Wooyoung, one of ATEEZ’s main dancers, is a K-Pop idol that captivates audiences when he’s on stage. He has so much charisma and confidence when he performs that it’s impossible not to watch him, even when he’s surrounded by a group of equally talented idols — the other members of ATEEZ!

That’s why some people might find it hard to believe that Wooyoung didn’t always find it easy to appear cool and confident while dancing on stage. In fact, he actually struggled quite a bit with his dancing abilities back when he was a trainee.

Before Wooyoung became a trainee at his current label, KQ Entertainment, he actually trained at BIGHIT MUSIC (home to BTS) along with fellow ATEEZ member Yeosang. One time, he opened up to fans about the hardships he experienced and the mental struggles he went through as a trainee at BIGHIT before joining KQ Entertainment.

Wooyoung actually didn’t have a strong dance background prior to becoming a K-Pop trainee, which may come as a surprise to many considering that it’s arguably what he’s best known for now. During his time as a trainee at BIGHIT, he became disheartened due to the lack of progress he felt like he was seeing in his dancing abilities and unconfident because of the unsupportive environment he was in.

There was another trainee at the time (who would later debut as TXT‘s Yeonjun) that helped encourage Wooyoung through difficult times, which is why the two idols are still good friends to this day. But there was only so much that another trainee’s encouragement could help Wooyoung with, and he had to rely on his own strength to continue pushing forward.

Despite the obstacles he faced, Wooyoung had a drive and determination that couldn’t easily be broken. He ended up leaving BIGHIT to become a trainee at KQ Entertainment instead, and it ended up being the best decision for him to make. Between his hard work, immense effort, and the new, supportive environment he found himself in with people that cared for and encouraged him, Wooyoung flourished.

He continued to work hard and improve his performance abilities, and in time, he became the incredible main dancer that he is today in a group of other strong performers!

His skills are so recognized that he was chosen as “Artist of the Month” by Studio Choom a couple of years ago, and broke record views with his performance!

The ATEEZ members have also spoken many times about how Wooyoung, who was the last member to join the K-Pop group, was the missing piece that they all needed to debut. He’s proof that anyone can reach their dreams, as long as you don’t give up and surround yourself with people who will support you on your journey!