By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing
K-Pop is exploding onto the American music scene and University of South Florida student
Chelsea Hitchcock wants to be part of it.
The senior dance major dreams of touring with a major artist as a backup dancer and
K-Pop concerts, which originated in South Korea, could provide plenty of opportunities
for such a gig.
That goal now feels closer thanks to Jennifer Archibald, who joined USF’s School of
Theatre and Dance this year as an assistant professor of commercial dance – a category
of dance traditionally used in music videos and concerts that fuses hip-hop, jazz,
street and other popular movements.
Known for her choreography work for Nike, MAC Cosmetics, Tommy Hilfiger and top-charting
artists, Archibald is considered one of the nation’s leading choreographers and she
is incorporating K-Pop music into her classes and choreography.
“K-Pop is an emerging part of the dance industry, and its U.S. concerts provide plenty
of new opportunities for dancers,” Hitchcock said. “Having experience dancing for
one of its top choreographers will help me make connections.”
Hitchcock performs in Archibald’s new piece during the College of Design, Art and
Performance’s upcoming fall dance concert. The nine-minute segment features a mash-up
of music that blends alternative, electronic, and, of course, K-Pop songs.
“If you aren’t familiar with K-Pop, you might be surprised by how many people in the
audience know the songs,” Archibald said. “These fans know the groups and all the
words, even when not in English. It’s a whole new culture, and on a global scale people
are obsessed with it.”
“Prior to Jennifer, we didn’t really have any professors who focused on commercial
dance,” said Isabel Rubiera, a senior dance major performing in Archibald’s piece.
“The whole experience has been something I’ve never done before. It’s been awesome
and will provide more opportunities for us after graduation. It’s becoming a really
big thing for commercial dancers to perform on tour with Korean pop stars.”
K-Pop emerged in Korea in the early 1990s, blending hip-hop, R&B, rock and techno
with Korean-language lyrics and grand concert performances and music videos.
It broke through in the United States about 15 years ago as social media became a
go-to source of global videos. K-Pop next grew here through high-profile collaborations
like one between K-Pop’s BTS and singer-songwriter Halsey.
This year, K-Pop bands Aespa, ATEEZ and Stray Kids have toured Florida arenas, and
one of Netflix’s most popular films has been KPop Demon Hunters, an animated movie
about a K-Pop girl group secretly battling demons while balancing fame, performance
and sisterhood.
Chelsea Hitchcock
Isabel Rubiera
“K-Pop is extremely popular right now,” Hitchcock said. “It’s gaining such a big audience
and growing all the time.”
Born in Toronto, Archibald was the first female resident choreographer for the Cincinnati
Ballet and served more than 10 years as a lecturer at the David Geffen School of Drama
at Yale University. She became engrossed in the K-Pop industry in 2022. That year,
she choreographed a performance for KCON Los Angeles, an annual convention celebrating
K-Pop, Korean culture and entertainment through concerts, fan panels, dance workshops
and celebrity appearances.
“I knew about K-Pop, but after landing that job, I really immersed myself in the music,
the history, the dances, the top artists,” Archibald said.
Archibald was such a hit, that she has returned each year since.
“Those fans are living their best lives,” she said. “They know every dance move to
every song from every music video. It’s an awesome event to be a part of.”
Archibald is not entirely new to USF. During Rubiera’s freshman year, she had a guest
residency here.
“When I heard she was coming back, I was very motivated to work with her again,” Rubiera
said. “It’s been a great experience. She finds ways to combine commercial and concert
dance, and it forces us as dancers to be more diverse. It definitely helps us in our
education.”
“Being in Jennifer’s work and incorporating K-Pop has been an amazing platform for
us and will definitely help me in the industry after graduation,” Hitchcock added.
“Just having the opportunity learn from her is something I’m incredibly grateful for.”
Catch Archibald’s students perform during the USF Fall Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 23–25 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 26 in Theatre 1 on the Tampa campus. Other featured
choreographers include Andrew Carroll, Michael Foley, Bliss Kohlmyer and Saar Magal.
The performances are free to the public. Tickets are required for entry.