The first obstacle in Kill¡¯s dance career came in middle school. During a viewing of the movie ¡°Honey¡± one day, he was smitten by the stunning dance moves and started to seek out more information about ¡°breaking,¡± as he soon learned that dance style was called. With the hope of learning how to break, he entered a middle school with a hip-hop dance club and applied to join the club. But on the day of the audition, he was so intimidated by the other applicants¡¯ skills―compared to his own lack of dance ability―that he walked away from the audition.

While he may have skipped that audition, his passion for break dance remained strong, and he wasn¡¯t about to give up. So he dropped by a hip-hop dance team at a nearby culture center and asked to join. ¡°My desire to learn breaking just wouldn¡¯t go away. I had to show the older boys on the team I was determined to learn. I spent three hours a day doing handstands, the only move I could do. The older boys saw my seriousness and let me onto the team,¡± Kill recalls. After that, he honed his talents on Cay Crew and later joined Gamblerz Crew, one of Korea¡¯s best-known break dance crews, where he scored highly at various competitions.

Kill wasn¡¯t done challenging himself, however. His next move was to sign up for ¡°Dancing 9,¡± a TV survival program where dancers work on shows in various genres. His friends advised him not to join the show, concerned that Kill, who had always focused on breaking, might hurt his reputation with a poor showing in other genres. Despite that, Kill followed his heart. ¡°Everything I saw in season one of ¡°Dancing 9¡± impressed me―the magnificent sound and lighting and the crowd¡¯s roar. I just felt like I had to be part of that, so I gave it a shot,¡± Kill says. Thanks to that decision, Kill gained not only more name recognition but also an invaluable opportunity to broaden his horizons and polish his dance moves.

Kill¡¯s willingness to take on adversity also brought growth opportunities. In 2022, he was injured in the middle of a WDSF World Breaking Championship just one month before Korea was set to select the athletes of its national breaking team. Joining the national team had become Kill¡¯s goal after having to settle for being in a backup national athlete in the previous year. This time around, he¡¯d been sure he¡¯d make the cut. At the moment of injury, his future looked bleak.

At first, he decided to give up his dream. But just one week later, Kill listened to what his heart was telling him. He felt he¡¯d regret it if he gave up now, and he was also aching to take on the challenge, even if victory was out of reach. What followed was a grueling regimen of dance practice combined with physical therapy. ¡°It was tough, but I somehow made it to the semifinals, which went into overtime. Since I¡¯d run out of prepared routines, I anxiously looked up at the heavens, which seemed to be saying I should dance however I wanted to. So I tried out some of the moves I couldn¡¯t do because of my injury. I pulled them off anyway and ended up winning. I felt so amazed and grateful that tears came to my eyes as I thought of everything I¡¯d gone through over that past month,¡± Kill says.

Those memories of pain and desperation became a source of strength for Kill. ¡°After enduring all that, I figured I could do anything. So, when anybody is torn about whether or not to try something, I recommend giving it a shot. As they say, no pain, no gain.¡±

Given all the challenges Kill has taken over the course of his career, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of dance he sets out to achieve. For Kill, a good dance is one the dancer wants to do.

Kill isn¡¯t talking about busting any old move, however. He¡¯s talking about the kind of dance that emerges when the dancer is in the zone―when the music and vibes coalesce with their skill. ¡°Since dancers are always listening to different songs, they sometimes have trouble expressing themselves when the dance they¡¯ve prepared doesn¡¯t match the music. But there are also moments when everything just flows together. Those are the moments when you dance as one with the music, without even knowing how one move leads to the next. Dances of that sort are so powerful you can hardly believe you did it. They¡¯re also the dances others will remember. I want to keep doing that kind of dance,¡± he says.

Before you can dance the way you really want, Kill says, you¡¯ve got to push for originality. Having skills that nobody can copy puts you in the position to achieve true excellence in dancing.

But there¡¯s something Kills sees as even more important: knowing how to have fun. If taking on challenges and listening to his heart were crucial milestones in his life, the pursuit of pleasure has been his driving force. Whenever he feels worn out, he always asks himself the following question: ¡°Why am I doing this?¡± And the answer is always the same: ¡°Because I enjoy it because I love it when I¡¯m dancing. Even at tough moments, the energy I derive from dancing and the love I feel for it are enough to get me moving again.¡± Even at tough moments, the energy I derive from dancing and the love I feel for it are enough to get me moving again.¡±

Kill has become a veteran dancer over the decade he¡¯s spent pursuing pleasure through dance, but he¡¯s still being blown away by completely unforeseen developments. Breaking has gained recognition as a sport with its recent addition to the Olympic Games Paris 2024, and Kill is continuing his challenge to be there to represent Korea.

¡°Everything is different from a typical breaking competition―the judges, the spectators¡¯ attitude, the competitors¡¯ mindset, even how the stadium looks. The mood at a breaking competition is that everyone is supposed to enjoy the dancing. It¡¯s kind of like you¡¯re all trying to shoot an awesome movie scene. But now that breaking is a sport, winning has gotten way too important. It feels like the spectators are judging us, and audience feedback is different, too. I¡¯ve changed a lot myself. Now that I have the Korean flag on my uniform, I have become more cautious before I speak or act, and I¡¯ve found myself aiming for a higher level of gravity and perfection in my competitions,¡± Kill says.

While Kill is still wrapping his head around the idea of breaking being a sport, the process has its upsides. In particular, he¡¯s excited about what changes are in store for breaking. ¡°I¡¯m preparing for the future of breaking in Korea so that we can pass our culture down to the next generation. Some crews are scouting and teaching talented young dancers, and on a personal level, I hope to become a mentor who can help juniors and young dancers when I finish my career as a dancer someday.¡±

Kill has forged his own path by combining his passion for dance with his ability to listen to his heart and tackle challenges. What lies at the end of that path for him? Ultimately, Kill says, he wants to become a household name. Hopefully, his journey toward that goal will be chronicled in the pages of this magazine. Kill will be competing in the Olympic qualifying series in Budapest from June 22 to 23. Don¡¯t miss his performance in the qualifiers―it¡¯s sure to be killer.