[Dispatch=Reporter Yuha] "All the sexy deaf people, stand up!"

A statement by Grammy Award-winning deaf producer Frankie Biggz, dropped in a group chat. It was a lighthearted cry: "All the sexy deaf people, come out!"

This one phrase ignited Big Ocean's new concept. 'Sexy Hands'. Hands that move ceaselessly all day long and express countless emotions. This time, they became tools of seduction.

Big Ocean is the world's first sign language idol. All three members are deaf. They have conveyed music through sign language and sang the team's identity with the keyword 'hope and overcoming.' This time, they attempt 'flirting' in sign language.

"We wanted to show another side of sign language. We tried to capture both how attractive the hands of a man doing sign language are and how beautiful sign language as a language itself is." (Chae Min-kyung, Performance Director)

Dispatch heard the behind-the-scenes story of the 'sign language flirting' choreography hidden in Big Ocean's new song 'Love Sign.'

◆ Sign Language Becomes Concept

Until now, sign language was a conduit for conveying the meaning of lyrics. Once a song was completed, its meaning was translated into sign language. It was another language that made music visible to the eye.

'Love Sign' reversed that order. The planning team stated, "Until now, the structure was sign language following the song," and "this time, we wanted to put sign language itself as the subject."

Even the title is ambiguous. 'Sign' refers to both sign language and a signal. At the same time, it means the zodiac sign when someone asks "What's your sign?" The lyrics about sign language were designed to also read as a courtship sentence directed at someone.

The choreography changed too. Performance Director Chae Min-kyung pointed out the difference: "Whereas previously we focused on directly translating the lyrics, this time we expanded the movement inherent in sign language into dance."

However, the principle is not to damage the meaning. He emphasized, "Though it may look like ordinary dance or gestures on the surface, there is clearly meaning in sign language within it. We kept the meaning while also making it appear as a refined performance."

◆ The Birth of 'Sexy Hands'

'Sexy Hands' started from a simple idea. Hands that move ceaselessly all day and express countless emotions. What if those hands became a tool of seduction?

A statement by producer Frankie Biggz became the starting point of the concept. One day in the chat room he wrote, "All the sexy deaf people, stand up!" (All the sexy deaf people, stand up!)

Director Chae Min-kyung wove this idea throughout the choreography. A representative section is "Eyes on my fingertips". After drawing the other person's gaze to the fingertips, they gently create distance. With the gaze following the fingertips and the distance between bodies, flirting tension was created.

The final chorus is bolder. "What's your sign?" and "Put your lips all over me" were expressed through intuitive sign language. To this, gaze, facial expression, and body direction were carefully connected.

Director Chae explained, "'What's your sign?' as sign language itself is clear enough to be understood at a glance," and "rather than creating new movements, we focused on showcasing the intuitive charm inherent in sign language."

◆ Between Sign Language and Dance

The process of weaving sign language and dance together was not easy. Dance requires decisiveness and precise timing. On the other hand, sign language, like speech, places importance on 'nuance.' If sign language is forced too rigidly into beat, the expression can become stiff.

Director Chae cited this as the most difficult process. When sign language clashed with the song's atmosphere, they worked with the interpreter to find alternative expressions that could maintain meaning. If dance didn't connect naturally, choreography was revised.

Even after completion, it wasn't the end. They repeated monitoring with the interpreter to ensure the meaning and nuance of sign language didn't get disrupted. At the same time, they continued to refine it so it would appear natural as a performance.

The production method also differs from typical choreography. Once the song is out, sign language interpretation and choreography creation begin simultaneously. Members learn each separately, then combine the two languages into one performance.

What took the longest was the three members' synchronization. Director Chae recalled, "All members are deaf, and their ways of receiving music differ," and "we spent the most time synchronizing their breathing so all three could share one beat and emotion."

◆ Flirting Is Not Completed with Hands Alone

The flirting in 'Love Sign' doesn't end with the hands. Facial expressions, gaze, and body direction are all part of sign language. With the same hand movements, the emotion conveyed changes depending on what facial expression is made and where one looks.

In sign language, this is called a 'non-manual element.' The addition of facial features, gaze, and body movement completes the nuance and emotion of speech. 'Love Sign' also required the members to directly imagine and express the situation.

Director Chae instructed the members to 'believe that you are truly an attractive person.' She said, "We had them directly imagine who the speaker in the song is and in what situation they are seducing the other person."

The music video shoot was even more dramatic. The members in the scene where rain is sprayed indoors removed both their cochlear implants and hearing aids. They had to seduce the other person without hearing anything.

At first, they laughed just by facing each other. But after several takes, they quickly became absorbed. The members themselves were even surprised, saying things like "I didn't know I had this side to me?"

◆ A Language Visible to Everyone

'Love Sign' is not a stage only for those who know sign language. It was designed so that even without understanding the precise meaning, one can read the emotion of flirting through fingertips, eye light, and gestures alone.

Director Chae said, "The members directly studied the song to express the motif of 'Sexy Hands,'" and "they continued to practice to express that atmosphere in their own way."

The three members' expressions are also different. Rather than copying set facial expressions, each interpreted the speaker in the song. By adding their own gaze and gestures, they completed different characters.

For Big Ocean, sign language is no longer merely a device to support lyrics. This time it became the starting point of the song, became choreography, and expanded into a language of seduction.

Big Ocean's slogan is 'See Music, Feel Music.' 'Love Sign' is the result of pushing that phrase one step further.

"Even if you don't know sign language, it will be sufficiently read through gestures, body movements, and facial expressions alone. When you watch the stage, you'll fall for Big Ocean's 'Sexy Hands.'" (Director Chae Min-kyung)

<Photo source=Dispatch DB, Para Star Entertainment>