Jessica's Travelogue

JustJerk is a famous and talented Korean dance crew. They became globally famous after getting to the quarterfinals of America’s Got Talent. At the time, JustJerk was doing something completely different in the dance scene in Korea–they were performing synchronized choreography. As Korea was focused on street dance, freestyling, and b-boying, synchronized choreography was generally looked down on. But with their success abroad, winning dance competitions, and performance at the Olympics, they were able to show Korea that synchronized dancing was something great.

JustJerk was also one of the earliest dance academies in Korea. Dancing used to be perceived as a dead-end job, where the dancer would not make any money. But, with the growth of the KPOP industry, overseas interests in Korean choreographies, and recent resurgence in the interests in dancing, JustJerk is one of the dance crew that is showing the world that dancing can be profitable.

Where is Just Jerk Dance Academy located?
There are two branches, but I have only been to the Hapjeong one so that is the one I will talk about (it’s also the main branch). The Ehwa branch was recently opened on May 10th, 2022. They follow the same procedure to register for classes.

The address is:
31, Jandari-ro 3gil, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Korea
서울 마포구 잔다리로3길 31 2충

It’s easy to walk to Just Jerk Dance Academy from Hongdae main street (shopping, clubbing, and busking street) or from Hapjeong Station Exit 3.

How to find classes to take:

JustJerk has two instagram profiles, one for Hapjeong branch and one for the Ewha branch. At the beginning of each month, JustJerk releases a dance schedule detailing what teachers will be teaching and at what time. Usually it is JustJerk members, a couple of long term teachers (like Koosung), or guest teachers will be teaching. Sometimes they even have special dance teachers from abroad like Brian Puspos!

If you are planning to take classes at JustJerk, be sure to follow their instagram page as they will update their story/post if a class suddenly cancels. Also, usually the day before, their story is updated with what choreography/song a choreographer will be teaching the next day. So it’s good to follow and see what to expect for class.

Click here for the Hapjeong Branch.

Click here for the Ewha Branch.

1.) Go to their instagram and click the month on their pinned stories.

2.) Click on the arrow on the right to go to the next pinned story within the album. The schedule is posted here.

How to sign up for classes:
Class registration opens at 3PM the day of the class. There is only in-person sign up available. Classes are 30,000 won/class. If you buy more than one pass there is usually a small discount. You can pay with card or cash.

How to enter the building:
The doors are locked. There is a bell for Just Jerk at the main entrance. Press on the bell and one of the receptionists will unlock the door for you by clicking on a button. Take the stairs up to the second floor and turn left. The reception to Just Jerk Dance Academy is there. Below is a picture of the 2nd floor entrance. Open the door then click on the button to open the second door. Originally, JustJerk had two cats so the second door was to prevent the cats from leaving.

Amenities:
There is a male and female changing room at the end of the hall/benches where you can leave your things.

Tips:
Just Jerk Dance Academy is a very trendy place to learn dance right now. A lot of people went here before Street Man Fighter. I feel like even more people will go after the show. I noticed that there has been a lot more foreigners there now. And they hired another receptionist? But their English was really good so there were no communication issues. Anyways, there are a lot of people who go to Just Jerk Dance Academy so be aware that some classes sell out fast! Classes for Bada Lee, J-HO, Yejun, and NAIN, for an example, usually sell out. So… you may have to go there right when it opens to be able to get a spot.

Also since there are a lot of people, it sucks to be at the back where you can barely see the teacher. I learned this the hard way the first time I went to Just Jerk. So arrive early, sign up for the class, and chill at the dance studio or walk around until 30 minutes- 1 hour before the class starts. Then wait by the reception area for when they announce which room your class will be in. The room you are in depends on how many people sign up for the classes. I think one room might be bigger than the other. Like other dance studios, it’s first come first serve so line up early so that you can get a spot closer to the teacher :))

If you guys have any other questions, please let me know! It was so nerve wrecking the first couple of times I went to dance studios in Korea. But after a couple of months, I am getting the hang of it now ^^