Far from only focusing on language learning, the Korean Language Club showed off its dance talents at the iWeek Global Talent Show Feb. 21, bringing an enchanted audience together under the banner of K-pop.
Korean culture is seen and heard around UTD’s campus almost daily, whether it be the bulgogi dishes offered at TeaCo or a SUAAB event playing NewJeans songs, and at the forefront of it all is the Korean Language Club. The organization, while mainly focusing on spreading Korean culture through teaching and learning the language, also frequently promotes other ways for students on campus to connect with the culture, such as through holiday and performance traditions. During iWeek, a week’s worth of multicultural programs and events organized by UTD’s Intercultural Programs, KLC chose to dazzle by performing to Black Swan by BTS.
The song represents an artist feeling a loss of passion for their craft, which was conveyed in the harrowing dance performed. The synchronization and partner work in the choreography created a somber energy. The crowd seemed to wait with bated breath as the performance started, only to transform into singing along with the original fan chants for the song, proving that there are BTS fans in every environment.
Although not taking home a prize, the crowd could be heard murmuring at the end of the dance that it was their favorite performance and the most technically challenging of the night. The talent show hosts described the performance as a powerful one beforehand, rightfully hyping up the crowd for a showcase of Korean culture not seen every day on campus.
Dancing is a major part of KLC, with the dance team performing at events around North Texas and having fun in each moment. Tharani Gunaseelan, a mechanical engineering sophomore, said she enjoys dancing with people who are like her.
“I think it’s just fun interacting and dancing with people who have similar interests to me,” Gunaseelan said. “When I was in high school and middle school, I didn’t really have that opportunity to be in a K-pop dance cover group.”
KLC’s gripping performance did not come without practice and its own story of how it formed. According to Gunaseelan, although the club began by only offering language classes, it later expanded into K-pop dance workshops as well, developing a formal dance team that performs complete K-pop covers.
KLC’s love for Korean culture doesn’t end with their K-pop choreographies but extends to other Korean cultural events in the DFW area like dance events and festivals. One such celebration is Chuseok, a holiday similar to Thanksgiving, which KLC observes by hosting a potluck dinner or having a meal with traditional Korean food.
These events are often best enjoyed with knowledge of the Korean language and customs. KLC’s classes, held weekly on Thursdays, are volunteer-led and cover multiple skill levels in Korean. The classes focus on small groups, with an exam required to determine one’s level before being placed into a learning group and events such as trivia, movie nights and more to contribute to one’s learning. But while language may be at the core of KLC’s mission, their dance performances have become indispensable, too.
“I feel that offering a cultural K-pop dance contributes to the globalization of K-pop,” said Gunaseelan. “KLC in a way is expanding the horizon of K-pop to global students and letting UTD know more of what K-pop is.”