The K-Factor With BeomhanIn this episode, Beomhan explores the essential role of dance in the K-pop universe, going far beyond the stage. He covers every angle from the fan experience, including their passion for random dance events and K-pop dance competitions, to the professional world of choreographers and backup dancers. Get a full-spectrum look at how dance shapes the culture, energy, and global obsession with K-pop. This is your backstage pass to the rhythm that drives it all.
Hello everybody, Welcome back to The K Factor Everything k Pop with your host Bomhan.
I am your host, Bomhan.
And I realized, if you guys are kind of listening to this on the radio or the iHeartRadio app, you guys don't really know what this whole system is. So once again, I'm gonna introduce myself. My name is Bomhan. I was a former K pop trainee. I trained in Korea for about six years and I kind of now am doing a solo career here in America and this is my podcast. I get to talk everything K pop, everything that I experienced and discovered over like the past six years, and I get to kind of like share with you guys.
So to me, it's super fun.
I get to kind of talk about everything and not a lot of people kind of get the opportunity to, so for me as a blessing and I'm so happy to kind of share the K pop experience with the world. So thank you for listening, and let's let's get into it. Let's let's talk K pop, all right. So I have the top five K pop songs that are trending right now.
Number one is Stunner by ten.
Number two is I Do Me by Kiki, Number three Too Bad featuring Anderson Pac with g Dragon Hot with Laserafin Know About Me by n Mix And that's.
The top five songs. And sometimes it's just that simple. Okay.
We give you the latest news. We give you the latest kind of trending songs. You know we have TXT. TXT is doing a world tour promise starting on May third, twenty twenty five. We have eighties who just announce a new world tour. So'll make sure you guys get your tickets and enjoy that. Okay, have fun because it's been a crazy month in K pop. We kind of talked like controversies and like kind of gossip last time, and not a lot of new things have been happening since then, so we're just gonna get into it.
Okay.
Today we're talking about dance. This episode is about my love from my passion dance and what brought me to K pop, and we're gonna talk three different sides of dance in K pop. We're gonna talk kind of my experience as a trainee and kind of going through the system auditioning, what led me to dance and kind of how that shaped my career. And then we're gonna bring in a student from one of these dance teams who kind of do these covers, they do these videos and all these things, and we're gonna talk about their love for kpop and what is like to be on the other side, the receiving side, and we're gonna have a one on one conversation between me and them and kind of be like, oh, like, it's just seeing how my product.
Affects a consumer, you know. For me, that's amazing.
And then third, super special on the K Factor, we're gonna have one of my very close choreographer friends who has just recently got off in kikayo stage, has gone off all these like background like she's she's in there, she lives the industry, so we're gonna be able to talk to her as well. And yeah, this is kind of a special episode about my love dance. So let's let's get into it. Okay, dance. What is dance in K pop? I think I think visually K pop is all about just kind of keeping people engaged, you know, and I think dance plays such a huge part in it, and it's kind of like a new thing. I don't think dance was as big in the front stage until like you know, like BTS, until Black Pink Twice. For Black Pink and Twice, I feel like they really they really paved the way, you know what I mean for like girl groups to be able to kind of embrace that like just just dancing as their concept, and they're still kind of like just the world of K pop is still living in that influence, and I just have so much to say about it. But let me talk about my personal experience with Yes. Okay, when I was seven years old. I grew up in the city of New York, Okay, Coney Island, New York, and I would walk around the streets and I would hear in music on like whether it's the boardwalk or just like random corners up the street, and I'm like, Okay, what's going on.
It's just kind of like boom do do un.
And I would walk towards these little pockets and I'll see just groups of people dancing, and.
I'm like, that is so cool.
And I would go home and play Lege of Legends and then I would go and then like a kind of like the side, there's like things on the TV like America's Best Dance Crew and all these like cool, like super crazy crews, like Best Crew who kind of like were full of like Asians like Filipinos, like like kind of people who like look like me, just going crazy, and I'm like, wow, this is amazing. And I see like the Jabbelwalkies and like all these things. I'm like, wow, this is so cool. And then I would just just keep playing Legal Legends because I was like, that's not me, that's not you know. It wasn't until I was sixteen and then I saw BTS. I think the first video that I saw was Danger the Danger Dance Practice and I'm like, wait, this is incredible. How are they doing doing that? And they looked like me? And then I saw it on YouTube of people. I was like, wait, that's amazing, and I felt inspired. And then I went and I brought like like I was like six of my friends from high school.
I was like, Yo, let's let's cover this, let's cover thists. Whatever they're doing, let's do it, you know.
And then we got We had a group, we made seven people. We performed for our school talent show. We practiced for seven months for one BTS dance practice video, and we got last place in the Talent show. But I was like, you know what, I found like this love for dance and then I started. I was like, Okay, so all the things I started seeing on TV when I was a kid, I'm gonna go try that.
And I was like, oh, I'm gonna go try this. I want to go try this, and I started.
I left the K Pop Dance Team and I started like competing and doing like actual like hip hop like workshops and like all these things, and then I started.
Getting really good, you know.
But it all like sparked from that one moment of seeing BTS on my YouTube, and I feel like that's the that's the power of k pop. It brought like it brought me to my closest friends ever. I went off and kind of like started competing and all this stuff and just all sparked from BTS, just this one moment. And I feel like that's the beautiful thing about K pop. It could inspire people in a different way than anything else I've seen so far, and especially with this new generation. Like my six year old nephew can never sit down and watch pop music videos. He can never sit down and just watch it from beginning to end. But then if I put on K pop, he's engaged. I don't know what it is. He's six years old and he just keeps watching. He just keeps watching. Without k pop, without dance, without all these like visual elements of it, I don't think this would be possible. So I think a huge part of K pop is dance, and let's talk about it, and let's talk about it.
What was it? Like?
How did I get from weird kid growing up in Coney Island to training in Korea? Because I'm sure a lot of you guys, you guys watch these things and you're like, Okay, I can do like a cover or two, And I'm like, wait, what if I was a CA pop idol? I think everybody kind of had that thought in their life, or like what if I was a CA pop idol?
And that my whole life started from that thought as well.
I was taking the train home with my friend and I was like, I think I'm going to go to Korea and he's like, no, me so so stupid, and I'm like, okay, you're right, and then I never talked to him again. And then I went and I did a bunch of auditions. So what is auditioning for a K pop company. Like as a dancer, I wanted to show off my skills, so I auditioned for a bunch of companies in New York City and things just kept up. Opportunities will come and I'll sign up and I'll go and I'll do an audition, right, And how these like public auditions work when they come to your city is they'll have like a like a studio or something, and then they'll have a time for which people come in and then you just go and they're like, hey, what's your name? And then they're like okay, what do you do? And then I'm like I dance and they're like do you do anything else? I'm like no, and they're like okay. And then they call you in a room and you go in and then you dance. You do your little dance. They'll go get out and then they'll either call you out or they won't. And my story, I've never gotten called back from one of these companies. However, I know a lot of people who have found a lot of success being scouted from specifically these things. They'll go through the first round, then they'll go through the second round. Then they'll apply to Korea do another round, and they'll be like, oh, okay, this is this is our guy. For me. I did a bunch of these auditions and then I was like, okay, I didn't get in and that's okay, and I just keep on competing and doing all these things right, and I think that you should do it, because then I know you're listening, You're like, oh, like all this, I like learned one or two songs, Like, I don't know if I should do it.
You should do it.
I have met some of my closest friends ever in life through one of these auditions, and I think it was specifically like this like jyp audition like back in like twenty sixteen, and I don't even think they were looking for dudes.
Literally, they're like a girl group all day. And I was like, I'll do it, dude.
And then I went and I auditioned, and it was just like people who were just coming for fun. And then you go and you meet people and then you get like Instagrams and then you share it and you guys like hang out like that's a great time. And I feel like that's also a beautiful thing about K pop going to concerts, going to like fan meets going to like cafe events like whatever it is. It's like you meet people who like the same thing as you. You know, go to that audition, and who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and or maybe you won't, and that's just life.
And you just move on.
I did a bunch of these auditions and then I didn't get in, but I kept posting on social media, and I was giving my social media to a lot of these agencies, right, and then I eventually got scouted and they were watching my dance videos and all this stuff, and they're like, hey, I think you have to look to do this.
Can you come and audition?
And I flew all the way to Canada to audition for this company, and then they took me on tour and they're like, okay, cool, like this is our guy, and they gave me the name Bomhann.
And then I moved to Korea.
Something that's interesting about dancing k pop from back then too. Now I think it's like the evolution of it. When I first went to Korea, there were dance was not emphasized in their training like at all, like literally at all. My uh soun min names like my elder members. They didn't dance like in their training, they never trained dance before they got scouted. They were evaluated on dance, like at all, I'm the first person in this company who dances, And I thought that was weird. But then as like and then that was kind of like my reason for going so hard at it. I was like, Okay, if in this world of singers and whatever, right you guys do that, I'm gonna be really good at what I do. And then I kept on training dance, and then I was like, okay, give me more hours on dance, give me more hours on dance. And then I was like, okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna find a way to make this special thing the most special thing ever. And then I would I was supposed to have like a group, and I was like, Okay, this person, my friend, he's gonna sing his butt off. Oh, this person he's gonna like wrap his butt off, and I'm gonna I'm gonna do my job, you know. And then and then and then COVID came, and then I ended up having no group members, and I was like, wait, I'm now I'm just dancing on my own.
What's going on? So we were like, oh COVID.
So I was just like stuck in a basement, like by myself for like a year, like being quarantined.
I was like, I don't know what to do, but I'm really good at dance.
I'm gonna find a way too become famous with this then, and then I made a TikTok and then I started dancing on TikTok because I don't have to sing on TikTok. Heck, yeah, you know. So I was like, Okay, I'm stuck in this basement. I'm doing this training routine where they have me like dancing from midnight to six am and like all this stuff.
Right, I'm like, okay, I still like I have some time.
I could, I could, I didn't do it TikTok, right, And I made a TikTok and then I started doing vlogs. I started doing dancing and like all these things, and then I started going viral. And still at that time, dancing was not that big on TikTok either, Like you like, oh my god, if you go on TikTok now and you see like a K pop dance video and it has like six million likes, thirty million views, and like all these things, yo, It was not like that when I first started TikTok, and I think it was like back in like twenty nineteen, right as COVID hit. You see like a K pop like like a dance video or dance challenge on TikTok and it's probably one group ever doing it. It's filmed on like like a Nokia and then it has like twenty thousand views then and then but then but then it's like that's like Koreans and like and like like there's like a local for.
You page, you know.
And then for me, I was like, okay, I'm gonna do TikTok, but I want more than twenty thousand views. So I brought in like Western trends and I started doing Western trends, and I started doing the kick Korean trends, and I would do like the K pop trends and it would get like fifteen ten thousand view it was I'm like, okay, cool, and then I'll do like a Charlie Demilio dance and it'll get like six million, and I'm like, what the heck is going on? So I built myself a low system because there because dancing was just so not a thing in K pop, so I build says somewhere. I was like, Okay, I'm gonna go do these Western trends and I want to go do this and I'm gona build this Western trends and i'ma do this and all the while, still like training, I was writing raps, I was releasing music and all this stuff, and I was just kind of like, Okay, this is my thing, because this is my thing, you know, and I'll be patient, I'll wait for members to come, and it didn't really happen. Dance is literally what fueled this entire thing that I have, and you know, I'm so grateful for it and I love it.
I'm such a nerd.
And on this podcast, we're gonna be talking to like so many of these choreographers and all these people who who brought K pop to career like this, the style of dance that K pop is now, Who who was the trailblazer of this style, you know?
And like what who brought it to Korea from America?
You know? So We're gonna be able to talk to all these people, and I'm just so excited. Now let's talk to you the fans. And one of the greatest things about the show, in my opinion, is the opportunity for you guys to kind of engage. So if you're listening in once again on either iHeartRadio app or the radio wherever it is, just know that if you guys follow us, you guys will have an opportunity to be on the show and talk to the guests and also talk to me. And we're gonna have a little fan interview with you guys right now, because I think the fans is one of the biggest parts of K pop in general.
So what is it like? What is it like to be a captain of a dance club?
Was it like to be so passionate about kpop that you go and you spend your free time learning these dances?
So let's do it and let's bring in the fans.
All right, everybody, please welcome Maya to the show.
Hi, Hi Maya? Could you please introduce yourself to the audience. Please, Hi, everybody.
My name is Maya.
I'm a performer and I love keepop Heck yeah, how old are you, Maya?
I'm fourteen years old.
You are fourteen years old, and what they told me is that you currently are in.
A high school k pop dance team. Is that correct?
Yes, there's a K pop group and they do little performances.
Here and there West City. And where do you live, like, you know, Austin, Texas in Austin.
Okay, thank you for coming onto the show and today I just kind of wanted to talk to you about dance, you know, because you're on a dance team. You run a podcast. Could you talking about your podcast a little bit?
Yeah?
So I started it in twenty twenty three, wow, one year after I got into K pop, and I was just talking to my mom about all of these things I was hearing. I was like, bts and and they're going to serve in the military and I'm going to be back for like two years.
Five.
And I was like, why are.
You telling me this?
Okay?
I was like, do you want me to do with all this information? And she said a podcast?
Okay.
So I wanted to make.
A podcast so I can be able to show and tell people my news and my idea and our thoughts because I didn't have that, and so I wanted that to be.
Okay, technically, you're my sun Bay because you started before me, So I, yeah, you're you're my superior Wow, yeah, thank you. I have to take notes from you, and I feel like that's kind of like also like the beautiful thing about k pop too. You know, it's like things happen and you want to talk about it and you want to share things.
You know. What brought what brought you to your dance team?
Well, I joined the school and then I went to on the tour. Okay, they had just finished the K Pop dance performance. I think they were doing some ESPA Supernova and stuff.
Like that, okay, and I was like, whoa, this is.
Awesome and then I and then I joined and so I've been just doing that performances.
How did you first, Like, was that your first experience and your first exposure to K pop or did you discover it before?
No, I wasn't.
I saw a poster and I was like, they're kind of cool. And then I started listening to their music. Okay, I was like I listened to DNA by BTS and that was probably.
Like the first song.
Okay.
I was like, this is really good.
And so I always have playlist and then it just kind of spiraled from.
There and then you were just like, Okay, this is like super cool.
You were watching and then well, it's like.
A whole fandom, it's a whole experience.
And then I just dove from there, okay.
And then you went to tourist school and you're like, oh wow, that's the K pop thing. And then you went and you joined and you've been K pop dancing since. What was the first cover that you ever did?
It was probably Thunderous by Stray Kids.
Oh that's a good one.
You performed it and I learned it in my kitchen one day that I didn't have school and I was just learning it and.
I was like, this is really good.
Okay.
Watching me, she's like, what are you doing?
Are you the first person in your family to kind of like get into K pop? Yes, that's cool. Where where's your family from?
Columbia, South America?
Columbia South America? Are you like, did they come to America like when they did? I was born here though, Okay, so your first generation and then you're you're in this Colombian kitchen.
It's just straight is Thunderous? Okay? Cool?
Is that like your song? What is like your K pop song? What's your favorite K pop song of all time?
Biased time?
Did A did like a song with Felix and it's my favorite song.
Okay, okay, is that your favorite group? Straight kids?
Yes?
Kids?
Nice? I want you to.
I want to kind of pick your brain about what what got you into this life, kind of like how you're balancing this and all this stuff?
Right?
Uh? Have you had any recent performances that you remember.
I think the most recent one was K Pop Night when I watched you perform Okay, Austin, Iron and Impossible.
You know when I noticed.
What I noticed in Austin was that it's actually like a much smaller city than like I imagined. Right, It's not like really a place that I would imagine K pop being around like like five, six, seven years ago.
You know.
So like when you go to school and you kind of like look around you and you're like, okay, I have this love for BTS, stray kids, like all these people. Do you kind of look around and see people with like a similar interest or kind of not yet.
There's a couple of people.
I feel like I have gotten a lot of people into K pop that are in my class, and sometimes they fall out of it, but I'm like, I love this and this is what I want to do. So if they don't want to do it, that's fine, and I'll get other people and I'll just make have fun with other people.
And would you say that's like a hard thing to do. So I kind of just find like more and more people who like enjoy the same thing. Yeah, okay, especially like where you're from, right, How big do you think K pop plays in your life?
You know, like what percentage of your life is.
K Like seventy five percent of my life.
That's a lot of that's a lot of percent, especially when you're in school. That's incredible. And it's like, you know, like for me when I first got into K pop, it was because I kind of looked at kpop and I was like, wait, he looked like me, and they're doing all this cool stuff, Like I want to do that. You know, kind of what was the thing that pulled you in? Like what was the thing where you saw bts and was like what is it about them that kind of was like, Oh wow, this is like the coolest thing ever.
Just their energy in this stage, hearing and performing. It was really really captivating. Just being able to perform and have the sea of fans just like waving your light sticks.
It was just mesmerizing to see that.
Yeah, I feel like last for me it was also the same thing. I was like, oh wait, they exist in this moment, and all the fans who are there watching also exist in that moment, and then they get to celebrate together.
I have a question.
If you never discovered K pop, if you never saw that video on YouTube, if you never saw the K pop dancing thing on tour on your school tour, do you think your life would be different?
Yes?
How so? Well?
I feel like I wouldn't be so so energetic as I am music because when I was in fifth grade, my obsessions were Hamilton okayoo, and that was all I listened to. Okay, and then yes, and I was like this is really really cool okay, and.
Then now it's all I listened to.
So honestly, I don't really know what I would look like right now if it wasn't for kate pop.
That's beautiful, okay. So, so how long do you think you've been you've been in this space? How long do you think you've been a K pop fan?
Four years?
Four years? Okay?
So in these four years, is there one dance practice video? Is there one choreography on one piece of is it one project that you feel the most connected to.
Well, some people don't consider this k pop.
Okay, I'm gonna says, Okay, if.
You know, if you know Katsai, Yeah, I watched a Dream Academy all the way through and then I just watched through and now Katsai and I have their albums and it's just so cool seeing the diversity in this group, Okay, and how much work.
They put into it.
Okay, probably Catsize the biggest group that's had the most impact on me personally.
What makes you love a dance?
I mean like you're watching all these videos and you're like, Okay, this one's all right, this one's good. Oh we're going to cover this one. What kind of gives you that feeling?
I feel like it has to be the energy that the person doing the dance has to give.
Okay just puts.
Everything into their dance practices. Along with straight kids, they will go all out, and just to see them with all the energy that they put into the dance makes me want to replicate that dance as well. And then seeing other creators replicating the dance, and then me wanting to know the dance so I can replicate it as well.
Okay, really what motivates me? Do you have a favorite K pop dancer?
Leno from Straight Kids?
Oh, Leno from Straight Kids. I see and understand your love of K pop. Thank you for spending your time here today, and I really appreciate everything that you have shared, and thank you for being yourself and kind of embracing the moment and being one of our first guests.
And I'm so glad I got this opportunity. Thank you so much.
Thank you as well, and welcome Amber, Hi, Hi, nice to meet you.
Nice, just meet you too.
Where are you from.
I'm from Austin, Texas.
Austin, Texas. Okay, I think we have talked to a couple of people from Austin.
How is it? It's nice here, It's nice.
Yeah, yeah, I was there recently, which is where I think I saw you in the audience.
Hello, Amber, Hi, K Pop Night.
I did a little performance in Austin, and and now she's here.
Now she's here.
That's what happens if you becomes a Yeah, we're going to kidnap you and we're going to put you on the podcast.
Perfect.
Yeah, okay, Well, welcome. I want to ask you some questions is that okay?
Yes, that is okay?
All right. When when did you first discover K pop? Amber?
It was actually on June tenth, twenty twenty two, I remember the exact date.
WHOA Okay.
I was on the phone with my friend and I asked her if I should play any music and she said, you should play pop by Neon. I asked her if that was K pop and she was like yes, and I was like, I don't like K pop. I don't want to play it. She was like just okay, and so I played it and I liked it, and then she started introducing me into more groups like it's see twice, straight kids.
Yet, Wow, that's incredible. So you were in the car soone and she was like, put this song on and you're like.
No, I was at home.
I was at home. I was on the phone with her.
Oh okay, and you're like, oh, ew, what's it k pop? And then and then you listen to it and you're like, waites fire.
Yes, that's exactly what happened.
Okay. So from that moment to now, what has been your who has been your favorite group?
Straight kids?
Straight kids?
Yes?
Wow, I've been getting a lot of straight kid answers also, Okay, what is your favorite song by Straight Kids?
Probably waiting for Us? Okay, so a part of their on album.
What what was it about that first moment? You know what I mean? Like you're like, I don't I'm not really convinced.
I don't really like K pop, but then you put it on and then there was that moment where you're like, wait, what was that was that?
What was that for you?
Like?
What was it about it?
I was mostly used to hearing about like BTS and stuff. I didn't really know a ton of other groups besides BTS and Black Pink. So I was like, I've heard some of their music and I don't really like it. I didn't know that there was other groups basically, and I heard pop and I was like, whoa, this is kind of like similar to the other music I listened to. I was like, maybe it's not that bad.
Oh, I You're right, Like there's a lot more K pop groups than people realize, Like now, like at Coachella, you know, and Hyphens performing like Black Pink's performing all this stuff you see, like you see j Hope All You're like, maybe maybe this is for me, Maybe this's not for me. But then you don't realize like thousands of groups debut a day, Like I think that's crazy. Yeah, Like they they gave me a list the staff. They gave me a list of recent K pop releases. I was like, I don't think I'm gonna read this. We have Renco debuting with Two's Connie. We have Shin Soong, we have Home Guns, we have lim Tehjuan, we have Zero Wave. I'm like, Wow, everybody's debuting, so you know, like there's there's something out there for everyone. Yes, you know, and for you it was now on pop and then it led you straight into straight kids.
Yes, that's exactly what happened.
Crazy.
Do you have a favorite memory as a kapop fan, like going to like a fan me going to a concert or like watching something with your friends.
I think it was when I went to an It'sy concert for the first time for my twelfth birthday. Oh my gosh, I think about that a lot.
Okay, what year was this?
This that was two thy twenty three, I believe you.
Oh my yes, gosh.
I feel like like like that that general ration of girl groups, like they they brought dance. You know, that's exactly what no one was serving like they were serving and then yeah, like I feel like you watch that, you're like, oh wow, this is possible.
And then yeah, it was like I think I think specifically that concert was well like led me into learning more K pop dances.
Okay, you do learn K pop dances? Oh yes, I know, like eight Okay.
Okay, you're like the champion of like the random k plans of the random play dance.
Okay.
Yeah, you're like, wow, she has been doing straight cardio for the past forty five minutes. That's your Okay, awesome, cool, Okay.
Out of all of these dances, what is what is your favorite?
Oh?
Walking on Water by Stray Kids.
Wow. Wow. So do you like boy group dances more or like girl group dances?
I like group dances more because they challenge me a lot more, and girl group dances do. But I know my fair share of both.
Yeah, I feel like, what do you what do you think is the biggest difference between the two?
You know, what makes it a grow group?
Boy group dances they have a lot more difficult movements and it's more like on a it's more on a hip hop side, whereas girl groups are more pop but they have like they're kind of similar, but they they're contrasting perfectly at the same time.
Uh huh. Yeah, that's that's a good point. That's a really good point.
It's interesting that you say that because I think like girl group dancers have harder movements. Like when I was training your stuff, they're like, okay, like like some days we have to learn girl group dances, some days you have to learn group dances. Whenever it comes into girl group dances, I like, I want to swallow a bullet. Had Sorry if that's a little graphic, but I think like boy group dances, they're more hip hop inspired, like you said, which is really it was really insightful, And gogu dances are more like in the hips, more street jazz, you.
Know, yes, exactly what they are.
Yeah, so I don't have like foundations and street jazz. You know, I got my hipstone, my hipstone.
I can't.
I simply can't, you know. So, I think it's interesting that you say that, what do you dance to school?
Yeah, there's a dance team, Okay, please tell me more about so they'll bring in girls and you can audition. It's a ton of different dance genres, like contemporary jazz hip hop, very very difficult stuff.
And what'd you audition for?
They gave us a tryout dance? It was I think it was a jazz dance.
So you're telling me you have experience doing like like more like traditional like like jazz, contemporary hip hop, like all these things for your for your dance team, and then you're doing these eighty K pop dance covers you do, coming out to these kbole concors and just just just busting it down at the Okay, cool. What what do you think is the most different from K pop dances when you learn it?
And uh, this kind of stuff you learn in school, doctor.
Learn in school, it doesn't really I mean, it has emotion, but it feels forced, whereas K pop dances it's kind of on you, like there's more improv in those. In school dances, it makes you feel like everything you're following, you're just following what you were taught. K pop dances you have more freedom.
That's how I feel about kipps.
That is so crazy that you say that, because when I'm in Korea, that's what I'm taught, So I feel I mean, yeah.
It's different because like you're trained I'm.
No, because then I also for me, it's the complete opposite because I also take workshops. I go out, like even when I'm in Korea, Like my my system was a little bit different where I went out to the teachers, so I would go like dance classes and like all this stuff, right, and what they teach me in the company, I'm like, I'm just going through emotions, and then what I learned outside in the academy, I'm like, this is where I can improv and be myself and express myself. So it's a complete opposite.
Because like you're like, you're like getting trained to do like these capeo dances and stuff for like fans, it's more on your own time. I don't necessarily have to learn them.
It's just sure you want that.
Sure, But what you're gonna stand still at the random dance roulette?
Oh what do you? Oh my god? I never I never say it properly.
What is it?
Random cape dance, random play dance?
Like it's just called random dance?
I guess, okay, random dance. Okay. We have a lot of listeners where new can you explain what a random dance is?
So they usually held at like K Pop events, okay, k pop based events, they'll have music videos or dance practices from popular groups come on, like popular songs, and they'll usually have like the mirror version, so if you get mixed up, you'll be able to see it. And if you know the dance, you'll like go out into like this circle, or if there's a stage, you'll go on to the stage and you'll do the dance. You'll do as much as you know, and if you don't know what you just stay on the sides and cheer everyone on and it just continues until it ends.
Wow.
When I first saw this for the first time, because this was like after like I already left Korea when I was like seventeen, I've never seen all this stuff. Right first time I saw it, I was like, what in the step up three is happening right now? Like it felt like a club where everybody was just like, it's my turn to go, and then they're they're busting it down in the dance board. It's like ten people doing the same choreography. I'm like, this is the craziest thing I've ever seen in my life. So that's random, that's random. This Yeah, it's exactly awesome. Cool and and on on the K Factor. Right now we have the champion. Yeah number one, thank you, Thank you for your time.
Amber.
Is there anything that you wanted to say to the audience or anything that you wanted to share.
Just like, if if you're interested in something, keep going at it. There's stuff you can do, so like, you can make your own K pop dance group if that's what you want. You can make your own podcast, you can make your own whatever. If you have an interest for something, you can stick to it because that can really benefit you in the future. Thank you, thank you for having me.
Take care, have a great day.
Oh bye wow, Thank you, Ember, thank you for your time. And I think that's a beautiful point that she brought up. And I think that is the most important part about K pop. You know you enjoy it, there's gonna be someone else who enjoys it. You can go and random play together, you can you can go to these concerts together. You can make all these memories and as you can see from the conversations that we've had, it will change your life.
And now let's move on to our next guest.
Okay, everybody, please welcome Beeho's calling in today and thank you for your time and your presence.
Could you please introduce yourself.
Hey, I'm Bee. I'm from San Antonio, Texas.
Rep.
San Antonio, Texas on a dance team. Well, it's Evolve under Echo Fied Company.
Okay, what else? What else?
I'm twenty three okay, what else?
What else?
I'm bright and fun.
Okay, what else?
And I have been dancing since I was a kid, all right, for a long time, long time. But I've competed it off and on and actually coming up soon I will be competing in Houston with a different team. Yeah, I'm excited for that. I'm really excited for that. And I've been performing K pop. I've been into K pop since twenty sixteen.
Wow.
And I've been dancing k pop like the all of that good stuff for about five years now.
Okay.
I kind of want to like know more about this like world of of K pop cover competition and all these things.
Are you in like a school team or is this something like outside?
No, this is something outside. So Echo Fi Company in general is one of the first kpop up cover groups in Texas. Okay, so every every state's a little bit different. In Texas, at least I can assure that competing in general, I've seen I've been to a lot of competitions. I've seen a lot of competitions. It's it's very competitive, very competitive, but there's also a lot of like camaraderie, I guess, like at the end of the day, happy to be there, you know what I mean.
So it's like you're competing against each other, but you're still like just one big community, you know.
Yeah, like literally, like I know majority of the teams in all of the big states. Oh wow, we're all fronts and we all get along type stuff.
Yeah, there's like national tournaments, not like tournaments, but like competitions, right, and I've like judged in a couple of them, but I have like no idea what's going on.
Like I'm like, I'll do like a I'll do like a.
Little performance, and then there's like, oh, there's like a KPE pop dance contest and they're like, oh, this team is from Florida, this team is from Texas, this team is from Like so you're doing these competitions, Okay, how is it like usually graded?
Like one of the kind of things are you when you practice?
So I've also talked to a few of my friends who judge, So it's different at every competition. Some people like they they they judge you based off of performance wise, like are you giving facials? Are you performing to the crowd the audience?
Technics serving entertainment?
Are you literally are you serving like make it or break it? At that point, it's also technicality as well, like they're judge technical or are you doing the because you know, some people will also create their own version of their choreography and so of the original choreography, so it's like is that good, Like did you eat on that? Or like it just depends. It really depends on the judge and on the competition in general, but those are the main Also, are you like keeping up you are? Are you getting tired halfway through? It's obvious we know, well want to serve?
Yeah, thank you for insight. That's pretty cool. I did not know that does how it works? I apparently have been judging wrong. Yeah, well just a little bit, okay, we won't tell. I think the most important thing to me, maybe it's the audience is do you have fun doing this?
Absolutely? I didnot one. I love dancing, so K pop dance in general is like you're you're getting the best of both worlds. You're being able to support the group or the artists that you're covering while also dancing and having fun. And especially with my team Evolve, we really it's very family oriented, Like we are very family, we're not friends, and they just make it so much more fun dancing with your friends, dancing with people that you actually care about. It's something that it's like, I don't.
Know, dude, It's like it's a community.
It is fun.
Yeah, how has your life changed since like joining one of these teams, Like, do you think you'd be the same person?
No, okay, absolutely not.
Like I'm originally from I'm not from Like I wasn't born here in San Antonio, and so moving to San Antonio and being on the team and moving here as an adult, not being able to make friends with school and stuff like that, like having that kind of community be there for me when I needed them the most, and like helping me create friends and bonds and stuff like that with people Like it's I don't know, without my team, I don't know where i'd be, especially like I'd probably very alone if I was by myself, if I didn't go to that audition, if I did not go to that audition, but it's very much changed my life After high school. I wanted to quit dancing as well, because I'm like, this isn't I want to be an actress, this isn't.
What I want to do.
So but it brought me back into dance and so I appreciate it and it's made me love it a lot more.
Okay, did you what was your previous dance experience. Were you like part of like a school program?
Where were you catch I did?
I took class classes. I took classes.
Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.
I took classes here and there. I would take my mom may or my grandma would put me into them here and there. And then in high school especially, I did what's called show choir, okay, and I don't know what young guys know about show choir, but that's singing and dancing and it's kind of like right right, and that really and then I did like dance teams and I had to self teach myself well sometimes too, when he's when he's tight and.
This girl dancing is expensive.
I feel like that, yeah, no, no, I feel that, Like I feel like one of the cool things about K pop two is like you just watch videos and you learn, but but then, like like twenty years ago, you're like, I want my kids to dance, and it's like, okay, give me a billion dollars dollars and then your kid get like bullied and like ballet Academy and like all these things. You know, but then it's like it's like like what you're experiencing cures, Like it's like, oh, I couldn't make friends like here here here, But then I'm really passionate about this. I just learned this on YouTube, and all of a sudden, you look around there's like twenty other people who just enjoy it, and you just enjoy it together. You know, you just enjoyed together exactly, and your parents didn't have to pay a good jillion dollars.
I guess what, it's free ninety nine.
Yeah, dude, finally discounts actually have the dollar tree.
Exactly in my bestroom.
Like these concerts, these concerts are not free ninety nine. And that's for sure. You've been ye you started, you've been to a concert recently. No, but I'm going to two okay, which ones?
I'm going to straight kids and I'm going to.
Eighties, eighties, eighties and sh Straight is on tour. Yeah, bro talking about this on the podcast. We're not even talking about this on the podcast. Thank You You want.
A going Okay, Yeah, he has experienced before and then kind of like transitioning into K pop. What is the difference that you see the most, Like being in both communities.
I feel a lot less pressure, Okay, if that makes sense, Like not to say that competing or performing is not like like there's still like anxiety and there's still nervousness because you are performing in front of that crowd. You are performing in front of those dudches, just like a dance competition, an ordinary dance competition. But I just feel like there's a lot less pressure. There's there's more emphasis on having fun, yeah, and enjoying yourself and just embracing the fact that you know you're there with your with your team, and you're representing your team, your city, your state or whatever, and you're just having fun doing it because you've listened to the songs a million times, you've been practicing, you're good, Like there's nothing for you to worry about. Like there's just a lot less anxiety about it, at least for me personally.
There's someone out there who who was in that position, you know, went through ballet academy or whatever. It's like, God, this is like toxic. I don't really want to do this anymore, you know. And they're like, Okay, I want to try, Like I want to try joining a capeop dance team.
What would you say to that person, if it's a.
Dance team in Texas, I would say, choose wisely.
Oh, okay, OKAYI wow.
Don't allow if you are seriously wanting to join a team, join it. Don't allow outside perspective to dictate what team you join. Okay, try it for yourself. If you like it, stay on the team. If not, there are a million other teams in Texas that you can easily join and also pick a good audition song. Pick a good audition song. Okay, that's really performative. Wow, because a lot of teams like that. A lot of teams like even if you mess up, keep going, Okay, you mess up because that makes people mad.
Wow.
I didn't think about that. Choose wisely because it's kind of like you're choosing your friend group for like the next couple of months. Yeah, it's like if you're not fib and you're not getting along. Okay, I didn't even think about that. That's cool, Okay. So audition well, audition with what you're confident in, and choose your friends wisely because these are the people you're gonna be hanging out with.
Yeah, let's with these guys for years.
Three years. Wow, that's incredible. Two years okay, okay, almost three?
Actually almost three.
Would you say this is something that you would recommend to people?
Yeah, I think it's a great I think it's a great experience. Like honestly, it's so it's definitely got Like I said, it's definitely gotten me back into dance and so and it's also a fun way. Like even my younger sisters like because we come from a town where kypop are the closest thing to K pop is Barnes and Nobles. So it's like like we don't we don't got anything out there, and so like there's no teams, there's no events, there's no stores, there's no nothing. We got Target and Barnes and Noble.
That's it, okay, okay.
And so they're always talking about how jealous they are that there are opportunities like this in states, So especially if you're in a state that has these, take advantage of it. My gosh, please, there's people who wish they were you, just know that.
They were you.
That's crazy. I grew up in New York, so that's that kind of thing. Was always around me. Super accessible.
Thank you.
Is there anything else you want to say to the audience today? Stan Eate's stan AT's period. And if you go to this concert, you'll probably see you there.
If you're going to a Google wife in Dallas, I'll be there.
Okay, thank you, Bee, take care. Yeah, great day.
Thank you for coming on. Okay, that was Bee. Thank you for coming on to the show. Thank you for being a part of this moment. And I hope that as the show goes on you can also participate and also have one of these conversations.
And remember that is not the end.
Make sure to tune in next week for the second part of the Dance Behind the.
Music, where you will hear more from exciting guests.
Also, if you want to be part of the show, remember to download the iHeartRadio app and press the red microphone on the bright corner of the screen to leave me a message. We might even play on a show or bring you on live.
Thanks again for tuning into the K factor.
