[INTERVIEW] LA-Based Korean dancer reflects on her KPop Demon Hunters Oscars performance
2026-03-18Korean tradition took the spotlight at the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars) on March 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, LA, with a beautiful and memorable opening. Before singers EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami performed ‘’Golden’’ from KPop Demon Hunters, dancers in Hanbok (traditional attire) filled the stage with Korean dance, moving to the sound of pansori and traditional music and creating a simple but powerful atmosphere. That night, KPop Demon Hunters took home two Oscars: Best Original Song for ‘’Golden’’ and Best Animated Feature.
Inyoung Lee, also known as Dassy Lee, was born and raised in Korea and is now based in Los Angeles. She moved to the U.S. alone at the age of 21 (2012) to pursue her dream of becoming an international dancer. She was one of the dancers performing traditional Korean dance at the Oscars during the KPop Demon Hunters segment.
She was a Top 8 finalist on ‘’So You Think You Can Dance’’ Season 14, making history as the first Korean dancer to reach that level. Since then, she has collaborated with global brands and companies such as Red Bull, Cirque du Soleil, F1, and Nike, and performed alongside artists including Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and many more.
Today, she works full-time as a professional dancer, traveling around the world to teach, judge competitions, battle, and perform.
The following are excerpts from an email interview with Dassy Lee on March 17-18, in which she discusses her performance at the Oscars and shares her overall experience.
1. How did you get involved in the KPop Demon Hunters Oscars performance?
My agent reached out to me asking if I had ever done Korean traditional dance before. Growing up, I learned fan dance when I was around 5-6 years old, and I also trained in samulnori for a few years. Later, while living in Korea, I worked on a Korean musical where I had the chance to work alongside four traditional dancers and learn some of the basic movements. That experience really stayed with me; I was mesmerized by how effortless it looked, yet how difficult it was to truly master.
More recently, my crew created a 10-minute theater piece blending cultural elements from Korea, Mexico, and France, since my teammates are from those countries. We collaborated with an incredible musician, CloZee, who helped us create music using our own cultural instruments. Through that process, I started incorporating Korean traditional dance into my own style, popping, and began studying it more deeply.
To prepare for the Oscars, I immersed myself fully. I feel like I watched almost every Korean dance video that exists online. The timing of everything felt meant to be, and I didn’t want to let my country down. I took this opportunity with so much pride and put in an immense amount of practice. And it paid off; I landed the job and performed in the show.
2. Can you tell us which style of Korean dance was in your performance?
Through this project, I had the opportunity to meet Korean consultant and choreographer DaEun Jung, a brilliant dancer who studied Korean dance for years. In the performance, we were the ancestor trio wearing shaman hanbok (무당 한복), representing a ritual to cleanse negative energy and spirits. The choreography was created collaboratively by DaEun, our creative producer, and choreographer Mandy Moore, and her assistant Amanda Balen.
3. Was this your first time performing Korean dance on such a big international stage? How did it feel?
It really was. I was definitely so nervous and didn’t want to let my country down, so I practiced every single day outside of rehearsals, even dancing in the skirt, focusing on the smallest details like hand movements, arm shapes, steps, and how to connect with the floor and my entire body. I watched so many videos, trying to refine and honor every movement as much as possible.
It still feels surreal. When I first moved to the U.S., people would often assume I was Japanese or Chinese, and when I said I was Korean, many had never even heard of Korea or would only mention N. Korea. So the fact that in 2026 we were able to perform our own roots, pansori, samulnori, Korean traditional dance, and K-pop, on the Oscars stage is just mind-blowing.
It’s been two days since the performance, and I’m still processing everything. I’m honestly so emotional.
4. How would you describe the vibe at the Oscars during this performance?
It truly felt like a celebration of cultures. From the Sinners team to our team, it was so beautiful to acknowledge cultural expressions that have often been overlooked. Everyone involved worked incredibly hard and brought so much joy, pride, and professionalism to the process. It was an amazing experience for me and definitely a very liberating moment.
5. Which part of the choreography was your favorite to perform? Why?
There was a moment where the three of us started with strong poses and Korean traditional dance arm and hand gestures that unfortunately didn’t make it on camera. During rehearsals, the camera was capturing us, but on the live show, it didn’t, so I was honestly a bit sad, because it was such a beautiful moment. But I know I can be hard on myself and a bit of a perfectionist, always wanting everything to go exactly right. Overall, everything still came out beautifully, so I’m really happy.
6. Will you perform something like this again in the future?
Absolutely. In my next life, I’d choose to be a dancer again. I’d do it all over, without hesitation. This is the life I chose; moving across the country to show what this little Korean woman is capable of.
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