BTS: What Will the Choreography for ‘Black Swan’ Look Like?
BTS will perform “Black Swan” for the first time on The Late Late Show with James Corden on Jan. 28. Until then, it’s anyone’s guess as to what the choreography for the song will look like. Knowing BTS’s talent, the group could truly pull off anything.
BTS released an art film with ‘Black Swan’
“Black Swan” is not the lead single for BTS’s upcoming album, Map of the Soul: 7. Instead of releasing a music video with the song, BTS and Big Hit Entertainment released an art film with MN Dance Company.
As a song, “Black Swan” explores the fear that comes with an artist’s passion. The lyrics and art video tie into a quote from Martha Graham: “a dancer dies twice — once when they stop dancing, and this first death is the more painful.” While the members of BTS fear the day they will no longer be able to do what they love, they work to overcome that fear to continue their passion.
So far, the rollout for Map of the Soul: 7 has been focused on art. BTS has launched “BTS, Connect,” a global public art project that showcases 22 artists in five different cities around the world. “Black Swan” ties into the initiative. While the Korean artists promote art around the world with “Connect, BTS,” “Black Swan” has a message every artist can relate to.
Because of this, giving another group of artists a platform to demonstrate the meaning behind the song makes sense. With the art film, the music and art itself came first as MN Dance Company performed a contemporary dance to “Black Swan.”
BTS’s choreography for ‘Black Swan’ is not the same
Going into BTS’s performance on The Late Late Show with James Corden, fans do not have a standard music video that shows BTS’s choreography. On Jan. 19, a new Bangtan Bomb came out on YouTube that showed the BTS members reacting to the art film. In the Bangtan Bomb, there were some small clues about BTS’s choreography for “Black Swan.”
As the members of MN Dance Company started dancing, Suga looked at RM and asked, “Is our choreo changing?”
“Our choreo?” RM asked in response.
“No, just for this,” J-Hope answered, pointing out that the art film features the classical version of “Black Swan.
While this is not much to go off of, it does confirm two things. First, BTS does have choreography planned for “Black Swan.” Second, BTS will not be recreating the choreography from the art film. These two points were confirmed again later in the Bangtan Bomb.
“After we watch this we’re going to go practice the choreo,” RM said. “Not this same choreo.”
There are similarities to past BTS choreography
When the art film first came out, fans were quick to connect the similarities in the choreography to the dance break in “Fake Love” from the 2018 awards season. ARMY have also mashed up the trailer for “Fake Love” to “Black Swan.”
The songs connect well together and have similar instrumentals, choreography, and a similar tone. The members of BTS also acknowledged during the Bangtan Bomb that they could picture Jimin performing MN Dance Company’s choreography given his contemporary dance background.
“I just pictured this as Jimin and the six black swans in my head,” RM said.
“Jimin, let’s get you shirtless and do a dance just like that,” Suga said.
“I’m on it,” Jimin replied.
On Jan. 20, photos of BTS rehearsing the “Black Swan” choreography were posted on Instagram. Based on the photos alone, the choreography seems like a graceful representation of the song. Some of the photos also look strikingly similar to the ending pose in the “Fake Love” choreography.
MN Dance Company is in LA
While the members of BTS said their choreography is different, the members of MN Dance Company are currently in L.A. at the same time as BTS. One of the company members posted a photo on Instagram, and BTS fans were quick to make the connection.
Nothing is confirmed, but it does not seem like a coincidence that the members of MN Dance Company are in L.A. at the same time as BTS when the first performance of “Black Swan” is just days away.
Perhaps The Late Late Show with James Corden will feature a joint performance with both MN Dance Company and BTS. Maybe it’s a coincidence and unrelated. Or maybe BTS, Big Hit Entertainment, and MN Dance Company have something totally different planned. BTS and Big Hit Entertainment are always one step ahead, so there is truly no way of knowing until Jan. 28.
