Sparrow

“People who dance Latin are really good at being smooth and drawing lines, but they don't have much experience dancing powerfully — sharp, with edges.”

Explaining why Latin dancers need urban dance training.

“A hip-hop feel is trending in bachata these days, right? If you look at the well-known dancers, quite a few of them have a strong hip-hop flavor. Melvin's style is the classic example.”

Noting the recent trend of urban/hip-hop elements being folded into bachata.

“Urban dance contains all kinds of genres. There's pop, there's hip-hop, there's jazz — it's expressing all of those different feels. It's strong and forceful but also kind of androgynous. Not male, not female — a feel that can hold both.”

Answering a question about what urban dance actually is.

“You've got the extending feeling, but the feeling of pulling the leg back in isn't there. You have to melt in that whole sense of catching and then pulling.”

Correcting a student who only extends the leg and is missing the sensation of drawing it back

“If you really point your toes as it comes in, it feels so much better.”

Emphasizing the pointed-toe detail on the move that draws the leg in

“Hardly anyone in Korea dances this genre these days. Overseas people still dance it a lot, but here there just aren't many dancers who can pull it off.”

Noting how small the urban dance scene is in Korea and how rare dancers who can do it are.

“This rhythm is exactly the same as the running man rhythm.”

Explaining the one-two-three-four rhythm of the shuffle step by comparing it to the familiar running man

“Don't pop up too much — keep absorbing it, and whatever you do, don't lose the rhythm.”

Coaching a jumping step (legs apart, legs together) and warning against over-jumping