For nearly a decade, JM Yrreverre has proudly carried the Philippine flag through dance. As part of the renowned dance crew A-Team, he’s competed around the world, collecting medals, trophies, and titles while proving that Filipino talent belongs on the international stage.
But representing the country in competitions is one thing. Choreographing for two of the biggest girl groups in the world today is another.
From BINI’s “Step Back” to LE SSERAFIM’s “Boompala,” Yrreverre is proving that Filipino choreography deserves a place on the global stage—not just as performers, but as the creative minds behind the movement.
MEGA spoke with the young choreographer about creating for two powerhouse girl groups, putting Filipino dance on the world map, and why he believes no one moves quite like Filipinos do.
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Working With Girl Groups
For Yrreverre, choreographing for BINI felt like a full-circle moment. Having previously taught the members in a private dance class years ago, he already knew the girls—but creating a performance for them carried an entirely different weight.
“I was really surprised,” he recalled after receiving the assignment. “I’ve been wanting to work with them for the longest time, and I was so happy. Immediately, I listened to the track and I already envisioned what the dance would be like.”
Despite having only a week to complete the choreography and go through the approval process with both the performance directors and the members themselves, everything came together just in time.
Then came an email that completely caught him off guard.
It was from HYBE. Sort of.
“At first, it wasn’t disclosed to me which girl group it was,” Yrreverre laughed. “They were just inquiring about my rates and everything.”
The company simply asked him to create choreography for a girl group. Curious, he eventually asked how they had even discovered his work. And the answer surprised him.
HYBE had found him through his viral Choreo Cup 2025 performance alongside Femme MNL’s Kenshin “Gandarra” Tabion—best known as one of BINI’s Coachella backup dancers—and TPM’s Ashvinder Singh. “I didn’t expect that video would reach millions of people—especially HYBE,” he admitted.
Unlike what many fans might imagine, creating choreography for K-pop artists isn’t as simple as being commissioned for the job. Companies invite several choreographers from around the world to develop complete routines before choosing which movements ultimately make it into the final performance. “They had all the paperwork that described what they want for the whole choreography,” Yrreverre explained. “So basically, I had to create a full-length dance of the whole song with my own choreography.”
Whether every move stays or only a few counts survive the final cut is never guaranteed. “That’s the thing,” he said. “You never know if your choreography is going to be picked.”
“To be one of the choreographers considered, even if my piece doesn’t get picked or at least a chunk of my choreography gets picked, it’s just really such an honor.”
– JM Yrreverre
The pressure only intensified when HYBE asked him to submit his choreography in just two days. “When they asked me, I was in Greece, and they were asking me to submit in two days,” Yrreverre recalled.
He asked for a short extension, flew back to the Philippines, gathered his skeleton crew, and immediately got to work.
When the final credits rolled, only three choreographers had made the cut: acclaimed Korean choreographer and LE SSERAFIM performance director Soyeon Park, New Zealand choreographer Todd Williamson, and JM Yrreverre—the lone Filipino among them.
And just like that, years of discipline, countless competitions, and thousands of hours inside dance studios found their way onto one of the biggest stages in pop music.
Every Dancer’s Dream
For many dancers, working with global artists is the dream. For Yrreverre, it’s also a chance to show the world what Filipino talent can do.
“It’s been a dream of mine to actually put out my work on a more global scale,” he reflected. “On a more professional side, it’s really just an honor that people from across the globe are starting to recognize my work.”
“That’s been my long-time goal: to put Filipino talent on the global map for dance.”
– JM Yrreverre
His growing online presence certainly helped people discover him, but he is quick to share the spotlight.
Even with his name appearing in YouTube credits, Yrreverre remains grateful to the people who helped shape his journey—his dance family at A-Team and his home studio, Zero Studio, where he continues to create, train, and grow.
Filipino Soul in Dance
For nearly ten years, Yrreverre has proudly represented the Philippines in international competitions such as Body Rock and Hip Hop International. These days, his passport fills up just as quickly as his schedule, traveling from one country to another to teach workshops and share his craft with dancers across the world. In fact, he had just returned from Italy before sitting down for this interview.
But while technical skill has opened doors across continents, he believes there’s something far more difficult to teach—something uniquely Filipino.
Soul.
“When I take or teach classes abroad, people always tell me how my energy feels so different,” he shared. “‘You have so much life when you dance,’ they’ll say.”
That’s what makes Filipino dancers unforgettable.
“I feel like that’s how distinct Filipino dancers are. There’s so much life when Filipino dancers dance on stage and even just in class.”
Technique can be learned. Choreography can be memorized. But the feeling behind every movement—that unmistakable warmth and sincerity—is what he believes truly sets Filipinos apart.
“No one beats the Filipino energy and the soul of the dancers here. It’s not just technique or skills. It’s backed up with your feelings, emotions, and your energy.”
– JM Yrreverre
To the Dreamers
At just 25 years old, Yrreverre has already accomplished what many dancers spend their entire careers chasing. But this is only the beginning.
His next dream stages? The Super Bowl. Coachella. And if he’s manifesting dream collaborators, the list begins with only one name.
“Beyoncé,” he said without hesitation. “My number one idol. She’s my mother. I would die if I were to choreograph for her.”
Next comes Tyla, whose music and dance style he deeply admires, followed by BLACKPINK—another dream collaboration that suddenly feels much closer now that he has one foot inside the K-pop industry.
But none of these dreams appeared overnight.
Behind every opportunity were years of training, sacrifices, missed weekends, and choosing the studio over comfort. “My number one advice is to believe in the dream. You have to believe in it in order for you to actually be able to do it,” he advised.
Believing, however, is only the beginning.
“It’s gonna take so much of your time, your money, your energy, and that’s just the reality,” he admitted. Success doesn’t simply arrive because you dream about it. It comes from showing up every single day—even when you don’t feel like it.
His final piece of advice is beautifully simple: Don’t stop.
“It’s such a basic way to say to never stop,” he laughed. “But for me, I’ve always been doing so much. Every time I finish a job, I ask, ‘What’s next?'”
Perhaps that’s exactly what has brought him here.
From representing the Philippines on competition stages to choreographing for some of the biggest names in pop music, JM Yrreverre isn’t simply living his dream. He’s proving that Filipino dancers, choreographers, and creatives deserve to stand at the center of the global stage—and that the world is finally beginning to move to their rhythm.
Featured Image and Photos: JM YRREVERRE and A-TEAM (via Instagram)
Photographed by ELIJAH LOPEZ. Creative director MJ ARDA. Styling by MARK RANQUE. Hair by KEIGH DY. Makeup by JOEMEL REYES.
Frequently Asked Questions
JM Yrreverre is a 25-year-old Filipino dancer and choreographer known for creating the choreography for BINI’s “Step Back” and contributing to LE SSERAFIM’s “Boompala.” He is a member of the internationally competitive dance crew A-Team and trains and creates at Zero Studio in the Philippines.
HYBE discovered JM Yrreverre through his viral Choreo Cup 2025 performance alongside Femme MNL’s Kenshin “Gandarra” Tabion and TPM’s Ashvinder Singh. The company reached out to inquire about his rates without disclosing the artist. He received the final brief — with a two-day deadline — while in Greece, flew back to the Philippines, assembled a crew, and submitted his work. He was one of only three choreographers whose work made the final cut, alongside Korean choreographer Soyeon Park and New Zealand choreographer Todd Williamson.
JM Yrreverre had previously taught BINI’s members in a private dance class before being assigned to choreograph “Step Back.” He described it as a full-circle moment — having wanted to work with the group for a long time before the opportunity finally came. He completed the choreography within a week, including the approval process with performance directors and the members themselves.
JM Yrreverre believes Filipino dancers are distinguished by soul — an emotional quality and warmth that goes beyond technical skill. He describes it as the feeling and energy behind every movement, something international dancers and audiences consistently single out when watching Filipinos perform. He argues this quality cannot be taught and is what makes Filipino dancers unforgettable on any stage.
JM Yrreverre’s top dream collaborators are Beyoncé, whom he calls his number one idol; Tyla, whose music and dance style he deeply admires; and BLACKPINK — a collaboration that feels closer now that he has established a working relationship within the K-pop industry through his LE SSERAFIM credit. He also dreams of choreographing for the Super Bowl and Coachella.
