Growl

The choreography for EXO's "Growl" set a new standard for K-pop dance choreography. Released in July 2013, the video breaks new ground with one continuous shot of the group performing the dynamic dance coupled with new techniques that divide up the 12-member group in various configurations.  Against an abandoned warehouse backdrop, the grey color palatte is punctuated by the color of the dancers' ties and shoes. Performances by cover dance teams seek to embody both the choreography and the styling of the video. 

Growl Cover Dances

Several of the dance teams are female, putting a different spin on the orginial choregraphy that features moves, such as the brush off, that are masculine in nature.  Waveya goes for a minimalist approach with just two dancers in an abbreviated version of the choreography. As a result, the duo improvise the dance to compensate for the missing members.  By not emulaitng the styling of the video, viewers pay more attention to the precision of the dance moves. The flying ponytails of the female dancers provide an interesting contrast to the original performance. Blow Team, an all-female group of dancers, take the choreography to a live performance, again impovising the running interlude due to the realities of the stage.  They also reference the original video with untucked dress shirts and black ties. 

Def Dance Skool focuses on the choreography over the styling from the original.  Boasting as many numbers as EXO, they also improvise parts of the dance, such as the running interlude, within a dance studio.

Other dance cover teams emulate other aspects of the video beyond the choreography in an effort to stay true to the original video. LTAU, a co-ed team, takes the performance to a public place and reflects the camera work of the original video by shooting two separate groups performing the choreography in one continuous shot. BE shoots its cover video in a studio, but they wear white shirts and black ties.  

Some dance cover groups increase the production value of the cover.  I Love Dance intersperses cuts of the performance in different public locations, while Mesmerize performs a "hybrid" version of the dance, matching the choreography, styling and location and adding new camera work to the performance.

Click on thumbnails to view cover dances.