Who was Back Koo Young?

Back Koo Young, professionally Mihawk Back: SM Entertainment's performance director and a 1MILLION Dance Studio teacher, who choreographed EXO's "Ko Ko Bop" and "Love Shot".

What is Back Koo Young known for?

Back Koo Young is best known for Choreographer, Dancer, Teacher.

What style of dance did Back Koo Young do?

Back Koo Young worked in Teaching / Dance Education, principally during the 2010s era.

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Choreographer · Performer · Teacher

Back Koo Young

SM Entertainment performance director

2010s

Why They Matter

Back Koo Young - professionally Mihawk Back, and credited on the 1MILLION roster as Kooyoung Back - is SM Entertainment's performance director and the choreographer behind several of the label's most-studied idol routines: EXO's "Ko Ko Bop" (2017, co-created with Kasper) and "Love Shot" (2018), BoA's "Black" (2019) and KAI's "Mmmh" (2020). He teaches at 1MILLION Dance Studio in Seoul, where he leads the male crew V1LLION, and he led the crew 1MILLION on Mnet's Street Man Fighter in 2022, placing fifth. In October 2021 he founded the Choreography Creators' Association to campaign for choreographers to be paid royalties on the work they create. He is still working: in August 2026 he appeared at the press conference for Mnet's Street World Fighter: Director's War.

Known For

ChoreographerDancerTeacher

Teaching / Dance Education

Biography

Back Koo Young is a South Korean choreographer, dancer, and teacher who has shaped K-pop performance across SM Entertainment's roster and the international dance studio circuit. Known professionally as KOOYOUNG BACK on the 1MILLION Dance Studio artist roster, where he is affiliated with the V1LLION crew, Back has built a career at the intersection of idol choreography and dance education. In 2011, he was documented as a choreographer for TVXQ's "Before U Go," and during that period he conducted workshops in London and Paris teaching choreography from SHINee's "Lucifer." His trajectory from SM Entertainment backup dancer to choreographer reflects a common pathway in K-pop production, where performers transition into shaping the movement vocabulary of major acts. His ongoing presence at 1MILLION positions him as both a working artist and transmitter of K-pop dance vocabulary to international students.

Works

One stage work credited to Back Koo Young.

Mmmh choreographypopular-music-choreography · Choreographer

Credits sourced from Wikidata (CC0), one citation per field. Works without a recorded premiere date are listed last. Titles link to the work in Limelight.

Legacy & Impact

Back Koo Young represents the bridge between K-pop idol production and global dance studio culture. His work teaching and creating choreography for major SM Entertainment acts during the 2010s helped establish the technical and stylistic foundations that international dancers still study. Through 1MILLION and the V1LLION crew, he continues to shape how K-pop choreography is learned, adapted, and transmitted beyond Korea's entertainment industry.