Netizens Debate Whether Street Man Fighter’s WDBZ Crew Member Vata Plagiarized This International Choreographer

Mnet‘s controversy-plagued program Street Man Fighter has once again drawn the ire of audiences, as WDBZ crew member Vata has been hit with plagiarism allegations.

The allegations stem from Vata’s choreography for ZICO‘s song “New Thing.” Contestants on the show were given a mission to come up with an original choreography for the song. Dancers, who were grouped by rank, would then pick one choreography to dance to, with the best dancer being chosen as the group’s main dancer.

WDBZ leader Vata’s choreography was chosen, with the dancer subsequentially being voted the main dancer of the group. But controversy struck when netizens felt the beginning of the choreography was similar to another. Although the intro is a small part of the choreography that was eventually left out in the music video, fans criticized the dancer for including it in the original choreography.

According to netizens, the intro to the choreography was too similar to choreography made prior by famous choreographer Anze Skrube, whose credits include working with international acts such as Chris Brown, Prince, and Usher, as well as K-Pop idols ATEEZ. In fact, the choreography in question was said to have been made for ATEEZ’s track “Say My Name.” Video of Anze Skrube’s dance has since gone viral, giving credence to the plagiarism allegations.

Netizens reacted to the similar dance in a viral post on one of Korea’s largest online communities, with many stating it was indeed plagiarism.

•  “He even copies the footwork. Those who say this isn’t plagiarism have no shame.”
• “That is Anze Skrube who made the choreography in 2018. The choreography was paid for and used by ATEEZ for their track “Say My Name.” Although Vata has also worked with ATEEZ on other tracks, those moves were created by Anze Skrube. I’d like to ask why Vata used the choreo as if it was his own.”
• “What? The two videos are practically the same. If WDBZ were going to copy someone else’s choreography, they shouldn’t have said that other groups copied them.”
• “That was the best part of the choreography, and it was plagiarized?”

Other netizens, however, defended Vata, saying that the similar choreography was due to coincidence.

• “For a choreography to be plagiarized, it has to be similar throughout the transition to the next move because there are so many choreographies that have similar one-off moves.”
• “I don’t think it’s plagiarizing. It isn’t that hard of a move to come up with. If they had to express a motorcycle, I can see them coming up that move.”
• “They are similar, but it isn’t plagiarizing.”
• “If that move was plagiarizing, then what are all the choreographies that use the ‘crown’ choreography?

What are your thoughts? Watch the full choreography below.