Meet the Korean viral ‘dancing conductor’ who says he’s not actually dancing
Some conductors are visibly moved by the music, but Korean maestro Baek Yoon-hak takes that concept a step or two further
As an orchestra plays the overture from Jacques Offenbach’s opera Orpheus in the Underworld, the conductor turns from the podium to signal the audience to quieten down. Facing the orchestra again, he hops lightly with arms spread wide, his legs moving as if waltzing to the rhythm, in a YouTube video that went viral.
As the piece builds toward its finale, the pounding drums grow louder and his movements more intense. His arms shake vigorously, as if he were a shaman attempting to connect with the spirit world.
The Korean conductor is Baek Yoon-hak of the Seoul Festa Philharmonic Orchestra. Many of his videos have gone viral, with one short-form clip surpassing 10 million views. The unexpected fame even earned him an invitation to the popular South Korean talk show You Quiz on the Block, hosted by Yoo Jae-suk.
Many viewers were drawn to Baek’s unconventional conducting style, dubbing him the “dancing conductor”. Comments also praised the way he brought visual excitement to classical music.
But is he really dancing? It is one of the questions Baek hears most often. His answer is no.
“I am not dancing. In dancing, you move along with the music,” Baek says. “As a conductor, my role is to lead the music.”