lisa.
Taemin SHINee King 👑#1 👑🌋✌️👍🌟💎💖🔝🔥💯❤️
This needs an update! Lay’s dancing style completely change to Krump. Check out Street Dance of China. He has learned krump for 6 months (which krumps takes years to learn) and he was even recognize by the founder of krump himself.
Eunhyuk is not past his “prime”. Anyway thanks for an unbiased list.
Disagree. Eunhyuk was in his “prime” 5-6 years ago. Don’t get me wrong he is still good but you can’t compare a 36 year old Eunhyuk to when he was 29-30. 4 more years and he will be 40. The body does not move like it use to…trust me I would know…
I watched his recent solo and he was great! I am happy that I could see him like this!
Y’all are sleeping on Shindong. He debuted instantly for Super Junior and the dude is a cold dancer. For his size, he can learn dances easily, dance like a beast, and everyone says that he is god of dancing in SM. He is in par with every dancer here and he weighs way more than them. Shindong should be number 1 always.
excuse me?! have you forgotten LALISA MANOBAN?! U CAN’T FORGET LALISA MANOBAN!? why is she not on the list I’d love to know
Oh I didn’t know she was a Male….
this is much better and accurate compare to the other article I just read its sooo bias I even report it lol for giving wrong facts they should research more before listing gosh everyone knows even the idols taemin is top 1 even idols choose him as their idol putting him in the 4th place doesn’t make sense its injustice after all these yrs of serving
Yeah Taemin !!!!
Hopefully Belift will start promoting Ni-ki from Enhypen. This guy is worthy of high places, but he is not much talked about due to his age and recent debut. Ni-ki is insanely talented and his covers are just crazy.
I’m waiting for people to start talking about him. He deserves it.
I totally agree with Taemin. Glad they don’t forget Eunhyuk.
As a dancer and k-pop fan of over 13 yrs, it’s pretty disappointing how biased this list is. There are a lot of lines that provoke and try to start something which shows the writer’s stance. I’d agree with this list if we were still in 2nd gen, but it’s already going onto the 4th/5th gen. Dancers also evolve more than others over time so it’s easy to see whoever wrote this list went the popular route and not the route where each dancer gets looked at for their actual dance musicality and technicality. For one, Taemin deserves the top spot but not so much when you have J-hope who proved he could do the same thing countless times, even better variations, and is more versatile but the writer chose to ignore it. Also, Rain, he’s a Legend but just bcs Rain received a title of Asia back then doesn’t mean he should be placed above Jimin? It’s a dance list, isn’t it? Jimin’s dance skills are far above Rain and could even be placed at the top, Jimin had over 5 yrs of experience in pop-locking and hip-hop when he did street battles in Busan and freestyled before dancing contemporary/modern for over 1 year. On top of that, you’ve already acknowledged he does things no idols can do, but continue to place him not even in the top 3 lol. Rocky also deserves a higher position as well as Hoshi, so pls do a better job when analyzing dancers next time, some of the dancers I’ve mentioned compared to the others you favor inspired not only idols but ppl outside of k-pop, professional dancers/choreographers, western artists, Olympians/gold medalists, and etc, So pls respect the craft and don’t be biased.
It is a list of ALL time, not the best dancers in this gen.
Someone said why don’t you put lisa what did you forget about lisa..it’s already written male not female … is lisa a man?
As an Astro fan, i love Rocky’s moves. Rocky does what no other dancer does. Some call him the Korean Michael Jackson…enough said…go watch him or better listen, he can sing beautifully and rap in dubble speed….
Please put Hyunjin Hwang of Stray Kids on the list. He not only dances so well but also does choreo by himself. Check out his Artist of the Month- Motley Crew, Play with Fire, When Party’s Over.
I just watched all these videos, and I don’t stan any of these groups, but how is Rocky last? He should be in the top 3 at least. He has similar body movements as Taemin… am I the only one who sees that?
I think taemin is very overrated as a dancer, he’s really good at one style of dancing and not much else. I think to be a really good dancer especially in kpop you should excel in all forms of dance not just hip hop.