“Mask Girl” Actress Lee Han Byeol Trains With BLACKPINK’s Choreographer For Her Dance Scenes

Rookie actress Lee Han Byeol explained the behind-the-scenes of the dancing scene in Netflix‘s popular new K-Drama Mask Girl.

Mask Girl tells the story of Kim Mo Mi, an ordinary office worker with appearance-related insecurities. She covers her face with a mask and becomes an internet BJ (broadcast jockey) while getting caught up in a spiral of dark events leading to her tragic end.

Kim Mo Mi’s story was told through three actresses who portrayed the different eras of her life: Lee Han Byeol was Mo Mi when she was an ordinary office worker who was insecure about her looks, singer and actress Nana was Mo Mi after she became beautiful after getting plastic surgery, and actress Go Hyun Jung played an older Mo Mi who went to jail for committing murder.

The scenes of Kim Mo Mi transforming into Mask Girl at night and dancing for her viewers have been a hot topic. In an interview on August 29, Lee Han Byeol revealed that a dance double was used for some of the dancing scenes.

Who Is She? The Real Identity Of The Hidden Fourth “Mask Girl” From The Hit Netflix K-Drama

However, Lee Han Byeol stated that she personally performed certain dance scenes.

The rookie actress admitted that she was not a bad dancer but that it was challenging to film the scenes because Mo Mi had to dance very well.

I never thought I was completely bad at dancing… But the concept was that Mo Mi had to dance really well. So even a month before I gave my final answer to work together, the director asked if I could take some time to try dancing.

— Lee Han Byeol

She then shared that the Mask Girl production team provided her with personal training at the gym and dance training from a YGX dance teacher.

At that time, I didn’t have an agency, so the production team provided personal training, and I started dance training. I received training from a YGX teacher who provided all the choreography.

— Lee Han Byeol

YGX is a subsidiary company of YG Entertainment, the agency for top K-Pop artists like BLACKPINK, TREASURE, BIG BANG, WINNER, AKMU, and the upcoming girl group BABYMONSTER.

The various choreography scenes shown in Mask Girl were choreographed by YGX’s dancer HEEEEYUN, who choreographed for various YG artists: BLACKPINK for THE SHOW tour and The World tour, many BIG BANG tours, PSY‘s ALL NIGHT STAND CONCERT, and more.

Lee Han Byeol claimed she learned the steps that K-Pop trainees learn in agencies and showed dedication to the dancing scenes.

At first, the choreography wasn’t immediately available, so I started with basic isolation and step exercises that trainees learn… I continued to learn and practice through the pre-production period, and even on my day off, I went out to practice an filmed.

— Lee Han Byeol

Lee Han Byeol clarified that clips of Mask Girl dancing in the show were a mix of her and her dancing double Ji Ji An.

I think they mixed the scenes of me and the dance double, who I learned the dance with and filmed the same parts. Nana sunbaenim did the opening dance, which made it feel connected, and because she’s on another level, she did it for me, and I covered the smaller shots.

— Lee Han Byeol

In addition to Lee Han Byeol’s dancing parts, HEEEEYUN choreographed Nana’s dancing scenes, such as the scenes where Mo Mi and her friend Kim Chun Ae dance on stage together.

Mask Girl premiered on August 18 on Netflix and is currently available for streaming.