K-pop Dance Association brings students together

Staff Writer

Korean pop music – also known as “K-pop” –is a worldwide phenomenon with its own unique culture, language and etiquette separate from traditional Korean culture.

A core component of K-pop is the elaborate choreography that often accompanies the music, and many of the dances have crossed into mainstream western pop culture through social media like TikTok. One student organization at UT is dedicated to expanding K-pop dance in the community.

The Korean Pop Dance Association was formed in the fall of 2022 by members of UT’s Korean Pop Appreciation Association who had a particular interest in dance.

Team members cited difficulties meeting new people during and after the COVID-19 pandemic as a foundational reason for forming the group. They decided to form the group as a way to find likeminded friends while also partaking in a beloved hobby.

“I personally decided to join because I love dancing and always wanted to do K-pop dance covers,” Alexandra Crowder, junior forensic anthropology major and KPDA president, said.

Founding member and junior social work major Hermie Forgue echoed Crowder’s sentiment.

“I joined KPDA because I have been a fan of Kpop since 2016,” Forgue said. “I have also enjoyed dancing since I was a little kid. After meeting people who had similar interests as me, I decided to be one of the founding members of KPDA.”

“Because of COVID, I was online, and I did not have a lot of people that I knew at UTK,” Jennie Kim, sophomore psychology major and KPDA vice president, said. “This is the first ever group that I joined after coming to UTK, and I decided to join to make friends and dance.”

Kim, who is Korean, says this was also an opportunity to honor her heritage.

“I joined this group because I am Korean, and I want to have pride in my culture,” Kim said.

The group practices twice a week at TRECS and at the Humanities and Social Sciences building. All UT students are welcome to join the team, regardless of experience level.

“We did a lot of social media recruiting through our Instagram page and got a lot of newcomers,” Crowder said. “A lot of people were hesitant at first, but we explained to them that anyone can join no matter what experience they have.”

Member Chelsea Chan, a senior majoring in public relations, says inexperience does not matter as long as one is dedicated.

“Anyone can join us, as long as they have a heart for dancing and willing to spend their time to practice,” Chan said.

So far, the team has done a few public performances, including placing second at the International House’s International Dance Competition on March 31. They are currently preparing for their spring showcase, which will be held at the James R. Cox Auditorium in the Alumni Memorial Building on April 20 from 7-9 p.m.

For more information about KPDA and KPAA, be sure to visit their Instagram pages @kpda.utk and @kpaa.utk.

Week of 4/24/23 - 4/30/23

The Weekly Crossword

by Margie E. Burke