Why is j-hope the Dance Captain of BTS
April 2010: Hoseok was signed as Big Hit’s first trainee. j-hope had to stay in Gwangju for training because Big Hit did not have a place to practice, so his training was outsourced (Beyond The Story book).
December 2010: Hoseok was finally called to Seoul. Big Hit told him, "The team will be dancing more. We want you to become a key part of the team and help with the dancing a lot" (*Fairy Jaehyung YT channel j-hope interview Mar 23, 2025).
After he became a trainee, the member lineup changed, and for a year and a half, it was just NamGiSeok. The vocal line was signed one by one, starting with Jin (but he kept living at home until July 2012), then JungKook, Taehyung (moved Sept 2011), and Jimin (moved in May 2012).
While j-hope was already a key trainee helping with dance, the Beyond The Story book stated, "But Jimin's arrival was a preview of how the planning for their group would go in a different direction. If they were to become an idol group together, Jimin would join j-hope as one of the main dancers but bring a completely different sort of flair to the team."
While “main dancer” is an officially assigned position, “Dance Captain” is not a formal title designated by Big Hit. However, it has naturally emerged as a widely used term for j-hope among the members, staff, and our fandom (Team Leader Jung, Captain Jeong, Chief Jeong, Performance Leader, etc). This is because j-hope plays a crucial role in the team’s performances, something the members themselves have consistently acknowledged and appreciated ( e.g. Grammy performance 2022). Across numerous videos, Bangtan TV episodes, articles, and documentaries, he’s seen offering feedback, refining details even during hours before the performance, and helping the group maintain precision and cohesion as a unit.
Beyond The Story book mentioned, “ Right until their debut, RM, SUGA and j-hope’s School of Hip-Hop was holding non-stop classes.” “RM and SUGA, who became students during the day at the "School of Dance" alongside the others who were not used to dancing. j-hope was the teacher in this latter school."
j-hope said “ Jimin and I were the only members who had learned dance before we entered the company. I felt like the first thing we needed to do was to help the other members find dancing fun. Outside of our regular training sessions, we occasionally practiced at dawn. It was kind of like the "den of rap" where we would put on a beat and try freestyling. Rap had become fun for me during those sessions, and I wanted the same thing to happen with dance for the others. I’d put on music and go, “ Now dance, just dance, however way you want” that kind of thing."
In 2019, the book INTERVIEWS WITH K-POP STARS was published. j-hope is one of the 5 artists featured in the book, and it stated that “ His role is organizing and leading the overall choreography for BTS with his experience as a skilled dancer from his school days.”
In a March 1, 2026, article in Elle Japan, Yuka Kuwahata, the translator of the book Beyond The Story, wrote, “Known as the 'dance captain' by his fellow members, he never compromises on perfecting the angles and timing of the choreography down to the millimeter.” “ However, his strictness is far from cold. In the early days, when there were members with no dance experience, he would stay with them until late at night, patiently teaching them, saying, "First, I want them to experience the fun of dancing." JIN trusts J-HOPE, saying, "When I don't understand the choreography, he comes over and explains it to me over and over again." That kindness hasn't changed since the day he shared his lunch with JUNG KOOK on his first day in the dorms, asking, "Do you want some too?”
But what is an effective Dance Captain if the team does not understand what teamwork means? Despite being the dance leader, we have also seen how the rest of the members contribute, lead, share their opinions, and help other members too. In the Bangtan practice room, any ego is left outside the door, no one is above another; j-hope is not running a dictatorship, and everyone is willing to be corrected if needed. There’s also mutual respect and communication, the willingness to listen, share ideas, and refine things together. That’s what keeps their performances cohesive and dynamic, not just one person’s position on "paper".
Position titles are just labels. In the big year of 2026, and their comeback, BTS have grown far beyond the roles assigned at debut. While titles can be helpful, they don’t fully capture how the group actually functions. Calling j-hope the “Dance Captain” goes beyond a label; it recognizes his real contributions to performance leadership. Dismissing that overlooks how BTS truly operates, because they’ve never been about hierarchy, but about trust, balance, and moving as one.
Praising one member doesn’t require diminishing another. No need to dim one light for the other to shine. When the members themselves acknowledge each other’s strengths or point out something to improve on, it’s not an attack; it’s a reflection of their genuine dynamic.
We shouldn’t allow anyone to rewrite BTS’s history, spread misinformation, or undermine the teamwork they’ve consistently demonstrated.
Ultimately, it’s best to rely on official sources, especially content coming directly from BTS themselves, rather than unverified interpretations circulating online.
( below are some videos and links to support this post)
#jhopeFacts #CaptainJeong
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@Hskfine19 Esta bien te puedes equivocar, yo también me he equivocado pero verifico antes de publicar y luego se publica el post correctamente, si tienen tiempo de hacer el post tiene tiempo de verificar sin ningún error,es algo simple no se pide mucho.
@Hskfine19 Su nombre oficial es j-hope como artista así se maneja y no es malo corregir a los fans es por respeto al artista,su trabajo,su discografia está escrita a su nombré de esa manera,no como sea ,en los # se utiliza sin él guión y lo hace tendencia ,este nombre lo representa.
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