10 Directors Including Taemin and Jennie, Mnet 'Street Woman Fighter'

Mnet will premiere 'Street World Fighter: Director's War' (hereafter 'SDP'), a dance survival show depicting the competition of performance directors who plan and direct entire stages, on August 18 at 10 PM. While the existing 'Street Woman Fighter' series focused on the confrontation between dancers, this time, the directors who design the stages themselves will take center stage. The recently released 'SDP' teaser showcased editing that highlights the competitive structure and tension among the participants.

The declaration of veteran directors who have been active at the forefront of K-pop stages

Casper, a former SM performance director who created stages for SHINee Taemin and oversaw Taemin's Coachella performance, is joining the fray. Casper expressed confidence, saying, "This is what I have always done, and I will clearly show what the profession of a director is like."

Shimizu, the performance director for IVE, is an individual who won the Grand Prize for choreography at the 2024 Choreography Awards. Shimizu said, "I hope the charm of the performance director profession will be known to many people through this show," adding, "I also intend to engage in it without regrets."

Renan, who has been in charge of aespa's performances, and Bada, who was part of the 'Street Woman Fighter 2' winning crew and was in charge of the choreography for aespa's 'Next Level' and 'Smoke Challenge', have also joined the lineup. Bada declared that she would show herself as a general director beyond being a choreographer and dancer.

Ingyu, who was in charge of the choreography for NCT 127 and Stray Kids and recently drew attention for Jennie's 'like JENNIE' performance, stated, "My goal is not to beat others, but to surpass my previous self with every work."

The profiles of the 10 directors divided into 'Genius types' and 'Strategist types'

The 'Genius type' director group includes Nine, Babyjuju, and Casper. Nine, the former leader of the 'Street Dance Girls Fighter' winning crew Turns, participated in the choreography directing for the 'K-pop Demon Hunters' OST 'Golden'. Nine said, "I felt interested in 'SDP' because it is a stage where I challenge myself as a director, not just a player," and added, "I will show a meticulous and capable director persona that differs from my young age."

Babyjuju, who has won 26 times in Waacking competitions, said, "I wanted to grow one step further through a new challenge," and "I will do my best until the end with Babyjuju's own bright and charming energy."

As 'Strategist type' directors, Baek Koo-young, Shimizu, Jung Min-jun, and Hash will compete. Baek Koo-young, a choreographer belonging to 1MILLION and a former SM performance director, has produced stages for EXO and The Boyz. Baek Koo-young said, "'SDP' is a stage where I can best show my world of work," and "This time, I want to be recognized for my best work."

Jung Min-jun has experience leading a win as a co-director at the US '2026 VIBE Dance Competition'. He emphasized, "I want to convey my story through my convictions," and "I definitely want to win so that the dance community can bloom again." Hash, who has strengths in large-scale performances, stated, "It is an opportunity to show my color to many people," and revealed, "My goal is to hear the words, 'I want to see that person's work next time too.'"

The challenge of 'Trend Maker type' directors who lead trends

Renan, Bada, and Ingyu are classified as 'Trend Maker type' directors. Renan has been expanding her presence in the K-pop stage by being in charge of aespa's performances. Renan said, "'SDP' is also another new challenge for me," and "I want to show a version of myself that has grown one step further as a performance director."

The competition unfolded by the 10 performance directors will premiere on August 18 at 10 PM on Mnet.