[Dispatch=Min-ji Koo Reporter] The stage sometimes completes a song.

ILLIT's "It's Me" was one such case. After the choreography was unveiled, its appeal became more distinct. Bouncy steps, unique movements, and facial expressions added to the enjoyment of listening and watching.

Despite the fast-paced movements, the members showcased stable synchronization. Compared to their early debut days, they received praise for demonstrating more developed performances. A global challenge trend followed.

"Heu! Ba! Am! Ba!" (Who's your bias? I'm your bias)

At the center of it all was Kim Da-hee, the Performance Director. She was called a "choreography teacher with the highest job satisfaction" through cheerful instruction. She worked together on detailed aspects including fingertips and eye lines.

"I tried to compose it so that each member's color could naturally shine through. Watching the members develop and become more ambitious with each practice session, I had no choice but to work hard myself." (Director Kim Da-hee)

Dispatch met with Director Kim Da-hee. She participated in the major choreography work for ILLIT including "Magnetic," "Cherish," "Borrowed Cat," and "Not Cute Anymore."

◆ "A Way to Express Your Bias"

Director Kim Da-hee thought of the concept from the moment she first heard "It's Me." "I was excited by the fast beat. While listening to the song, I did what's commonly called freestyle dancing," she said with a smile.

She immediately grasped the concept. After its release, "It's Me" received significant reaction for being fresh choreography that was not commonly seen in Korea. The original composition stood out.

"I felt it was a song that could effectively bring out the bold and shameless points. I focused on bringing out those aspects."

Indeed, "It's Me" proclaims a confident challenge. The point is audacious self-assurance.

Choreographer Kim Da-hee expressed this through dynamic choreography. She positioned movements that actively utilized the lower body, including jumps. She first built up the members' stamina. "There are many sections that use steps as the main element. During warm-ups, we also stepped to build core and leg strength," she explained.

She demonstrated by calling out the beat verbally. To help the members understand the choreography easily, she proceeded while singing along. She showed them directly with her body how to feel the movement and where to exert force.

"To practice the third verse charging part's steps and nuance, we went back and forth from one end of the practice room to the other. I demonstrated while charging and even slightly bumped into a member, which was funny."

◆ "They Synchronized Without Music"

The next challenge was synchronization rate. "It's Me" requires more unison than it appears. It's completed only when they move at the same timing. The main sections feature rapid movement transitions and heavy stamina demands.

Director Kim Da-hee said there was "no special secret" and revealed that she "spent a lot of time on members matching the beat with each other rather than simply repeating choreography."

"We practiced counting beats so they could perform choreography simultaneously even without music. We filmed videos for monitoring and carefully checked if there were any differences, even slight ones, in angles, timing, and more."

She noted that "actually, it took some time to naturally express the energetic feeling in sections using steps. It's difficult to control your body to a fast beat."

"ILLIT kept practicing. The more they practiced, the more they improved. The members themselves became more ambitious, and ultimately they broke through that wall of difficulty."

She praised the members' effort. "This process is physically demanding. It can be boring because it's repetitive," she said, adding that "the razor-sharp precision on stage is the result of the members' collective effort."

"Team synchronization is completed only when you spend this time meaningfully. ILLIT was exactly like that. They matched piece by piece. I even have memories of running and shouting together in the practice room (laughs)."

◆ "I Will Make It Happen"

When first creating the choreography, did she have concerns about the high difficulty level? Director Kim Da-hee opened by saying "ILLIT has strengths I felt since their trainee days. High absorption rate and growth potential."

"When creating a performance, I tend to adjust difficulty levels or not set major limits. Of course it's not an easy process, but I have confidence that ILLIT can ultimately pull it off."

She said "true to their team name that means anything is possible, the members amazed me with each album. During practice sessions, they often showed results that exceeded my expectations."

She also encouraged them when they struggled. "'Don't worry since you just learned it,' 'You can do it. I will make it happen,' 'It's too early to be discouraged.' I cheered them on saying they were doing well and we continued practicing," she recalled.

She went further. The director emphasized "I think facial expression is the final stage of a performance. Even if choreography is perfect, if emotion isn't conveyed through facial expressions and eye contact, the message isn't fully delivered."

Rather than setting a fixed answer, she focused on finding each member's own answer. "Rather than simply telling them 'make this expression,' we worked together to find what expression looked natural and attractive for each member," she shared.

"Though we're one team, each member's way of expressing themselves and points that shine on stage are all different. I focused on directing them while bringing out that individuality as much as possible while still looking like one team."

The result was satisfactory. The director explained "I set each member's own story and had them express it so choreography and facial expressions didn't feel disconnected. This aspect seems to have made the stage flavorful and multidimensional."

◆ "As Expected, It Worked Out"

ILLIT's "It's Me" developed from a demo version. The director reflected "every section came alive so tastefully that I can't single out just one. Each member's color was properly blended in."

She was asked about the difference between performing on stage as a dancer herself and supporting artists from behind. After a moment's thought, she spoke. "When the members pulled it off on stage," she answered.

Through countless practice sessions and trial and error, she feels great fulfillment watching the members create results on stage.

She said the day ILLIT first completed the "It's Me" performance stands out in her memory. "The members said 'now I can see the flow,' 'when dancing I was too focused, but now I can see the stage.' The members' transformation was impressive to her as well.

"ILLIT always shows stages with diverse concepts. Within that, they also create their own kitschy points."

Finally, Director Kim Da-hee expressed gratitude to the ILLIT Performance Directing team she worked with. 

"It's not as if I created the choreography, taught it, and directed it all alone. The Performance Directing team sets the direction of performance results from the initial stages. Choreography creation and sourcing, lessons, and countless other processes go into completing the stage. I'm grateful to the team that worked hard."

She added a brief word to the members as well. 

"You did well. As expected, you made it happen!"

<Photo source=BELIEVE LAB>