Episode 3 continues with episode 2’s guest, Boogaloo Kin. This time the focus is on locking. There’s a great performance to RM’s song “Still Life” at the beginning of the episode. J-Hope exudes so much joy dancing with Boogaloo Kin in this scene. The colors are vibrant and match the overall mood. I really enjoyed the special effects in this performance as well, like the added animations and the groovy light-lined tile floor. Their outfits reflect their emotions, and it’s both energetic and wholesome. Overall, it’s a wonderful opening to the episode!
Locking is a dance style that originated in the 1970s in Los Angeles. It bears the name because the movements give a sensation of locking the body in a manner that reflects a lock, creating frozen moments within the dance. J-Hope was overjoyed to meet with a locking master, Lock Woong.
As all three dancers–J-Hope, Lock Woong, and Boogaloo Kin–warm up, there’s a palpable joy in the room. Hobi is laughing and practically a ray of sunshine. He is so stoked to be there!
Lock Woong was the DJ at J-Hope’s listening party, and met him soon after he debuted. Lock Woong comments that Hoseok is still the same, even after becoming a huge star. Even the way he thinks about dance is the same. This was touching to hear because in previous episodes, J-Hope mentioned that he felt like he lost that spark for dance. But in this episode, it’s evident that he can fan the flames of that passion again!
These three dance to “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang, with each dancer taking turns in the spotlight. It’s a great segment to see how each of them interprets locking in their own style.
The episode ends with a meal, just like the last. Here they discuss how Lock Woong learned to dance by watching videos. He then went on to college to major in dance, where he even learned some ballet! However, he was slow to join the street dance movement because people were often made fun of in the early 2000s for it. However, once Lock Woong got his hands on more media that involved locking, he saw that it was a dance style worth standing up for!
Lock Woong commented, “Locking, unlike other dance genres, is something you can do as a group. You can emit good and cheerful energy as you dance. I think that’s why I still like locking.” This was clearly proven in episode 3 with the amount of joy leaking from J-Hope in every dance!
Episode 4
This episode starts in Paris, where the focus is on house music and dance. J-Hope describes the music as something that gets him pumped up and makes him feel excited.
He meets up with Massangila Lumengo, whose dancer name is Yugson. He notes, “House is all about culture and freedom.” He goes on to say that house allows people from different places around the world to connect and share the same energy.
Hobi and Boogaloo Kin have a conversation in a cafe where J-Hope confesses, “Sometimes I ask myself if I’m really enjoying this. I mean, I love my work, and I love writing songs. So I continue to do it, but I’m not sure if I actually enjoy it. I feel a sort of disconnect from what I really like. Not just in dance, but in life as well.”
This was an interesting admission. Most would assume that he’s extremely fulfilled and has a rush from accomplishing his dreams of being a performer, but at the end of the day, he’s human like everyone else. These deep conversations really make the show engaging on a personal level. As much as J-Hope displays his talents, he also shows you that he’s normal too.
Their dancing in this episode is chill and smooth. It’s relaxing to watch! J-Hope doesn’t speak French and Yugson doesn’t speak Korean–but they both speak dance! It was great to see these worlds collide and see the joy in Hobi as he danced with this house professional. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
—-Ellie Boyd
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