Bailey Drew Sok was born on February 24, 2004, in Placentia, Orange County, California, to Korean immigrant parents. Her mother, Judie Sok, had competed in Miss Korea 1987, placing seventh—a hint of the performance gene that would manifest dramatically in her youngest daughter.1 Growing up with two older sisters, Brittany and Kylie, who were actively involved in dance, Bailey was immersed in movement from infancy. Following a recommendation from the director of her sisters' dance studio, her parents enrolled her in formal lessons at just two and a half years old.2

Her early training was remarkably comprehensive: classical styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, and tap formed the technical foundation, while hip-hop would eventually become her signature. By age five, she was attending summer intensives in Los Angeles with choreographer Matt Steffanina.3 When Bailey was six years old, a YouTube video of her performance at the KAR Dance Competition garnered over 55,000 views, catapulting the young dancer into early viral stardom.4 At ten, Bailey shifted her focus to hip-hop and joined the all-girl dance group Buns & Roses to compete on Season 9 of America's Got Talent—her first major television exposure.5

In 2018, at just thirteen years old, Bailey joined S-Rank—an established dance crew led by Melvin Timtim—to compete on Season 2 of NBC's World of Dance. As the youngest member among adults, she held her own against seasoned professionals. The group won their Upper Team division and advanced to the finals, ultimately finishing fourth overall.6 Two years later, she returned to World of Dance for Season 4, this time as a duo with fellow prodigy Kida the Great, advancing to the semi-finals in the Junior Division.5

Between competitions, Bailey's career as a performer and instructor accelerated exponentially. By fourteen, she was teaching dance classes internationally—leading workshops across the United States, Australia, France, Portugal, Japan, Korea, China, and Poland.2 In 2019, she became the youngest instructor ever at the Fair Play Dance Camp in Kraków, Europe's largest dance convention.7 Her growing expertise led to collaborations with prominent artists as a backup dancer, including performances with Janet Jackson, Jason Derulo, Meghan Trainor, and Marshmello.2 That same year, she received the "Rising Star of the Year" award at the Arena Awards, cementing her status as one of dance's most promising young talents.8

Bailey's introduction to K-pop choreography came through an unexpected avenue: video games. In late 2018, she was among four dancers selected to choreograph "Pop/Stars," the debut single of K/DA—League of Legends' virtual K-pop girl group featuring Madison Beer, (G)I-DLE members Miyeon and Soyeon, and Jaira Burns. The collaboration with Ellen Kim, Stevie Doré, and Eileen Harman produced choreography that debuted at the 2018 League of Legends World Championship, eventually amassing over 640 million views on YouTube.9 At fourteen, Bailey had helped create one of gaming's most iconic musical moments.

The K/DA project opened doors to actual K-pop agencies. On December 23, 2019, SM Entertainment released Red Velvet's "Psycho"—and Bailey Sok, now fifteen, was credited as one of the key choreographers alongside former 1MILLION Dance Studio choreographer Mina Myoung.10 It was her first time setting choreography for a K-pop group. "This was the first time I've set my own choreography on a K-pop group and I learned so much throughout this process," she wrote on Instagram. "Being on the creative side of a job like this felt very new and scary but it was a dream."11 "Psycho" immediately topped domestic and international music charts, securing a certified all-kill—and making the fifteen-year-old California native a sought-after name in Seoul's entertainment industry.10

Following "Psycho," Bailey's choreography credits expanded rapidly across K-pop's biggest agencies. For SM Entertainment, she worked on Taemin's "IDEA" (2020), SHINee's comeback track "Don't Call Me" (2021), aespa's viral hit "Savage" (2021), Kai's "Peaches" (2021), and aespa's "Spicy" (2023).12 In a 2022 interview with Spotify's K-Pop ON! Track, she reflected on her approach: "For K-pop specifically, I'm learning to just remove myself from it, to do what I can to support the artist and whatever message and story they're putting out to the world."7

Her work with The Black Label artists proved particularly significant given her eventual debut. She choreographed Taeyang's solo returns "Vibe" (featuring BTS's Jimin) and "Shoong!" (featuring Lisa), even appearing alongside the Bigbang member in dance challenges for both tracks.12 She also created a new dance break for Lisa's "Money" that the Thai rapper debuted at BST Hyde Park 2023.12 Her portfolio extended to Jeon Somi's "Gold Gold Gold" and, eventually, MEOVV's debut track "Meow"—choreographing for The Black Label's first girl group despite not debuting with them.12 In 2023, Adweek recognized her contributions with the "Dance Creator of the Year" award at their Creator Visionary ceremony.8

In February 2024, leaked photos from The Black Label's training facilities circulated online, featuring trainees rumored to form the agency's upcoming girl group. Among the faces were child model Ella Gross, Shinsegae heiress Annie Moon—and Bailey Sok.13 The Korea JoongAng Daily reported on the viral images with the headline "Could K-pop get its biggest nepo baby yet?"—though Bailey's presence generated equal intrigue, given her established reputation as a choreographer.1 When MEOVV debuted in September 2024 with only Ella Gross from the leaked photos, fans speculated about Bailey's fate within the company.13

The answer came on June 6, 2025, when The Black Label announced plans to debut its first co-ed group. Three days later, official social media accounts introduced ALLDAY PROJECT's five members: Annie, Tarzzan, Bailey, Woochan, and Youngseo.14 The Korea Herald profiled the lineup, noting that Bailey "is already known in the K-pop scene as a choreographer" who "began working professionally at the age of 14" and whose experience included "being a backup dancer for Janet Jackson."1 Her journey from childhood dance prodigy to behind-the-scenes architect of K-pop hits had finally led to center stage—not as a choreographer, but as an idol herself.

ALLDAY PROJECT debuted on June 23, 2025, with the double title tracks "Famous" and "Wicked." True to her background, Bailey was credited as one of the choreographers for both songs—her creativity now serving her own group rather than others.12 The debut generated immediate impact: "Famous" skyrocketed to #1 on Melon's TOP100 in just three days, becoming the fastest debut track by a fifth-generation group to reach the top.15 The song held the #1 position for ten consecutive days on Melon's Daily Chart, while the music video surpassed 2.5 million YouTube views within sixteen hours of release.1

On July 3, 2025—just ten days after debut—ALLDAY PROJECT won their first music broadcast trophy on M Countdown with "Famous."14 The group's momentum continued through the year: at the 10th Asia Artist Awards on December 6, they received the Rookie of the Year award alongside the New Wave Award and Best Artist Award.16 Two weeks later, at the 2025 Melon Music Awards on December 20, ALLDAY PROJECT claimed another Rookie of the Year trophy at one of K-pop's "Big Three" year-end ceremonies.17 For Bailey Sok—the dance prodigy who had spent a decade shaping K-pop from behind the scenes—the awards represented something she had never received in all her years of choreography: recognition as a performer in her own right.