Bada Lee

Bada Lee (; born September 22, 1995), known mononymously as Bada, is a South Korean dancer and choreographer. She is the leader of the dance crew BEBE, winners of Mnet's television competition Street Woman Fighter 2 (2023). Bada has choreographed for various K-pop artists, including Aespa's "Next Level", "Drama", and "Supernova", Kai's "Rover", NCT x Aespa's "Zoo", Babymonster's "Sheesh", Taemin's "Guilty", Seventeen's "Maestro", and Ten's "Birthday". She currently serves as a brand ambassador for Jordan.

Early life

Bada was born on September 22, 1995, the younger of two sisters. She attended Shinhyeon Girls' Middle School and later studied at Incheon Choeun High School. She enjoyed dancing in her elementary school, and in her early high school years she enrolled in her first formal dance class when a dance academy opened in her neighborhood. J-Ho of JustJerk, one of the founding members of the JustJerk hip-hop dance crew, inspired her to pursue a career in dance.

Career

2020–2022: Beginnings

In 2015, at age 19, Bada joined the dance crew Cupcakes, alongside 1 Million Dance Studio choreographer Redy. Under the guidance of Girin Jang, the team participated in various dance competitions and won several awards. While actively performing as a member of Cupcakes, Bada also began teaching dance classes at Soul Dance Studio, a dance academy founded by the crew's leader. Cupcakes later disbanded in 2016 for undisclosed reasons, but Bada continued to establish her reputation as a dance instructor, becoming a prominent presence at several major academies, notably JustJerk Dance Academy and URBANPLAY Dance Academy.

Following her earlier career, Bada formed her own dance crew, BEBE, which initially began with five members, including Lusher and Tatter, with the goal of dancing together in a supportive and collaborative environment. The group was later finalized with original members Bada, Lusher, and Tatter, and new members Kyma, Minah, Cheche, and Sowon.

Bada later became involved in the K-pop industry, providing dance training for trainees and established artists, including Lee Hyori, while also working as a choreographer and performance director. During the early years of her career as a choreographer, she worked primarily with artists under SM Entertainment, including Aespa, Exo, and NCT. Several of her choreographies received significant attention on social media platforms and were associated with viral dance trends, notably Aespa's "Next Level", Kai's "Peaches", Ten's "Birthday", NCT U's "90s Love", and NCT x Aespa's "Zoo".

2023: Breakthrough

Bada gained broader public recognition after appearing with BEBE on the second season of Mnet's dance competition series, Street Woman Fighter 2. Following the program's premiere on August 22, 2023, she experienced increased public attention. According to Fundex, an online media analytics agency, Bada ranked first among the most talked-about non-drama television and OTT personalities during the week of September 4th, 2023.

Bada became known for her distinctive visual appearance and performance style, characterized by two-toned hair and a height of 176 cm (5<nowiki>'9</nowiki>). Her technical ability was highlighted in the second episode, where she secured the Main Dancer position during the Rank Mission, which allowed her to direct the Leader Dance Video. She was selected as the main dancer among several internationally recognized choreographers, including Kirsten from Royal Family and Lia Kim from 1 Million.

Bada's leadership during the competition was noted by viewers and commentators. From the beginning of Street Woman Fighter 2, BEBE was considered one of the youngest teams in the competition, as most of its members were born after 2000. Despite being nicknamed "Bada and the Kids" and receiving criticism that the team relied heavily on its leader, BEBE continues proving their skills episode by episode with their unique trendiness, energy, and teamwork.

Following Street Woman Fighter 2, Bada remained active in the dance industry as both a dancer and choreographer. She participated in Street Woman Fighter 2: On the Stage. and worked as a choreographer on songs such as Taemin's "Guilty" and Aespa's "Drama". She was also invited to appear as a guest performer of Fuerza Bruta, a theatrical show, during its South Korea stop. Bada later joined the production for multiple city stops while simultaneously participating in the Street Woman Fighter 2: On the Stage tour.

In the same year, Bada joined the Korea Dance Association, led by 1Million Dance Studio, with the goal of developing a profit distribution structure for choreography copyrights in the K-pop industry. She later participated as a dance director in JTBC's boy group survival program Project 7, contributing as dance teacher, stage director, and choreographer. She also appeared in several dance videos with BTS members V and Jung Kook, one of which surpassed 25 million views within 24 hours.