By Dong Sun-hwa

K-pop dance will reach new, academic heights in 2023 when a university outside Korea starts teaching a general education course on the subject.

“K-pop dance is now a genre that no longer relies solely on fans,” says Oh, an associate professor of dance theory at SDSU. “Today, anyone can enjoy, teach, and learn K-pop dance, even if they are not dedicated fans. All SDSU review committees have supported this proposal – some even said they want to take the class.”

According to Oh, the school’s approach to K-pop dance will help make it last through history. “Dance and music can fade away if they are not properly documented,” she says. The professor believes they can be made to last by converting them into educational programmes.

“Although there have been many popular forms of dance in history, not all have been offered as a general education subject,” she adds. “[This] move at SDSU suggests that the school has acknowledged K-pop dance is a subject [that can help] enhance students’ understanding of the humanities and arts.”

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In contrast to other K-pop courses, usually classified as ethnic or area studies, K-pop dance will be offered as an official dance curriculum at SDSU. The professor also plans to teach a K-pop dance course for California State University’s (CSU) Summer Arts programme.

“Social media offers a backstage for socialising and a front stage for performing. It has affected many factors including distribution, sponsorship, spectatorship and choreography. This new [smartphone era] accepts and expects different types of dances, audiences and sponsors, many of which were not possible for the concerts of the past.”

Oh believes that K-pop dance shares common ground with modern dance, in the sense that both embrace an experimental spirit. This can be seen in the performances of K-pop juggernaut BTS and rookie girl group NewJeans, she says.

“K-pop dance has embraced multiple stages of evolution and experimentation,” the professor explains. “An example I examined in my book was BTS, which has blurred the boundaries across modern dance, traditional Korean folk dance and shamanism.

“More recent examples include NewJeans’ 2022 releases “Attention” and “Hype Boy”. Their performances [feature] vintage, indie music and fashion, and a fresh approach to idol dance, with their airy hair, youthful bodies and effortless, cheerful movements.”

“The shape, lightness and forms their hair creates [when they dance] is like that of modern dance, where choreographers consider hair a part of the body movement,” she says. “This is a good tool for highlighting fragile, delicate femininity.”

The professor’s dive into K-pop dance seems somewhat inevitable if we take a look at her past.

Oh studied ballet at Sunhwa Arts High School – an elite ballet school – in Seoul and majored in modern dance at Ewha Womans University. During her dancing career, she performed in various countries such as Austria, Germany, the US and Japan and won multiple dance competitions.

“My biggest lesson as a professional was that all forms are connected,” she says. “Dancers take various styles of classes to get inspired and to expand their movement vocabulary. It is vital to approach dance as a fluid and constantly evolving art form.

“My professional dance background [naturally] led me to K-pop dance. Although many think it is not yet a dance genre, it is one whenever people dance to it. Consider hip-hop’s roots in underground dance clubs and the streets: today, it has changed the face of popular Western dance and dance education in the US.”

Oh says K-pop dance and music are already a part of the Western mainstream in terms of popularity, visibility and sales. She believes Korean content can be further promoted and made to last by taking steps such as supporting K-pop dancers after they retire from the industry, as they will only “be in their 20s or 30s”.

“Korea can also support improving educational and creative environments for the younger generation [of K-pop dancers],” she says, adding that, while existing teaching models should be followed, creativity should be encouraged.

“Sponsoring universities abroad to establish K-pop dance-related programmes would have a longer-lasting impact. I have around 250 students each semester – imagine how many students could learn about K-pop dance in the next 20 years until I retire.”

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