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K-pop, Mandopop, other Asian pop
LifestyleEntertainment

Lisa from Blackpink shows her strict side as superstar dance mentor on Chinese TV show: ‘I won’t be soft-hearted’

  • The K-pop star is the resident dance mentor on series two of the Chinese survival talent show Youth With You
  • Her no-nonsense approach upset some viewers, but other praised ‘strict’ Lisa for her professionalism

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Lisa from Blackpink showed her strict side as a dance mentor on Chinese talent show Youth With You.
Chew Hui Ling

K-pop’s Lisa is many things: fresh-faced maknae (youngest member) of popular girl group Blackpink, bona fide style icon with more than 31 million followers on Instagram and, most importantly, a charismatic dance prodigy who many aspiring idols look up to.

These are among the many reasons the multilingual star was chosen to be a resident dance coach on the Chinese survival TV show Youth With You, alongside other superstar mentors including mainland Chinese singer, dancer and rapper Cai Xukun, Taiwanese singer-actress Ella Chen and mainland Chinese pop singer Jony J.

Already in its second season, Youth With You is a voting-based programme on which 109 female trainees compete against one another for a chance to join an upcoming nine-member project group.

While Blackpink have been rapidly gaining popularity overseas, this marks Thailand-born Lisa Manoban’s first foray into the Chinese market and anticipation over her appearance was high. And although she is known for a sweet-natured persona, the 23-year-old surprised viewers with her straightforward attitude and unwavering professionalism.
Lisa from Blackpink trained for five years and her work ethic showed when she mentored talent show hopefuls in Youth With You.
Lisa from Blackpink trained for five years and her work ethic showed when she mentored talent show hopefuls in Youth With You.

During a recent episode, Lisa is seen reprimanding a trainee for messing up the choreography: “You don’t have to be sorry to me, you have to be sorry to your friends. If you don’t do it correctly, I won’t give you a pass. If someone doesn’t get it right, the others will have to redo the whole routine again.”

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