K-pop performers take the stage in Boston

TO DANCE THEIR FEET OFF. K-POP IS IN THE HOUSE AT THE MFA. THE MUSEUM PARTNERED WITH CJ ENTERTAINMENT, ONE OF KOREA’S BIGGEST MEDIA COMPANIES, TO FLY IN K-POP STARS FROM SEOUL. 4700 FANS SHOWED UP TO GET THIS PARTY STARTED AMONG THE PERFORMERS, A LEE, A SUPERSTAR KOREAN AMERICAN VOCALIST WHO GREW UP IN NEW JERSEY, TED I CAN’T CHANGE YOUR MIND. DON’T TEACH ME. OH MY GOSH, ELLIE’S THE BEST. SHE’S SO POWERFUL. LIKE SOMETIMES YOU CAN FEEL LIKE GOOSEBUMPS. THIS CROWD WAS ALSO THRILLED TO SEE MEMBERS OF A DANCE GROUP CALLED 1 MILLION SUNLIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THIS. RIGHT NOW, IT’S KIND OF LIKE A GIFT TO MY CHILDHOOD. ARGUABLY THE MOST FAMOUS K-POP DANCERS IN THE WORLD, 1 MILLION IS KNOWN FOR ITS VIRAL CHOREOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCES. THE GROUP CHOREOGRAPHS FOR K-POP ARTISTS AND TEACHES DANCERS OF ALL LEVELS AT THEIR STUDIO IN SEOUL. THE FIVE MEMBERS OF 1 MILLION CAME TO BOSTON FOR THE MFA PERFORMANCE. DEBBIE KUO, HIROMU AMY, PARK DOE JI, AND LIA KIM. KIM IS THE GROUP’S CO-FOUNDER AND CO-CEO. EO UMMA DANCE HAS BECOME AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE K-POP EXPERIENCE. IN SOME CASES, PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE DANCE BEFORE THEY THINK ABOUT THE MUSIC. GANGNAM STYLE’S LEVEL OF CHOREOGRAPHY IS ONE EXAMPLE. WHY DO YOU THINK K-POP AND KOREAN DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY HAS BECOME SO POPULAR AROUND THE WORLD? K-POP UMMAH I THINK THE STRONGEST REASON IS THE PERFECTLY SYNCHRONIZED GROUP CHOREOGRAPHY WITH PERFECT ANGLES AND PERFECT TIMING. DANCERS DELIVER THE MESSAGE OF K-POP LYRICS THROUGH THEIR MOVEMENTS. WE CONTINUE TO CREATE NEW TRENDS BECAUSE ALMOST ALL K-POP ARTISTS COME OUT WITH A NEW STAGE PERFORMANCE WHENEVER THEY RELEASE AN ALBUM, KIM SAYS. GREAT K-POP DANCING REQUIRES A SPECIAL SWAG, ENERGY. I THINK AN ARTIST WHO IS GOOD, EXPRESSIVE SKILLS AND CAN CONVEY THAT ENERGY WELL IS A COOL ARTIST, WHETHER IN MUSIC OR DANCE. IT’S THE KIND OF TALENT THAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT ON STAGE AND HAVE THE AUDIENCE FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU. WHETHER A PROFESSIONAL OR AN AMATEUR. LEAH KIM SAYS THE BEST WAY TO DANCE. SEXY, SEXY, SEXY IS TO HAVE FUN. WOW. SO HOW DID I DO TWO THUMBS UP OR TWO THUMBS DOWN? TWO THUMBS UP? THUMBS UP. AH, THAT PHILOSOPHY IS SHARED BY LOCAL K-POP DANCE GROUPS INCLUDING HUSH TROUPE. MAHIMA SINGH IS ONE OF THE DANCERS. I MEAN, LEAH KIM IS REALLY PIVOTAL IN KOREAN DANCE CULTURE, SEEING HOW SHE’S INFLUENCED THE INDUSTRY IS JUST INSANE. HUSH CREW IS BECOMING WELL KNOWN ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ITS SLICK VIDEOS FILMED ALL OVER BOSTON. LIKE K-POP, DANCING HAS A LOT OF POINT MOVES, WHICH IS LIKE VERY RECOGNIZABLE, LIKE LITTLE LIKE GESTURES THAT LIKE MAKE A K-POP DANCE. AND IT ALSO RELIES HEAVILY ON FORMATION, SWITCHING AND LINES. THERE’S DANCE MUSIC, COSTUMES, MAKEUP, LIKE THE WHOLE FANTASY IS JUST, LIKE, SO FUN. IT’S ALMOST LIKE YOU GET TO, LIKE, LIVE OUT YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAMS. ISHA RAGHURAM IS A MEMBER OF OFF BRAND, ANOTHER DANCE GROUP THAT PERFORMED AT THE HALLYU EXHIBITS OPENING. NOT EVERY K-POP FAN IS A DANCER, BUT IT’S STILL EXPANDS ITS COMMUNITY BY EXPOSING PEOPLE WHO DON’T DANCE TO DANCE, AND THEY GET TO SEE PART OF THE WORK THAT GOES INTO THAT. AND I THINK THAT IS PART OF WHAT MAKES K-POP PERFORMANCES SO WELL RECEIVED TONIGHT. AND UNFORTUNATELY, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET AN INTERVIEW WITH AILEE, ALTHOUGH WE WANT OUR FANS TO KNOW THAT WE TRIED, WE DID TRY. AND 1 MILLION IS NOT JUST FEMALE DANCERS. THEY DO HAVE MALE DANCERS AS WELL, SO YOU CAN GET ON OUT THERE. SOMETIMES THEY PERFORM TOGETHER AND BACK TO HUSH CREW. THEY ARE BASED OUT OF BOSTON, BUT THEY DO HAVE A CHAPTER IN LOS ANGELES AS WELL

Korean pop performers take the stage in Boston

Among the acts: Vocalist Ailee, dance group One Million, OffBrnd and Boston’s own Hush Crew

Updated: 8:10 PM EDT Jun 21, 2024

Nearly 5,000 K-pop fans showed up to a 2024 concert at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston that featured K-pop star Ailee and K-pop dance group 1Million. Local K-Dance groups Hush Crew and OffBrnd also brought K-Pop cover dancing to Boston. “Dance has become an essential part of the K-pop experience,” said Lia Kim, a member of One Million, speaking through a translator. “In some cases, people think about the dance before they think about the music.”MFA Boston partnered with CJ ENM, one of Korea’s biggest media companies, to fly in K-pop stars from Seoul for the performance.

BOSTON —

Nearly 5,000 K-pop fans showed up to a 2024 concert at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston that featured K-pop star Ailee and K-pop dance group 1Million. Local K-Dance groups Hush Crew and OffBrnd also brought K-Pop cover dancing to Boston.

“Dance has become an essential part of the K-pop experience,” said Lia Kim, a member of One Million, speaking through a translator. “In some cases, people think about the dance before they think about the music.”

MFA Boston partnered with CJ ENM, one of Korea’s biggest media companies, to fly in K-pop stars from Seoul for the performance.