Bada Lee

2020–2022: Beginnings

In 2015, at age 19, Bada joined the dance crew Cupcakes, alongside 1 Million Dance Studio choreographer Redy.^[3] Under the guidance of Girin Jang, the team participated in various dance competitions and won several awards.^[3] 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.^[3] Cupcakes later disbanded in 2016 for undisclosed reasons,^[2] 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.^[3]

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.^[4] The group was later finalized with original members Bada, Lusher, and Tatter, and new members Kyma, Minah, Cheche, and Sowon.^[4]

Bada later became involved in the K-pop industry, providing dance training for trainees^[5] and established artists, including Lee Hyori,^[6] 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".^[2]

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.^[7] 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.^[8]

Bada became known for her distinctive visual appearance and performance style, characterized by two-toned hair and a height of 176 cm (5'9'').^[8] 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.^[8]

Upon the video's release, Bada received positive responses from fellow dancers and judges, with Judge Mike Song describing the performance as a "masterpiece". She received a perfect score of 300 points from the judging panel.^[8] Her choreography for the mission song "Smoke" by Dynamic Duo attracted widespread attention,^[9] with artists such as BTS's V and Jung Kook, BigBang's Taeyang, and members of NCT and Itzy participating in the challenges.^[4]

Bada's leadership during the competition was noted by viewers and commentators.^[8] 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.^[4] 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.^[10]

BEBE placed first in the K-pop Death Match Mission, Hwasa's New Song Draft Mission and Battle Performance Mission, securing a place in the final. On October 31, 2023, BEBE was announced as the winning crew during the live finale, among the four finalists: Jam Republic, 1 Million, and Mannequeen.^[10]

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.^[11] and worked as a choreographer on songs such as Taemin's "Guilty"^[12] and Aespa's "Drama".^[2] She was also invited to appear as a guest performer of Fuerza Bruta, a theatrical show, during its South Korea stop.^[13] Bada later joined the production for multiple city stops while simultaneously participating in the Street Woman Fighter 2: On the Stage tour.

2024–present: Rising popularity

In 2024, Bada expanded her activities within the entertainment industry while continuing her work as a choreographer. She launched her YouTube channel on April 17, 2024, with the first episode featuring NCT member Taeyong.^[14] On May 3, 2024, management company The L1ve announced that BEBE had joined its roster of artists, alongside figures such as Zerobaseone's Sung Han-bin and Mamamoo's Wheein.^[15]

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.^[16] She later participated as a dance director in JTBC's boy group survival program Project 7,^[17] 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.^[18]

In 2025, Bada served as a performance director and choreographer alongside Jrick Baek for Kai's album, contributing to the tracks "Adult Swim" and "Wait On Me". She also appeared as a dancer during music show performances for both songs in April 2025. In May 2025, Bada and Jrick worked as stage directors for Kai's world tour, KAION, which was held in multiple cities worldwide. In the same year, Bada announced her first solo concert, titled Bada Lee: Deep Blue.^[19] She also joined Project LEE Dance Academy as a regular instructor.^[20]

Bada and her dance crew BEBE additionally performed at large-scale festivals, including Waterbomb Seoul and Waterbomb Singapore, and were selected as the opening act for the NBA China Games 2025 in Macau.

As choreographer

As performer

Concerts

Television shows

Radio

Music video appearances

Ambassadorships

Endorsements

Magazines