5 Times Red Velvet’s Irene Proved She’s One Of The Best Lead Dancers In K-Pop

If the circumstances were different, she could easily be a main dancer!

As Red Velvet‘s lead dancer, Irene hasn’t had as many opportunities to show off her skills as fans would like. When she does get a chance, however, she proves she’s nothing short of excellent. These five performances all proved Irene is one of K-Pop’s best lead dancers of all time.

1. Her La Rouge solo stage

A fancam of Irene’s solo dance stage at Red Velvet’s La Rouge concert has over 3 million views on YouTube, and it’s no surprise why. Dressed in red, Irene began her sensual performance with a chair dance, taking fans back to the days of “Be Natural”.

| DaftTaengk/YouTube 

After bringing out a tambourine, Irene amped up the energy of her performance right up until the spectacular finish. If there’s one thing this stage showed, it’s Irene’s versatility as a dancer. Whether she’s taking it slow or showing off fancy footwork, she executes every move perfectly.

| DaftTaengk/YouTube

2. Her “Don’t Start Now” cover

Last year, one of Red Velvet’s choreographers surprised everyone by posting a cover of herself, Irene, and two professional dancers performing a routine to Dua Lipa’s hit “Don’t Start Now”.

| @switch_sunnyc/Instagram 

Irene (situated second from the left in a white t-shirt and light jeans) holds her own against the professionals in this clip, matching her energy to the song with expert precision. Her natural groove sets her apart as one of K-Pop’s best lead dancers.

| @switch_sunnyc/Instagram 

 

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3. Her “Naughty Girl” cover

This dance performance to Beyoncé’s “Naughty Girl” is a favorite among Irene’s fans. She posted the clip to her Instagram account a year ago and it’s already amassed almost 6 million views.

| @renebaebae/Instagram 

This sexy and unexpected cover shows how much Irene’s confidence has grown over the years. Her isolations are clean throughout the performance and she feels the music so well, it’s as if she’s dancing without rehearsed choreography.

| @renebaebae/Instagram 

4. Her SMTOWN stage

At one SMTOWN concert series in 2019, Irene joined Seulgi and Girls’ Generation‘s Hyoyeon for an awesome unit stage. Despite performing alongside two main dancers, she still shines in her own right.

| SM Entertainment

Irene’s moves were powerful and filled up the stage despite her small size, and her synchronization with her fellow dancers was on point the entire time. Even when she’s just walking from one part of the stage to another, her presence is undeniable.

| SM Entertainment

5. “Naughty”

Last but certainly not least, who could forget Irene’s tutting excellence alongside Seulgi in “Naughty”, the duo’s companion track to “Monster”? The pair practiced this routine for months, and it definitely paid off.

| Red Velvet/YouTube 

Tutting is known to be a very difficult style of dance to pull off, but Irene looks like she’s been doing it her whole life. Every body lock and isolation is precise down to an exact angle, making it impossible to take your eyes away from the screen.

| Red Velvet/YouTube

 

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