“K-pop fans are some of the best fans in the world. They really get behind the artists they love and do everything to support them and promote them.”
Parris Goebel, at only 24, has already worked with the biggest names on both sides of the globe. She’s well known for her strong, hip-hop choreography which she explains as; “all about bringing the cultural influences from my home country and combining the strength of womanhood and then bringing it to life on the stage.”
I am unique, I am me and I am true to myself. Simply be yourself. Don’t be a follower but be you. Make your style and embrace it and be proud of who you are.
Parris was originally contacted by YG Entertainment, and has since choreographed for 4 Minute, Taeyang, CL, 2NE1, and BIGBANG, as well as appearing in a couple of music videos.
Spot Parris chained to G-Dragon at 1:43!
Originally from New Zealand, Parris has dedicated a large part of her life to dancing and choreographing. She has since formed and began choreographing for ReQuest Dance Crew, and also founded the dance style known as Polyswagg. Polyswagg is a dance style which combines “sassy woman fire with aggressive inner strength”, resulting in very hard-hitting movements and powerful dances. Despite the cultural differences between South Korea and the U.S, Parris tells us how she’s easily been able to translate her distinctive style across the continents.
There are no problems, and the girls love to get fierce. All the female artists have some serious swag so it is definitely getting stronger and really well accepted by all the fans. We just need to keep changing the game for females and be strong in what we put out to the world.
South Korean girl groups are known to go one of two ways; sexy, or cute. But in recent years, female power has been accepted in mainstream music, and South Korea has been taking their influence from the U.S music scene, which means we are slowly seeing a stronger concept for girl groups in Korea – 2NE1 being known as the ‘original’ carriers of this image. Maybe this is what caught Parris’ attention in the K-pop scene, the opportunity to create a new style which appeals to the younger generation.
Korean culture is known for it’s hardworking ethics. Working early mornings to late nights, not including overtime, and Korean singers are no different. They are rigorously trained into the industry, and there is a lengthy process behind each K-pop star, meaning the stars themselves have to be passionate about what they do if they want to make it through to debut. For someone who is clearly passionate about what she does, this is almost ideal. It means she can get what she needs done with little to no problem, and because of this, has only ever had great experiences working with K-pop idols.
Korean singers work their butts off. They are awesome as it doesn’t matter how long, what time of day or night or what you need to get it done – they make it happen. The artists I have worked with are passionate and very clear about what they want to do.
Parris begins her choreographies by listening to the music and letting that inspire her – from the lyrics to the beats, it all influences the final outcome. She explains this process through an interview with Kpopstarz. Whilst working on Bang Bang Bang, she mentions that the lyrics had been interpreted literally, and spent only three days teaching YG’s dance crew the choreography.
I listen to the beats in the song, I interpret the words the artist is singing and what they want me to feel. I am inspired by all the things around me and I bring those elements into my choreography.
With all of this change going on, it’s becoming a battle for artists to stand out and be different, and there’s always the debate over whether K-pop can be accepted as mainstream music. After the many attempts to break into the U.S market, only PSY has been notably successful with Gangnam Style. When asked about her opinions on who stands out the most in the Korean industry, without hesitation she highlights 2NE1’s leader, CL. The pair have famously worked together for CL’s warmup single for her American debut single Hello Bitches which included a dance video featuring Parris Goebel and ReQuest Crew. Parris mentions in the ‘behind the scenes’ video how she hasn’t connected with an artist as well as she has with CL, and this could be why she feels CL has what it takes to make it in the U.S.
CL is someone for me who stands out and is really making a name for herself. She is going into the USA market so she is successfully mixing the east & west together. She loves fashion and is a risk taker.
Check out the dance video below!
Are you a fan of Parris’ work? Let us know in the comments below!
