How Kyle Hanagami Edits Viral Dance Videos with Final Cut Pro

Sarah Jenkins · 2026-01-28

You've seen those incredible dance videos that seem to explode overnight. The ones with flawless transitions, perfect timing, and a visual rhythm that matches the music beat for beat. Ever wonder how they're made? For choreographer Kyle Hanagami, the secret weapon isn't just his dance moves—it's his editing process in Final Cut Pro. Let's pull back the curtain. Creating viral dance content isn't just about capturing great choreography. It's about storytelling through editing. The right cut can emphasize a musical hit. A clever transition can make a routine feel seamless. For dance professionals, mastering this post-production layer is becoming as essential as mastering a pirouette. ### The Editor's Mindset for Choreographers Think of your editing timeline like a dance floor. Each clip is a dancer. Your job is to choreograph their entrances and exits. Hanagami approaches editing with this same spatial awareness. He listens—really listens—to the music's structure before he ever makes a cut. Where's the build? Where's the drop? His edits serve the song's emotional arc, not just the visual. This mindset shift is crucial. You're not just splicing clips together. You're directing the viewer's eye and heart. A quick cut on a snare drum creates impact. Holding on a dancer's expression during a lyrical phrase builds connection. It's all intentional. ### Key Editing Techniques for Dance Videos So, what specific tools make a difference? Here are a few techniques that elevate dance content from good to share-worthy: - **Rhythm Editing:** Cutting precisely on the beat seems obvious, but it's about feeling the micro-rhythms within the beat. Sometimes the edit lands a fraction of a second before the hit for anticipation. - **Motion Flow:** Using transitions that follow the direction of a dancer's movement. A spin becomes a whip pan. A leap becomes a smooth crossfade. The edit continues the energy. - **Pacing for Story:** Not every section needs to be fast. Viral videos often have a moment of slow, focused intimacy that makes the high-energy sections pop even more. One of Hanagami's strengths is making complex choreography feel effortless to watch. The editing does a lot of that heavy lifting. It guides the viewer through the routine, highlighting the most impressive moments without feeling chaotic. ### Why Final Cut Pro Fits the Creative Flow For many choreographers and studio owners, editing software can feel intimidating. Final Cut Pro's magnetic timeline is a game-changer here. It's less about technical layers and more about fluid, intuitive arranging. You can experiment with clip order easily—dragging and dropping sections to find the perfect narrative flow. It feels more like building a routine than coding a sequence. "The tool should get out of the way of the idea," as one editor put it. When you're in a creative zone, you don't want to fight with keyframes and complex menus. You want to feel the music and make cuts that feel right. This software's design supports that instinctive process. ### Applying These Principles in Your Studio You don't need Hanagami's following to use these methods. Start small. Film a short combo from your next class. Import it and play with just two things: cutting on the beat and using one simple transition. Watch how the energy changes. Share it with your students and see their reaction. The goal isn't perfection. It's adding another layer of artistry to your work. In today's visual world, how you present your choreography is part of the choreography itself. Your edits are the final performance for the camera. They're what turns a great dance into a memorable, moving piece of content that people want to watch—and share—again and again. Take the leap, hit record, and then see what magic you can create in the edit.