Dreaming of Being the Best in the World
From the very beginning, Lia Kim carried one goal when she started dancing: "I will be the best in the world."
"It's either the top or death."
She held such an unshakeable conviction that she never even entertained doubts like "Is this really the right path?"
"I don't really ask myself those kinds of questions."
With that fierce resolve, Lia Kim mastered genres across the board and forged her own path.
The Rise of Lia Kim and 1MILLION Dance Studio
Lia Kim is a global star choreographer and the world's #1 creator on video platforms in the dance category, boasting 22.5 million subscribers and 5.9 billion views worldwide. 1MILLION Dance Studio, where she serves as founder and head choreographer, was established in December 2014 and has since set remarkable records:
- Approximately 30,000 cumulative students enrolled
- 70% of all students are international
It has grown into the largest dance academy in Korea.
"Some of you may not be familiar with dance studios — just think of it as a dance school."
Students from around the world flock to the studio to learn, and accommodation in the area is booked out almost instantly, a testament to how popular it has become.
Lia Kim's Classes and a One-of-a-Kind Tradition
Lia Kim's classes are built around original choreography, not existing idol routines. She emphasizes precise, disciplined movement and sensitive coaching — but above all, she believes that joy and happiness in dance come first.
"Just come out and try it like you're having fun. It doesn't matter if we're not perfect — just get up there with confidence."
The highlight of every class is filming a dance video together and uploading it to a video platform. This tradition is one of 1MILLION's proudest signatures.
- The freestyle segments and passion captured in these videos have generated enormous responses.
- For example, a student video set to a BTS track racked up 2.04 million views within just two weeks.
Lia Kim explains why she started this tradition:
"Watching the students and instructors dance together — it looks amazing and the energy is incredible. But it felt like such a shame that only we got to experience it, and then it would just disappear with time. I thought: I have to film this and put it out there."
Lia Kim's Global Reach
Lia Kim and 1MILLION Dance Studio have:
- Launched workshops starting in China in 2016,
- Held workshops across 34 cities in 21 countries,
- Firmly established themselves as a world-class presence.
Their consistent output of choreography videos on video platforms produced staggering results:
- Surpassed 10 million subscribers just two years after founding
- Exceeded 20 million subscribers as of November 2023
- Ranked #1 in dance worldwide, #5 among all Korean channels
- Approximately 97% of subscribers are international (top countries: United States, Indonesia, India, and more)
"I believe this is a record that has never been achieved by any individual choreographer in history, anywhere in the world."
An Obsession with Perfection and the Birth of Hit Choreographies
Lia Kim is renowned for her split-second precision in high-difficulty movements and her relentless eye for perfection. At the studio, she also produces practice video projects featuring artists and choreographers together.
"Everyone gather in front of the mirror. Come on — do you see the difference between this and that? You need to tip forward. Let's do it one more time."
Thanks to this obsession, Lia Kim has created countless hit choreographies, including:
- MAMAMOO's "Hip,"
- TWICE's "TT," and many more.
Her signature point choreography — tailored to each artist's image and song — has won the hearts of both audiences and artists alike.
"When I first got the assignment, I was completely outside the box. But that turned out to be really artistic. I think they saw my unique color and reached out to draw it out of me."
The Reality of a Struggling Dancer and the Discovery of Online Opportunity
In 2007, performing under the name "Funky Lia," Lia Kim was active as a street dancer deeply absorbed in popping, locking, and other powerful styles.
"From the very first moment I started dancing as a kid, my goal was always: the top or death."
But the perception of dancers as a profession was low at the time:
- Monthly income fluctuated between ₩300,000 and ₩1,500,000 — deeply unstable
- Rent for a practice room was too burdensome, so she sometimes slept there
"That musty basement smell... lying there trying to sleep with camel crickets jumping around nearby..."
Amid the financial hardship and the wall of social stigma, a freestyle dance video she shot casually with friends went online and accumulated 200,000–300,000 views — revealing to her the boundless possibilities of the internet.
"Rather than just practicing alone inside a studio, if I kept filming what I practiced and posting it, so many more people could see it."
From that moment, Lia Kim decided to move her stage online.
"From now on, this is going to be our stage."
Starting with an original choreography video set to a Beyoncé track, she began making her name known to the world, and that accumulated effort gave birth to the global dance studio she runs today.
A Painful Childhood and a Fateful Meeting with Dance
In sixth grade, Lia Kim transferred from Jeonju to Anyang and struggled to fit in. She was subjected to severe bullying and harassment.
"Friends would exclude me, hit me — it was a whole group of them."
During that time, she happened to watch a video of Michael Jackson's concert in Korea, and it hit her like a bolt of lightning.
"Who on earth is that person? Is he a god?"
Consumed by her obsession with Michael Jackson, she begged her father until he enrolled her in a dance class at a local youth center. Still wounded by the bullying, even walking through the door was a struggle — but the very first move she learned, the diamond step, filled her with joy and confidence.
"There was this feeling of: I get it. It flowed so naturally as I learned, and knowing that felt incredible — I was elated."
Dance became Lia Kim's warm refuge and the light that made her feel special.
"The moment I got in that room, I went wild with joy — like a fish back in water — dancing with complete happiness and overflowing confidence. I came back to myself."
Brutal Training and Growth as a Dancer
Lia Kim chose the path of a professional dancer over attending university. Her teacher warned her it could be harder than military training, but she thought:
"That sounds like so much fun. This is truly what I want."
Every day before class, she practiced 1,000 push-ups and 1,000 waves, enduring only 2–3 hours of sleep a night.
"A thousand is a real thousand. Even 100 would make your arms fall off. You truly can't do it — honestly, 50 is already a stretch."
Standing in front of the mirror until sweat and humidity fogged the glass:
"I have this memory of standing there, just doing waves endlessly... It really is remarkable. In a way, I felt it back then — wow, this person is something else."
The End of the Journey Toward the Light, and a New Beginning
Driven by a desperate desire to "see the light," Lia Kim passed through a tunnel of hardship and achieved worldwide success doing the thing she loves most: dance.
"It truly felt like light was pouring back into me. That is how I did it."
Today, Lia Kim stands as:
- A choreographer the entire world watches,
- An icon of the dance world who gives dreams and hope to countless young people.
Key Themes
- World's best
- 1MILLION Dance Studio
- Original choreography
- Global influence
- Online platforms
- Bullying and wounds
- Michael Jackson
- Brutal training
- Journey toward the light
- Dreams and hope
Lia Kim's story carries a message of courage and hope: "Pour everything into what you truly want to do, refuse to give up, and you will eventually see the light." Her journey is a source of profound inspiration — for everyone who loves dance, and for everyone searching for their own path. 💃✨