Dreaming of Being the Best

"My motto was always: be the best, or give me death."

Lia Kim pursued dance with such fierce determination that she never even questioned whether it was the right path.

1MILLION Dance Studio

• 22.5 million subscribers, 5.9 billion views — #1 in the world for dance video platforms.
• ~30,000 cumulative students; 70% are foreign visitors.
• Founded December 2014; reached 10M subscribers within 2 years.
• 97% of subscribers are international (US, Indonesia, India, etc.).

The Unique Tradition

Classes feature original choreography (not existing idol dances), filmed and uploaded. A BTS-choreographed student video hit 2.04M views in 2 weeks.

"The energy in the studio was so amazing — it felt like a waste for only us to experience it. I had to capture it on video."

Global Expansion

Starting from China in 2016, workshops in 21 countries, 34 cities. A world-class institution.

Hit Choreographies

MAMAMOO's "Hip," TWICE's "TT" — custom point choreography tailored to each artist's image.

The Struggling Dancer Years

As "Funky Lia" doing street dance — monthly income between 300K-1.5M won, sleeping in practice rooms with insects.

"That musty basement smell, bugs jumping around while I slept..."

A chance freestyle video hitting 200K-300K views revealed the potential of online as a stage.

"Our stage from now on is here."

Childhood: Bullying and Michael Jackson

Bullied severely after transferring schools in 6th grade. Then she saw Michael Jackson's concert footage.

"What is that person? Is he a god?"

Her father enrolled her in a youth center dance class. The first diamond step brought overwhelming joy and confidence.

"I felt like I was a fish that finally found water — dancing wildly, happily, with overflowing confidence."

Grueling Training

Chose professional dance over university. Daily: 1,000 push-ups, 1,000 waves before class, sleeping only 2-3 hours.

The Light at the End

"I just wanted to see the light again."

Through the tunnel of pain, Lia Kim found her way — and her light — through dance.

"If you bet everything on what you truly love and never give up, you will eventually find your light."