Feature: K-pop - Modern Dancing in Adelaide
Image and Content (edit.): Courtesy of Intern Stephanie Hoi Ching Wu
Dancing is a great way to connect with others who share your passion for music and movement. Through dancing you can make new friends, build confidence, have fun and improve your overall health and well-being.
SAcommunity lists 466 organisations in South Australia committed to dance - with styles ranging from classical ballet, folk dancing, contemporary tap dancing to modern, street, hip hop, breakdancing, rap and many, many more.
Dancing is not just about mastering the techniques and moves, but also about enjoying the process, building connections with others and improving yourself - So if you are interested in dancing, why not give it a try and see where it takes you?
K-pop Dance
With so many different styles of dance available, our newest Intern (Stephanie) Hoi Ching Wu introduced the SAcommunity team to her obsession for K-pop (Korean popular music) dance.
K-pop's music and dance routines are famous for their emphasis on choreography and the visual routines and upbeat sounds beloved by many.
If you're interested in joining in and trying this dance style, SAcommunity is aware of four dance studios offering K-pop in Adelaide including: Respire Dance Studio, Pure Funk Studio, Up Tempo Dance Studio and GE Studio, which are great places to start!
Find out more about K-pop dance from our Intern Stephanie's experiences:
What is K-Pop Dance?
K-Pop dance is a style of dance incorporating various dance genres such as Jazz and Hip Hop set to K-Pop music. The dance involves a unique choreography with a focus on formation changes, large action movements and facial expressions to create an overall stunningly beautiful performance.
How did you first become involved in K-pop Dancing?
I become involved in K-pop dancing when I first arrived in Australia in 2022. As an international student I was trying to balance study and importantly, form new connections in a new place, and the best advice I received was to "join a community organisation, recreational club, arts group, hobby/interest or sport to meet new people."
I've always loved watching K-pop music videos and decided to look for a one-on-one dance teacher and suitable dance class to improve my skills. I found my nearest dance studio and tried my first K-pop trial class. I fell in love with this style of performing art and have been dancing ever since.
Why were you interested in K-pop Dancing?
K-pop culture has always intrigued me, I love listening to K-pop music and watching dance performances from some of the many K-pop bands worldwide. Dancing is my passion, and K-pop offers me a unique style to express myself - I am at my best when I am dancing and I enjoy every minute.
My former dance teacher also played a significant role in fostering my interest in K-pop by constantly encouraging me and helping me improve my dance skills. My teacher's belief in my abilities and interest in K-pop helped me feel that I could apply myself to this dance style.
Where can you learn to Dance in Adelaide and across South Australia?
For K-pop dance specifically, I started at Respire Dance Studio, established in 2019. It is one of four dance studios offering K-pop in Adelaide as mentioned above. The studio is one of many, many organisations (businesses and not-for-profits) dedicated to providing the variety and styles of dance classes available across South Australia listed >>here.
Dance studios, groups, clubs and societies aim to encourage participation by offering training practice and a platform for people (adults and children) to express themselves through dance, build their confidence, and enjoy their dancing journey. Their goal is to transform beginner dancers into professionals who can experience the fun and beauty of dancing.
How does Dance help people connect with each other?
In my experience, dance has been essential in helping me connect with other people. When I first came to Australia everything was new and I didn't have many friends, but after joining a Dance studio, I met a lot of like-minded people and formed lasting friendships with them. We bond over our shared love for dancing and it brings us closer together - Sometimes we start talking about dancing and focus on nothing else for an entire day!
Why do people connect with Dance?
People connect with the performance arts and dance in particular because it has the power to make them happy, help them create positive changes in themselves, build their confidence, and discover their inner beauty. Personally, before I began, I had low self-esteem and lacked confidence, but through dancing I was able to improve both my abilities and the way I valued and perceived myself, and as I reach my graduation I have become much more self-assured.
Want to try Dancing?
K-pop in Adelaide is offered by several dance studios including: Respire Dance Studio, Pure Funk Studio, Up Tempo Dance Studio and GE Studio.
Looking for another dance step?
There are hundreds of different styles of dance listed in SAcommunity:
Visit Dance to select from just a few subcategories including:
Aerobic Dancing (2); Ballet (53); Ballroom Dancing (25); Belly Dancing (8); Break Dancing (2); Bush Dancing (1); Creative Dance (7); Disco Dancing (3); Folk Dancing (7); Irish Dancing (12); Jazz Ballet (40); Line Dancing (16); Morris Dancing (2); National Dancing (16); Rap Dancing (2); Rock n Roll Dancing (10); Scottish Dancing (17); Square Dancing (8); Tap Dancing (39) and more!
