[Report File] Beat to Hangzhou Gold Medal... 'National B-girl' Kim Ye-ri

This person became famous as the only non-girl among the cast of Street Woman Fighter (hereinafter referred to as Supa), which was a topic of discussion in Jangan, and also won the title of 'National Team' by winning the Breaking K Final.

Before meeting Yeri Kim, I think it is not unreasonable that our reporters were engulfed in tension as if they were meeting a celebrity.

However, YELL and Kim Ye-ri, whom I met at the practice room in Mapo-gu, Seoul, were much more casual and easygoing than I expected.

However, the illusion of meeting a 'hip-hop' young man in his 20s was short-lived, and when the interview began, Kim Ye-ri's big and hard personality began to be revealed.

In the breaking scene, which cannot be said to have a broad base yet, especially in the narrower non-girl scene, Kim Ye-ri is competing with the world and building the pride of Korean breaking.

From next year's Asian Games, I met and talked with Kim Ye-ri, who will start her career as a 'sports player' with the support of all the people on her back.

Q. First of all, please introduce yourself.

"Hello, my name is 'Kim Ye-ri', the breaking national team of the Korea Dance Sports Federation."

"It's not the first time I've played for the national team, but anyway, I'm an adult now, and I thought about how long I would have to wear the title of youth (youth) representative. It was really fun and enjoyable to be able to make that wish come true) at the Breaking K Finals.”

“The word ‘player’ can be awkward, but that doesn’t mean I’m not changing, so I don’t think there is much difference. I'm not dancing, so I don't feel a big difference."

"My parents are the ones who look closely at how I've been practicing and how I'm living. That's why my parents didn't think about the results very much. I really wanted to win. I got a lot of interest while playing Supa, but there is also a bad interest in it. My parents were very upset when they saw such a thing. So I have a desire to give some of those people a room. After I won the championship, I was watching the live broadcast at home, and they said that they were moved. Some even said that it was like you gave them a shot."

Kim Ye-ri, who is famous enough to be the best in the breaking scene as Korea's best bizarre girl, has a large share in the popularity of Street Woman Fighter (Swoopa), which she has recently gained.

Kim Ye-ri said that she was busy with the Supa filming at the same time as the national team selection schedule, but she had a lot of fun.

Q. I heard that the schedules for the national team selection match with Swoofa overlapped a bit.

"I didn't practice properly for 2-3 days before the 2nd Breaking K tournament. There was a Supa filming on the day before the 2nd Breaking Championship. But just in time, we had a battle during the shoot that day. I said let’s try it (shooting) and then went to the (Breaking K) competition, and I think I tried everything (but I was still tired). I took all the nutrients and continued to drink coffee, luckily I got lucky that day and I won the championship. I think I could."

“Certainly, the size of the fans has changed, and they are looking for more.. In fact, they keep coming even on the day of the tournament. The tournament is held without spectators, but there were fans who came and waited for me for almost an hour or two saying that they would cheer for me even when I entered. .. I was like that at every competition. The 2nd came, the finals, too, and after winning the championship, they bought a bouquet of flowers and came to me, so I'm really feeling it, but I still don't believe it. It's okay to just receive it like this. good."

“It was a stage that I would never have experienced if I had only been active as a non-girl. And I think I participated in the same situation with the same choreographers rather than participating as a non-girl. Before, I did (swoopa) with the thought that this would be the last. It was a very 'tight' schedule. I just had to do the choreography in 8 hours, there were a lot of missions, but nevertheless, I thought 'It's something I can only do now' I think I tried to do my best without giving up as much as possible.”

“Thanks to Supa, more and more people are interested in my genre, so I recently held a breaking basic class here (practice room) last October. A lot of people came at that time, but they came just to see me. There were a lot of people who worked hard because they wanted to learn real breaking too. So, I think that our dance is a genre that definitely makes you want to try a challenge, and I think there will be more (such people) in the future.”

Kim Ye-ri is a world-class athlete who boasts the most dazzling competitiveness among Korean beagles, winning the bronze medal at the 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympics and winning the Red Bull BC ONE E-Batte this year.

However, the reason this achievement feels even more remarkable is that it was achieved in a situation where it can be said that the Korean non-girl scene is really poor compared to other countries.

Q. I heard that the Korean non-girl scene is very small.

“There are a lot of hidden beagles, but in fact, almost all of the influential beagles who can do well in world-wide or big competitions are those who have appeared in Breaking K Battle. There are less than 16 active members. I think that there will be around 30 people in my opinion. So it’s a pity, but these people are working hard and the level is rising now, so I think a lot of young friends will come out after a few years.”

"Just because it's a different country doesn't mean that it's a good place for B-boys and non-girls to live. It's true that Korea started a little late in terms of the overall atmosphere of the country and interest in and support for this dance itself. I don't do it, but in Korea, if you dance at a subway station, you will be reported. The environment itself seems to be a little different like this, and in Japan from the beginning of the Youth Olympics, broadcasting stations and local governments gave a lot of support and support, facilities and systems are well equipped, and schools I have to say that the barrier to access is a bit low, but relatively high barriers to access in Korea and the environment in which this dance can continue is a bit poor. I think it can be exhausting."

“In the case of Red Bull (BC ONE), I went to the World Finals twice offline and twice online. Anyway, when I go abroad, it must be said that each country has different cultures, so it’s fun to watch a little dance. Especially when the West and the East meet, they are completely different, so it's fun to share them there, and it's rather convenient to set up a strategy because (styles) are contradictory. So, every time I go to an overseas competition, I feel that it is important to share it with so many different cases and various dancers, and if it wasn't for the coronavirus, I might have gone out almost once every three to four months."

At first glance, braking seems to require mobilizing all the muscles of the body.

It doesn't seem like it would be easy to learn every move.

On the contrary, Kim Ye-ri says that the uniqueness of such a breaking was the opportunity that made her fall into this world.

Q. What motivated you to start breaking?

"Of course, it is a genre that is difficult for women to access, but in a way, it is a genre that most people know. After looking at it, it made me want to try it. It looks difficult at first glance, so I thought that if I learned this, I could have something unique compared to other dancing friends, and I developed a sense of challenge. I went to an academy, but this is a dance that takes a lot of effort to learn just one thing, and it is a dance that requires muscle strength even with the basics, so it was a waste to give up on my exercise and management for that. 7 years have passed since I was thinking about learning more about this, doing more of that, and just doing this... (laughs)"

“It was dancing that really changed my life. I was very ordinary. I was a student with long hair and wearing glasses, so I was far from dancing. When I danced, even though I looked the same, the reactions of my friends changed. As Hanaro became popular not only with school teachers but also with children, and my life changed, I think that dancing became the turning point of my life.”

"Breaking really puts all of your body into the music, so if you don't know it well, you may not know how it expresses music. However, if you pay a little more attention, you can feel the wonder more than other dances.

I really need to say that it is a bit more exhilarating compared to other dances because the music is matched with the highest level of movement that a human can do. If so, I think it might be difficult to get out of the break.”

Those of you who have watched Supa with interest already know that, but Yeri Kim is deaf.

This is the part that can be difficult as a breaker who has to listen to the music and dance to it.

However, Kim Ye-ri didn't seem to care much.

Q. It must be difficult for me to dance because of my hearing impairment.

"No matter how much I put on a hearing aid to increase the volume of the sound, the original detailed function of the ear is missing, so there are some things that I can't hear the music even if the direction of the speaker is slightly changed. It's a performance I practiced a lot, or a song I know. If you can't hear it well, you can actually hear it. But sometimes it doesn't work well in situations where you don't know what song will come out in battle. So it seems that I am overcoming it with the instantaneous power of the moment.”

"I don't know why, but it seems to have gotten worse since I was 4 or 5 years old. I've been hearing a little bit since I was a baby, so I don't know the exact moment. Babies are usually a bit dull in their senses. I'm in the 3rd grade of elementary school It was the first time I told my mother that I had hearing loss when I was a child. So, when I did the test, my hearing was a little below average, so (the doctor) told me I had to wear a hearing aid because I was too young for surgery, so I have been wearing it ever since."

"So I wear it in a very small size. Usually, many people think of hearing aids that are outside the (ear), but I am a bit worried that I will be subjected to school violence (when I see a hearing aid) after I wear it, but I am a little worried about it. I changed it, but after that, I started dancing. But it didn't fall off. It doesn't fall off even when I ride the roller coaster. (Laughs)"

Kim Ye-ri, the representative of Korea, who was selected as the national representative.

The goal now is to be at the top of the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou next year.

But there are many formidable competitors.

In particular, players from Japan, who have the widest base of breaking in Asia, are considered as representative competitors.

Q. Who is the most intimidating competitor in the Asian Games?

"I think Japan is the most powerful in Asian countries, so they are selected again and come out in Japan. I think that the most powerful people will come out. Ayumi and Ami, who took first and second places in the recent championships, are likely to be strong. ?"

“I met both of them in battle. In particular, Ayumi is almost 40 years old, and Ami is two years younger than me, but they started dancing at a much younger age, so they both have at least 10 years of experience. But I’m still in my 7th year, and I see that I have the competitive edge to be able to turn over when my career is as full as they do. Anyway, I think that if I keep practicing, I can definitely go beyond what they have built up.”

“I will work hard to prepare myself for the Asian Games and the Paris Olympics.”

“Of course, winning a gold medal in big competitions like the Asian Games and the Paris Olympics is my hope, but I don’t live by it again. If I just go to the competitions and show good results that I can do, there are many opportunities for me through this. I want you to come. I’m not the type to do only one thing, so I’m doing everything I want to do in dance, so I hope that it will be a particularly good influence for my juniors in the future while doing the many things I can do well. So I’m doing well now. It’s not that having something is not with me, but I hope I can pave the way for younger friends who can achieve similar results in the future.”

"Is it a video game? (Laughs) Actually, thanks to Supa, many people got to know me, but I am so grateful that there are many people who really look at me and like me. I will continue to show my good side with my image. Thank you."

As much as the name 'player' is still awkward for 'dancer' Kim Ye-ri, maybe it's still awkward for all of us that breaking has entered the realm of sports.

However, by the end of next year's Hangzhou Asian Games, thanks to Kim Ye-ri, I thought that breaking might become one of the best sports for the Korean people.

Let's cheer for the future of Kim Ye-ri, who will go beyond the pride of a Korean bi-girl and become the world's best bi-girl.

▶ 'Dancing Queen' Kim Ye-ri...

'Drop the Beat' with the Taegeuk mark

(Video coverage: Seol Seol-hwan / Video editing: Kim Ji-seong AD)