In the world of K-pop, choreography is everything. It’s what’s fueled the phenomenon of fan-created “dance covers,” and artist-produced “performance versions” of songs. It’s made “point choreography” a staple of the genre, where a song’s chorus features an eye-catching, easily replicable signature move. And most vitally, it’s what can catapult a track from a single that might get lost in the shuffle into a starmaking moment.
KATSEYE members from left and back to front: Sophia, Daniela, Lara, Manon, Yoonchae, and Megan.
Take the now megaviral “Gnarly.” When girl group KATSEYE first released the song in late April, it was a jarring foray into hyperpop, a world away from the bubblegum sound of their 2024 hit “Touch,” with lyrics that bordered on nonsensical over a dissonant, chaotic backing track. Listeners weren’t just confused; they were turned off, scratching their heads at the group’s decision to lead their BEAUTIFUL CHAOS EP with such a polarizing single. But just 24 hours later, their first live performance transformed it from controversial to iconic, racking up millions of views and making it the group’s first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. That’s thanks to Grant Gilmore and Sohey Sugihara, KATSEYE’s performance directors.
Sugihara and Gilmore first began working together when they were brought on as choreographers for Dream Academy, the 2023 reality competition series chronicling HYBE and Geffen Records’s mission to create a “global girl group” blending Western pop influences and K-pop methodologies. Under their direction, KATSEYE has gone from six members who arrived at Dream Academy’s boot camp with varying dance abilities and shaped them into the kind of dancers who can confidently make a national ad like Gap’s “Better in Denim” campaign go global on the strength of their movements alone.
Before Dream Academy, Gilmore, 27, toured as a backup dancer for Taylor Swift, Charli xcx, and performed in Rihanna’s 2023 Super Bowl halftime show, while Sugihara, 38, has performed with artists like Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Madonna, and Jennifer Lopez.
With KATSEYE set to begin their BEAUTIFUL CHAOS tour in November, the dance duo spoke with Marie Claire to share their first reactions to “Gnarly,” having a front row seat to the evolution of KATSEYE, and what the fans would be surprised to learn about the group.
Sohey Sugihara and Grant Gilmore have been close collaborators of KATSEYE since the group was formed on 2023's Dream Academy.
Marie Claire: You were both part of the wild ride that led to the formation of KATSEYE. What was it like watching the group come together from 20 trainees to six finalists?
Sohey Sugihara: Being there from the beginning, I got to see the full progression—who was standing out, who was lacking in certain skills, who grew so much. I would think, “Okay, this person’s good, this person’s great, this person could be a star,” but once the voting started, everything changed. We couldn’t predict anything, but by the end, it all made sense.
Grant Gilmore: It was really crazy getting to see them evolve. We were teaching them how to hold a microphone, how to express emotion when they’re singing, and of course, how to execute choreography. But at the end of the day, it was up to them to find and create that artistic presence for themselves. It was really exciting as a coach and a mentor to see them find that.
MC: How have the girls evolved since they were trainees?
SS: They’re all so, so different now. Yoonchae [Jeung] has transformed so much. She was kind of timid when she first got started, but now she’s fully locked in. She’s a beast when she’s on stage. Sophia [Laforteza] was not a dancer when she started, but she was always a performer. She worked hard to get to where she is now, so that’s something I’m really proud of. They all had their breakthrough moments during the process, so that was really cool to see. I feel like a proud dad. [Laughs]
GG: Some of the girls who weren’t dancers, I’ll be watching them in rehearsals now, and they look like professionals. Lara [Raj], for example, I just had a moment with her in rehearsal where it was like, “Oh, my god.” Or with Manon [Bannerman], before they debuted, I was doing private lessons with her twice a week in the studio, six hours every day. Now she keeps up with the other girls, and she knows who she is on stage. It's really cool to see them own their confidence. That’s been the biggest breakthrough.
Performing on stage is one thing, but seeing something that you created from scratch come to life and seeing people enjoy it is next level. It’s the best feeling in the world.
Sohey Sugihara
MC: The BEAUTIFUL CHAOS is so different sonically and stylistically from their 2024 EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong). As performance directors, what was it like transitioning into this new era?
SS: With the SIS era, we were searching, trying to find our lane. But with BEAUTIFUL CHAOS, we didn’t hold back at all. We wanted to go really hard, and we knew exactly what we wanted to do. So in that way, it was easier to create choreography because we knew exactly what this called for, and we just went for it.
GG: One of the beautiful things about KATSEYE is how diverse all the girls can be. Showcasing that was always going to be part of their journey from the beginning, but with [SIS], it was like they were saying, “Welcome to our world,” and establishing their fan base. From there, they felt safe enough to go out and show their wild side. Both eras are real, [and have] genuine sides to them, but it was about waiting until it felt like the right time to show it. It’s a really exciting time for them, because they were ready to let loose. They're definitely in their rock star era and loving it.
MC: Part of the selling point of KATSEYE is how different each of the members is. Does that ever make it challenging to create cohesive eras and visuals for them?
GG: Some of them really thrived in the “Debut,” era, and that concept came naturally for them. With Sophia, for example, “Gnarly” was a harder concept for her. She loved the cutesy charisma that came with “Touch,” so we had to really challenge her to break free and let her guard down. It was about telling her, “You can be a little punk, you can feel yourself and be a little sensual.” Whereas for Daniela [Avanzini] and Lara, “Gnarly” came so easily for them, but with “Touch,” I’d have to say, “It’s okay to smile, you don’t have to be so serious when you perform.” Switching between those concepts has given them such a great skill set.
MC: What was your reaction when you first heard “Gnarly?”
SS: “Oh, my God, this song is so hot.” When we heard it for the first time, [Grant and I] were like, “I hope we get to do this song.” But to be honest, I didn't think they were gonna pick it as the lead single because it was so jarring and so out there, it was a risky move. But it worked out, and we had so much fun with it.
GG: I got chills the first time I heard it, because I just understood the world of it instantly. I didn't even think for a second that it was going to cause controversy, because I could see the vision in my head when I heard it. Normally, in our choreography process, we make hundreds of different versions for each of these songs, but the first version came so naturally and effortlessly and felt so strong that the only thing we had to modify was the chorus.
KATSEYE performing on stage during Lollapalooza in Chicago, Illinois in August 2025.
MC: How does the K-pop methodology influence your approach to choreography? Is it a goal to create something memorable and potentially “viral” every time?
SS: Something I've learned from Son [Sung-deuk], HYBE’s executive creator, is to make things simple, make them unique, but not too complicated. The goal is to hit that sweet spot of, Okay, this is super original, but it’s also simple enough that people want to copy it. We’ve been succeeding at that because our things go viral. Like with “Touch,” everyone can do that hand motion, but it was also something people hadn’t seen before.
GG: It’s almost like a formula we’re striving for. Making something that is easy for people to do is the first part, and the second part is coming up with something that is fresh. We usually make the choruses that moment [in the choreography], where things are simple, catchy, and resonant, and then in the verses, the intro, or the outro, we can create those wow, show-stopping moments that might not be easily replicated, but really enhance the performance.
MC: KATSEYE’s Lollapalooza performance was another huge starmaking moment for them. What was it like seeing them on the festival stage?
SS: It gave me chills to see the drone footage. That and the reaction videos on YouTube, seeing people react to the “Gabriela” dance break, specifically, was something special. Performing on stage is one thing, but seeing something that you created from scratch come to life and seeing people enjoy it is next level. It’s the best feeling in the world.
GG: Those girls were going in for war. It was their first big festival stage, and they did not take that lightly. They were having fun with it, too. Like with Manon and Lara, they choreographed that little moment [during “M.I.A.”] themselves, and then they were like, “Wait, can we do this?” I said, “Go for it, this is the era to do it.” It's been really cool seeing them make their own artistic choices. And I'm always supportive, because I don't ever want them to feel like they have to be robots on stage.
MC: What’s something that their fandom, the “Eyekons,” might be surprised to learn about the group?
SS: They train outside of regular rehearsals, too. Like, we’ll have private lessons with each member to do something completely different than what we’re working on as a group. They ask us for it. That’s the kind of determination and drive they have. They’ll be exhausted from rehearsal, and still feel inspired to train and get even better.
GG: Choreographing “Gabriela” was really tough, because Sohey and I wanted to add that essence of Latin culture, but we wanted to make sure we approached that sensitively and appropriately. So Daniela actually helped a lot with incorporating those elements. I think one of the craziest things we almost did was this thing where we brought in Tapatio hot sauce during the post-chorus when the guitar was strumming. We were gonna have each of the girls taste the hot sauce in the middle of the performance. [Laughs] It was kind of tacky, so we took it out, but we like to do a lot of crazy experiments like that.
MC: What are you most looking forward to seeing from the girls as they head out on tour and prepare for their first Coachella set next spring?
GG: In the beginning, we were giving them a lot of guidance, coaching them on how to feel yourself or step into your power, but now it's there. They're starting to know who they are, and I think that's part of the reason why they've been gaining so much more traction recently. The world is seeing that confidence come through their performances. I think they have so much more growth ahead for them, but they're in a really sweet spot right now.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.