1 in a Million Moves

Get In There

So you want to dance at the most popular studio in Korea? Great, get started here!

1Million is an amazing studio that is very foreigner friendly and is equipped with helpful, enthusiastic staff. Located near Seongsu, 1Million has gained popularity over the years for its dynamic choreography work, high-energy classes, and training history with some of the biggest names in K-Pop. All that said, you may be intimidated by the process of getting in the door or dancing in the studio but, rest assured, they are very familiar with international visitors and I will share everything I know from my visit to help you have a great time.

First, let's talk about tickets. At this studio, you buy tickets to use for classes. Instead of enrolling in a specific class, you will first need to make an account on the 1Million Dance Studio website and purchase a ticket option. They come in packs or individual tickets so you can go all in to book a handful of classes or play it safe and try it out once or twice first. Once you have your tickets, you then will look at the schedule to find classes. Most of their classes will happen in the afternoon and evening so it is easy to schedule around any schoolwork or day-time activities you may want to prioritize.

Next up choose a class! It is easy to find examples of each choreographer's style on the 1Million Youtube. It is also an amazing place to look into class levels. The easiest level is called Step By 1M. Here you can learn in a slow environment where everything is broken down into small steps. This is great for beginners who may not have dance experience. If you have the basics down, you might want to consider the next level up and book a Learner's Class. This level ranges up to intermediate and is a very popular option for those looking for a challenge as you can always improve yourself here. The highest level is a master class, while these are the most popular for those who may be looking to cameo on their Youtube, it is intense but rewarding. 

Getting to the studio is easy as it is very close to a train station. To check in all you do is log in to your 1Million account on your phone's browser and pull up your class QR code. There are restrooms where you can change into clothes you may be more comfortable moving in. Additionally, there are lockers and cubbies to put your belongings. Make sure to bring water! The vending machines in their studio tend to run out fast. There is also a small merch store downstairs at the information desk if you're looking for a special memento. While it is extremely unlikely your instructor will speak English, it is an incredibly immersive experience. Thankfully dance is a non-verbal and universal language so you won't even notice the language barrier after a few minutes. 

Just have fun and give it your all!

My Experience

I took an evening Learner's class taught by Woonha in which we all learned a handful of eight counts to the song "Press" by Cardi B. The whole class lasted about an hour and a half which included a fast warm-up and a few rounds of listening to the song to get familiar with it. Everyone was super helpful when learning the moves- while I have some dance experience from the past, dancing in a hip-hop style was different for me. Despite being a little out of my comfort zone I was immediately surprised at how fun the class was. Even if you are in the back of the class, our instructor made sure to give us time in the mirror and come around to show us all the moves up-close.

Usually, I am very shy and hate dancing in front of others but during my time in the studio, I found that there was no barrier between me and the other dancers. If you mess up it's okay because someone else did too or they will encourage you to try again. By the end of the class, I found myself smiling and cheering on new friends through their runs of the dance. It was magical to see how each person put their own unique spin on the choreography to make it their own. I won't sugarcoat how hot it was in the studio, how out of breath I was, or how I felt out of shape but all of that didn't matter when I was just dancing with a room of complete strangers.

During the final ten minutes of class, small groups will go to perform in the front of the class where everyone is encouraged to take videos or pictures of the finished class. At first, I was terrified but once the music started and the other students started cheering me on, all I could think about was "when can I book my next class".

As someone who had followed this account on Youtube for years, it was a dream come true but also incredibly anxiety-inducing. I just kept thinking about messing up or making a fool of myself. The reality of this studio is that you learn to embrace your style and the joy of simply dancing. You will not get removed from a class or booed. Everyone is there to dance so that is exactly what I did (and you should too).