How I turned K-pop dance into my side hustle

"If you love dancing and you join a K-pop cover group, it's like a family"

Amy Judge got into K-pop at university but when she moved home there wasn’t anything outside of the student groups on offer.

In 2020, Amy decided to set up classes herself. She now teaches up to 80 people every week and runs regular RPD and social K-pop events that attract many more.

Amy told us she loves the sense of community, inclusivity and fun K-pop brings into her life. Fancy some of that yourself? Read on to find out how Amy turned her passion into a successful side hustle and how you can get involved.

Why is K-pop so popular?

This summer’s K-pop explosion has been led by K-pop Demon Hunters smashing records all over the world. It is the most watched film ever on Netflix and the song Golden by Huntr/x topped the singles charts in the US and UK. Fans also got to see K-pop royalty in real life, as both ENHYPEN and BlackPink performed in the UK.

K-pop has addictive, catchy songs but as a dancer, it was the choreography that drew Amy in. She recommends watching K-pop rather than just listening to it: “It's good music on its own, but it's a full experience - the singing, the choreography, the costumes - they’re usually highly conceptual. It really is a very visual medium.”

Amy also thinks K-pop appeals to her generation because it reminds them of music they loved when they were teenagers: “We grew up with really theatrical emo and pop-punk genres - big sets, big music videos, costumes. We've gone into K-pop because it's so similar, it's a little bit nostalgic in a way. Different, but nostalgic.”

What makes K-pop dance different?

Amy says the K-pop dance style is really unique, especially when compared to more western pop. There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, K-pop groups are often bigger: “In the west a pop group is usually four or five members, whereas in K-pop we have some really big groups with 12 or more all in one band.”

There is also a specific approach to performance: “They tend to have these really precise, intricate formations and changes, everyone's moving around each other, it's like a well oiled machine.”

Many performers also start young, often from 10 years old. This means many K-pop idols have trained for a good 5 or 6 years before making their debut. Amy says this means their dance skills are much higher than in any other genre of music.

K-pop - fitness, inclusivity and family

Joining K-pop classes is a way to get fit and meet new people in an environment, Amy says, people often find far less daunting than the gym.

“They know going in that they're gonna have something in common with everyone in the room, something to talk about. It makes it a little bit easier socializing and meeting new people.”

Nicole, 22, attends Amy's classes. She says it's helped her make friends and improve her dancing skills: “It's just a fun hobby, before K-pop dance I didn't really have that. I was just at home, so it's a nice way to get exercise and make friends.”

“The kids are just obsessed with K-pop!”.

Amy also runs classes specifically for children who she says get really into it and love expressing their interest and sharing their hobby.

Also important to Amy is that everyone knows her classes are a safe space. She says people attending can wear anything they want and present however they want. "We're very inclusive and they know that they'll be accepted no matter what.”

K-pop dance - where to begin

You can find K-pop cover groups and dance classes in most big cities across the UK now. But if you don’t live near a big city and aren't able to get to a class, Amy says there are loads of great YouTubers posting K-pop dance tutorials.

Amy’s Top 3 K-pop Dance YouTubers:

• Ellen & Brian @EllenandBrian
• Leia @leianity
• Kathleen Carm @KathleenCarm.

Amy still uses YouTube videos herself because they help break complicated dances down slowly. She says lots of people start learning K-pop dance this way and then attend a class or RPD event to show off what they've learned.

"Obviously they'll not be used to doing that in their bedroom, but it's nice to experience dancing with a big group."

RPD stands for Random Play Dance, popular among K-pop fans. A prepared playlist of random Kpop songs, just the choruses, are played out to a big group of people. If you know the routine to that song, then you run into the middle and all dance together.

The event leader puts together a play list featuring just the choruses of Kpop songs which are played out to a big group of people. If you know the routine to that song, you run into the middle and all dance it together.

Amy runs regular free RPDs in Manchester, she also runs a dance competition every March involving K-pop groups from across the country. Then in June, Amy runs 'Manchester K-pop Day'.

"It's a bit like a convention or a comic con," she explains, "we book out a big hall with lots of stalls then loads of activities throughout the day including performances, RPDs, even K-pop quizzes and bingo."

Not bad for a side hustle!

Amy’s Top 3 K-pop Songs:.

• 'Love Dive' by IVE
• 'Answer' by Ateez
• 'I Can't Stop Me' by Twice.

This article was published in September 2025