“Street World Fighter” Winner Baek Goo-young: “It Wasn’t as Hard as ‘Street Man Fighter’ — Probably Because It Was Fun” [Interview ③]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

• Interview with choreographer Baek Goo-young, winner of Mnet’s “Street World Fighter: Directors’ War”

Choreographer Baek Goo-young revealed that he enjoyed “Street World Fighter: Directors’ War” (abbreviated as “SWF”).

On the 27th, a round interview was conducted with Baek Goo-young, the winner of Mnet’s survival program “Street World Fighter: Directors’ War,” at the CJ ENM Center in Mapo-gu, Seoul.

“Street World Fighter: Directors’ War” is a war of works among choreographers who fight with their minds and prove themselves with their bodies. Baek Goo-young claimed the ultimate victory, demonstrating his strength as a veteran choreographer with 24 years of experience.

Baek Goo-young also appeared in the previous series, “Street Man Fighter” (abbreviated as “SMF”), in 2022. At the time, his crew, One Million, unfortunately failed to advance to the finals.

He revealed why he appeared on “Street World Fighter: Directors’ War” four years later. He stated, “Even before appearing, my mind was unwavering; I absolutely wanted to go out there. My family tried to stop me, but I well understood that creating a work that expresses my worldview and presenting it to the public is a very rare and difficult opportunity for someone like me.”

He continued, “If I just thought about it alone, made something, and uploaded it to YouTube, how many people would watch? But didn’t they lay down the mat so that I could present works expressing my worldview?” He added that he considered it perhaps the last chance for a generation that has been dancing for a long time.

When asked how this season compared to “SMF,” he said, “This season wasn’t particularly hard. It wasn’t as hard as ‘SMF,’” adding with a smile, “I think it was because it was fun.”

He also freely expressed his deep gratitude for Mnet’s dance survival series. Baek Goo-young stated, “I often tell my juniors, half in jest and half seriously, that we should call Mnet, the PDs, and the writers who created this series ‘God.’ They have truly changed public perception a great deal.”

He continued, “Perhaps because I have been active for a long time, friends who are dancing now may be familiar with the ‘Street Woman Fighter’ series, but for me, it felt like the world had changed so much that I wondered, ‘Has the world really changed this way?’ and ‘Do people really watch this much?’” He added, “I often say that we should also have great gratitude toward juniors who may not be able to feel that change as deeply as we do.”

Baek Goo-young also said, “Because there are people producing programs like this, it gives us great strength when we raise our voices about choreography copyright rights. It is a truly grateful program, and I think I am grateful not just because the results were good, but simply because this series exists; even if I didn’t participate, I would still be very grateful.” He expressed his thanks by adding, “The most important aspect of copyright awareness is public perception, and you have made a huge contribution to that part, which is wonderful.”

What does this victory mean for him, who has once again taken the survival stage following “SMF”? Baek Goo-young said, “Winning ‘SWF’ doesn’t feel like a grand turning point, but rather a gift that allows me to move forward.” He candidly shared, “I don’t really know what my future dance life will hold. I don’t know how it will turn out.”

He stated, “When I went on ‘SMF,’ I felt like this opportunity was coming to me, and I wondered if this might be the last chance to show dance to the public. But here I am again, and another grateful event has happened.” He added, “Rather than having a clear final goal for the future, don’t we just keep living while imagining? Focusing on making good works in every moment seems like the fastest path.”

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original