DANCE
RESEARCH
Exploring the Spread of K-pop Dance on Social Media and Its Perceived Influence on Chinese Young People: A Mixed-Method Approach
This paper investigates the dissemination of K-pop dance on social media and the reinterpretation of cultural symbols through online interaction. Drawing on the concepts of platform affordances, semiotics, and cultural identity, this study combines survey data with cross-platform video analysis to examine the circulation, adaptation, and reception of K-pop dance.
A total of 47 Chinese adolescents and young adults completed an anonymous online questionnaire, while 65 K-pop dance videos were collected from TikTok, Instagram, Weibo, Douyin, and Bilibili. The study proceeded in two stages. First, survey data were analyzed to examine social media use, exposure to and participation in K-pop, and attitudes toward cultural identity. Second, the 65 videos were classified according to their originality, use of dance challenges, visual and cultural themes, and adaptation techniques across platforms.
Results show that social media is a significant channel for the dissemination of K-pop dance, although its circulation varies across platforms due to differences in content formats and interaction features. Participation in K-pop dance is associated with self-expression, social interaction, and cultural preferences, but respondents did not perceive this participation as transforming their core cultural identity. By combining cross-platform video analysis with audience survey data, this research offers a broader understanding of how young Chinese audiences encounter, adapt, and experience K-pop dance.
Research Questions
Dissemination
How Does Dance Spread on Different Platforms?
How Does Dance Spread on Different Platforms?
Semiotics
What Meanings Do K-Pop’s Visuals Convey?
K-Pop Idol Performing in Hanbok
Photo by @candycrush1129 on X
What Meanings Do K-Pop’s Visuals Convey?
Photo by @candycrush1129 on X
Cultural Identification
How Do Participants Relate to Cultural Elements?
Chinese Students Participating in a “K-Pop Random Play Dance” at School
How Do Participants Relate to Cultural Elements?
65 K-pop dance videos
Video samples from five platforms were analyzed to examine dance dissemination, visual symbols, and platform characteristics. Video selection considered popularity indicators, including views and likes. As some groups lacked official accounts on certain platforms, video availability varied across platforms.
47 Responses
A self-selected sampling method was used to recruit participants, yielding 47 responses from young people in China, including junior high school students, high school students, university students, and working professionals. The survey explored their engagement with K-pop dance and perceptions of its cultural elements. However, the relatively small and unevenly distributed sample may not be representative of the broader population of young people in China.
Dance challenges created to promote a group’s own song or comeback
Artists joining popular trends unrelated to their own song releases
Dance challenges and short-form choreography are central to how K-pop content circulates on TikTok. Catchy dance sections can be recreated, remixed, and shared by fans, helping choreography spread beyond official music videos.
Douyin features short-form K-pop dance content within China’s own social media environment. Alongside dance challenges, trends may be adapted to local online culture, including China-specific or seasonal trends.
Much of Instagram’s K-pop dance content overlaps with TikTok, including short-form choreography, dance challenges, and trending dance clips. However, Instagram also serves as a platform for international event promotion, with artists posting greeting videos to introduce overseas appearances, announce upcoming events, and connect with fans around the world.
Weibo combines K-pop content with news and promotional updates, particularly around comebacks, group activities, and events in China. Compared with Instagram’s international-facing event promotion, Weibo is also an important channel for reaching Chinese fans with locally relevant announcements and activities.
Bilibili accommodates longer-form K-pop content, including group variety-show segments, music videos, and dance practices. These formats allow fans to engage with artists and performances beyond the short dance clips that dominate other short-video environments.
Traditional Attire
Modernized hanbok brings traditional Korean aesthetics into contemporary idol performances, creating a visual connection between cultural heritage and modern pop culture. At the 2026 K-Royal Culture Festival’s special performance at Gyeongbokgung Palace, K-pop groups including BOYNEXTDOOR, NMIXX, and xikers performed against the backdrop of Korea’s royal heritage. The event brought traditional attire and contemporary music together in a historic setting.
Photo by @Paw_bae1228 on X
The incorporation of “Arirang,” a traditional Korean folk song, into BTS’s “Body to Body” brings Korean cultural heritage into a contemporary pop performance. During the group’s Los Angeles concert, fans raised South Korean flags and sang along to the melody, creating a shared moment around a traditional song far from its place of origin. This scene illustrates how popular music can bring cultural symbols into new contexts and connect audiences through a shared performance experience.
Fan participation extends beyond dance to include purchasing official merchandise, online support, and offline events. Among the 47 respondents, buying albums and merchandise was the most commonly reported activity (33), followed by fan voting and streaming (24) and attending offline events (22). Dance covers (8) were less common, suggesting that engagement with K-pop takes many forms beyond actively performing its choreography.
Thematic Analysis
Three key themes were identified from participants’ answers:
Affection for Idols and Groups
Fans are motivated by their admiration for K-pop idols and groups, which encourages them to follow their activities and engage with their content.
PHOTO REFERENCE · THE KOREA TIMES
Enjoyment of Dance and Performance
Some respondents are drawn to K-pop through their enjoyment of music, choreography, and performance, making dance an important part of their engagement.
PHOTO REFERENCE · THE KOREA TIMES
Social Connection and Shared Experiences
K-pop provides opportunities for fans to connect with others through shared interests, conversations, and participating in fandom activities together.
PHOTO REFERENCE · THE KOREA TIMES
Thematic Analysis
Participants described a range of unforgettable K-pop-related experiences, with live concerts and dance-related activities emerging as recurring themes:
Live Concerts and Fan Experiences
“Watching ZEROBASEONE live with a friend who shared my love for the group was unforgettable. Singing along with the crowd, waving our lightsticks, and experiencing the members’ energetic performances and synchronized choreography made the concert especially memorable.”
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Learning and Performing Dance
“Performing ‘Candy’ and ‘Into the New World’ at the Christmas tree lighting events left a deep impression on me, even though I wasn’t particularly attached to the songs themselves. Learning the choreography with friends and performing something we had worked hard on gave me a real sense of achievement.”
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K-pop’s influence extends beyond music, shaping participants’ aesthetic preferences, fashion choices, musical tastes, and social relationships. Among the 47 participants, aesthetic preferences were the most frequently selected aspect (42), followed by music taste (40), fashion and style (37), and friendships or social groups (35). K-pop, selected by 23 participants, also influenced dance and body movement. These findings suggest that K-pop can shape not only what people listen to and how they express themselves, but also their personal styles and social connections.
Thematic Analysis
Three key themes were identified from participants’ answers:
Thematic Analysis
Three key themes were identified from participants’ answers:
Participants also viewed K-pop as a way to learn about other cultures, find common ground with others, and encourage connections among young people.
“K-pop is not just a passing trend, but a bridge connecting people of the younger generation.”
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Some participants felt that K-pop exposed young people to new aesthetics, music, dance styles, and aspects of Korean culture, broadening their cultural perspectives.
“It brings entirely new aesthetic and cultural perspectives.”
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Participants expressed different views on the relationship between K-pop and local cultural identity. While some worried that strong interest in foreign culture could draw attention away from local traditions, others believed that appreciating K-pop could coexist with maintaining their own cultural identity.
“While embracing foreign cultures, we should further explore and promote our own.”
Translated and shortened for clarity