In San Diego, multiple generations and ethnicities are surfing the Korean Wave — or Hallyu, the 21st-century East-meets-West cultural phenomenon — bolstered by the release of the animated Academy Award-winning film “Kpop Demon Hunters.”
There’s a dance craze going on, reminiscent of 2012, when South Korean pop artist Psy worked with Justin Beiber’s management to release the galloping YouTube sensation “Gangnam Style.”
At universities, Korean language and culture courses have expanded to address an increased demand. And on local college campuses, dance teams such as KOTX and KUT at UC San Diego and KASA at San Diego State University are staging and Instagramming impressive K-pop cover performances.
Chuyun Oh teaching a K-pop dance studio) course at Fresno State in 2023. (Chuyun Oh)
Chuyun Oh, a professor of dance theory and practice at SDSU, is excited by the impact of “Kpop Demon Hunters” because of its authentic portrayal of the Korean diaspora.
Oh, who will give an author talk on May 16 at the Carmel Valley Branch Library in San Diego, is reputed to be the first in the nation to author a comprehensive guide that offers K-pop dance teaching strategies for universities, high schools and children’s education programs.
SDSU dance professor Chuyun Oh’s new book “K-pop Dance Education: To Dreamers” will be published on June 1. (Routledge)
Her new book, “K-pop Dance Education: To Dreamers,” is available on Amazon and follows Oh’s 2022 bestselling book “K-pop Dance: Fandoming Yourself on Social Media.”
“I envision myself as being more than an academic,” said Oh, a Fulbright scholar with a Ph.D. in Performance Studies.
“I am trying to create a more peaceful and meaningful dialogue using my ethnographic lens and vision.”
Research for “K-pop Dance Education” included fieldwork with entertainment agency CEOs, American and South Korean choreographers and K-pop idols.
Oh said that she hopes the book will contribute to exchanging human resources between the United States and South Korea by offering an instructional model for retired K-pop idols, who are still in their 20s, and choreographers teaching in the United States who may be looking for job opportunities in South Korea.
In 2023, Oh offered a summer intensive class at Cal State Fresno that focused on K-pop performance, fitness, social media strategies and entrepreneurship.
Her course included a master class by K-pop idols E’LAST, a boy band that last month released a second single album titled “Tame.”
Students gather after a K-pop idol master class organized by Chuyun Oh, front left, at Fresno State in 2023. The students are posing with K-pop idol and E’LAST member Won Hyuk, center, in denim cutoff jacket. (Chuyun Oh)
“K-pop idols are cute, adorable, sexy and fearless,” Oh said. “But behind the stage, K-pop idols are hard-working and their job starts when they are teenagers. I see the duality — looking glamorous and cheerful on stage, but working exhaustively hard in the rehearsal studio.”
Though Oh was asked to provide five-star accommodations for E’LAST, there were no luxury hotels in the area, so the group members stayed in the dormitory.
“I apologized to the idols when the workshop was over,” Oh said. “They were so professional and humble. They told me they had never visited or stayed at a university because they had to skip that education in order to become an idol when they were teenagers. They were really excited to have a chance to experience college student life and they were such wonderful teachers, despite their young age. At that moment, I decided to write this book.”
Charlotte Bridant, left, and Lia McEllroy, who are Certified K-pop Creators from Oniz Lab at Fresno State University in 2023. (Chuyun Oh)
Oh uses the term ‘gestural point choreography,” to describe K-pop dance’s upper body movement, including hand and arm gestures, hair-flipping and facial expressions.
The movement language expresses attitude, with its amalgam of hip-hop, jazz, ballet, Korean traditional dance and musical theater.Yet, when it’s performed, it’s uniquely K-pop dance.
Inclusion is prevalent in K-Pop culture and Oh’s students also reflect a diverse student group.
“It’s quite interesting to me, about 80 percent of my students are female,” she said.
“The ethnic ratio is half Hispanic and the rest consists of African American, white and Asian American.”
Local dance studios, such as Studio K Dance and Fitness and Haappy DaanceAngel Deocampo, have utilized the K-pop dance movement by offering instruction to songs by popular K-pop idols.
At The Origin Hip Hop Performing Arts Academy North County, located in The Shoppes at Carlsbad mall, Filipino American dance instructor Angel Deocampo, offers weekly pop-in K-pop instruction for varying skill levels and ages.
Deocampo also is the co-founder of ARKADE, a 25-member K-pop dance team that performs throughout Southern California.
Deocampo is a graduate of UC Irvine and ARKADE includes many of her college friends, who, like Deocampo, are former members of the KKAP UCI dance team.
Last month, her class included 12-year-old Madeline Muter of Carlsbad, who wore a black T-shirt, black cargo pants and black sneakers with white stripes.
“Are you ready?” Deocampo asked, as she cued a song by the K-pop girl group, IVE.
“Five, six, seven, eight.”
Madeline’s long, straight chestnut hair swayed against her back as she imitated Deocampo’s dance moves reflected in floor-to-ceiling mirrors.
Replicating the choreography to K-pop idol songs, and then videotaping the performance is what Oh described in her first book as “fandoming.”
And for youngsters and young adults, it can be a healthy form of self-expression and empowerment by creating a sense of community through social media.
A scene from the animated film “Kpop Demon Hunters,” about a trio of young female pop stars who moonlight as warriors. NETFLIX
Madeline’s mom, Ronaele Muter, stated that friends from Canada were visiting Carlsbad and their daughters, along with Madeline, were fans of the “Kpop Demon Hunters.”
The Netflix film portrays universal themes and stars HUNTR/X, a three-piece Kpop girl group who battle demons through music and dance.
After Madeline’s dance rehearsal, she said that her favorite K-pop bands included Le Sserafim, Hearts2Hearts and BABYMONSTER.
“I really like girl groups in K-pop,” Madeline stated. “I think it’s cool to show how girls can be strong and more powerful.”
Ashley Altenhoff, left, Jazi Gustine, Ngan To and Leanie Daine Roque perform in the K-pop dance theory student showcase at San Diego State University’s Smith Recital Hall in 2023. (Jorge Campillo)
Upcoming San Diego K-pop performances include K-pop Club Night at Spin Nightclub on Friday for the over-21 crowd and the K-Pop Stars Dance Party & Sing-A-Long, a family event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at FIT Social in Belmont Park.
The show features a performance by young women dressed as the HUNTR/X idols, courtesy of Royal Entertainers, a San Diego business that provides costumed characters for parties.
Aiden Meyndert, the company’s producer, said that after “Kpop Demon Hunters” came out, parents began requesting the film’s characters and they had to race to get costumes for HUNTR/X idols Rumi, Mira and Zoey.
“K-pop Dance Education To Dreamers” Author Talk and Book Discussion with Chuyun Oh
When: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 16
Where: Carmel Valley Branch Library, 3919 Townsgate Drive, San Diego
Admission: Free to attend, registration recommended
Phone: 858-552-1668