'Street Man Fighter' Vata Responds to Allegations of Plagiarizing ATEEZ's Choreography

Mnet's ongoing dance competition show 'Street Man Fighter' contestant Vata has shared his response to the allegations of plagiarism.

On October 14, Vata took to his personal Instagram and shared his statement regarding the alleged plagiarism of his choreography.
Through the statement, Vata said:

I thought this would be a cold wind that would breeze by, but I'm writing this to stop the misunderstandings.

When I first heard the song ('New Thing'), I thought of the wilderness, so I made the intro of riding a horse or motorcycle. 

That's why there is a motion of starting an engine and a motion of getting off the bike. It's a story with a beginning, middle, and the end.

I believe the intention behind this sequence is entirely different from the choreography that it is currently being compared to.

As someone who loves the culture of dance, I believe that it is the best when artists and choreographers respect one another.

However, I do not think this is the case right now, which I find unfortunate.

Regardless of the reason, I feel apologetic to the viewers of 'Street Man Fighter' and everyone who has been showing support for We Dem Boyz for causing a controversy.

I will repay your love and support with greater performances. Thank you.
The allegations of plagiarism were first brought up after many pointed out that Vata's 'New Thing' choreography was "too similar" to Slovenian dancer Anze Skrube's choreography for K-pop boy group ATEEZ's 'Say My Name'.

Anze Skrube himself addressed the controversy and stated that he felt this was a case of plagiarizing.

Through a video posted on his Instagram, he said, "I'm only saying this because stuff like this happens a lot in the dance industry, and that's not okay. Let's not do that, people. If you get inspired by something, at least you could do is credit the creators."

(Credit= Mnet Street Man Fighter, 'anzeskrube' 'vata_500' Instagram, 'ATEEZ' YouTube)

(SBS Star)