By Angela Lee
Staff Writer
KPDT members Nicole Hsu, Avery Kadohiro, Wesley Chan and Ava Nguyen rehearse “Whiplash” by Aespa in the dance room during office hours on March 7.
Dozens of students surrounded the senior circle to catch a glimpse of K-Pop Dance Team’s high-energy lunchtime performance on March 11. The crowd cheered as two groups delivered choreography to “Whiplash” by Aespa and “Bouncy” by ATEEZ.
KPDT members meet every other Tuesday in the dance room, building their community with dance workshops, random play dances and auditions for performances.
“There’s a lot of new members that are interested and a lot of people that come with their friends get involved and end up being more interested than their friends originally were, which is fun,” KPDT Vice President and three-year member junior Paegan Wong said. “It’s grown from dancing and having fun with our friends to participating in school activities and events like Choreo Showcase, so I’m pretty proud about that.”
Months before a performance, KPDT announces auditions on Instagram and teaches the choreography at a workshop. Dancers practice on their own before audition day, when the dance room opens during office hours for last-minute questions and run-throughs. At lunch, auditionees sign in and perform in front of cabinet members, who later review audition tapes. Videographer junior Ava Nguyen emails results to new team members within a few days.
After-school rehearsals focus on cleaning routines, developing formations and refining performance details. On weekends, members pitch in a few dollars each to rent space at a local dance studio for rehearsal. Their work also continues at home where dancers study their assigned K-Pop idols, replicating their signature moves, facial expressions and costumes to fully embody their roles.
With growing interest and talent each year, KPDT’s impact expands beyond just dance—the club builds a community of performers who share a passion for music, movement and school spirit.