Every Step of the Way
UnderSkore builds community and friendship through a shared love of K-pop.
UnderSkore showcase performance
Chris Richards
The sound of synchronized steps hitting the hardwood floor thunders through the rehearsal space as the dance captains preview the day’s choreography. The workshop attendees look on in anticipation, hoping that in less than an hour, they will be able to perform the same routine — to Lisa’s “Rockstar” — with just as much power and confidence.
I notice the excitement buzzing around the room as people hug and catch up with one another and make new friends. Everyone strides toward each other with ease, confidently sparking conversations with the understanding that they all have at least one important thing in common: a love of K-pop.
K-pop, short for Korean pop music, is a genre of popular music from South Korea that has since become world-famous, and UnderSkore is the official K-pop dance team of the University of Arizona. Established in 2017, the team learns the choreography to K-pop dances and posts them as “covers” on YouTube. They also perform at local Tucson and U of A events.
Chris Richards
Their shared interest creates instant community within the team. “I enjoy seeing so many people passionate about the same thing,” says Artistic Director Naomi Aragon Juarez. “We all come together and share one niche hobby. Coming together as a team and learning choreography to help promote the community is such an eye-opening and amazing experience.”
Though many find UnderSkore through their YouTube channel or public workshops like the one I attended, the group also is tightly connected to the Department of East Asian Studies. Teachers and staff encourage student taking Korean to join the club not only to help promote the smaller department but also to encourage students to meet others with the same niche interests.
“I found out about UnderSkore through my Korean class,” says Executive Director Andrea Lee-Cruz. “I was looking for a K-pop group on campus, but I couldn’t find anything. Then, my Korean teacher posted a flyer for UnderSkore, and I was really excited. So I started going to all of the events and public workshops.”
The workshop is brimming with energy, and I’m impressed to see how well everyone fits together despite some of them having just met for the first time. As the dance captains take questions about the choreography/routine, I notice smiles and laughter. It’s clear to me that these aren’t just people learning a dance, they are teammates, friends and peers using dance to connect with one another in a genuine way.
“It’s special to think ‘wow, a year ago I didn’t even know who you are,’ and here I am performing with my best friend on stage,” says dance captain Adonn Lucero. “Being in a K-pop cover group is such a unique experience, and it’s an extremely special thing to be a part of.”
Unlike most dance teams, UnderSkore doesn’t create original choreography — each member, or “idol,” of the relevant K-pop group is role-played by an UnderSkore member. For each cover, members of the team must audition in hopes of getting the idol of their choice. Dance captains and leadership decide who makes it into each cover and the roles they will take on. Aragon Juarez explains that for her, this is the most challenging thing about being on a team with your close friends.
Chris Richards
“Since you spend so much time with everyone on the team, relationships build a lot, and that makes rejection really hard,” she says. “You know what everyone is capable of, and sometimes they just don’t fit. One of my best friends loves Ateez and really wanted to be in an Ateez cover, but the other person embodied the idol more. It was really hard to say no to
her. At the end of the day, everything we do is to better the team. She understood, took the critiques and grew from them.”
When the teaching section of the workshop is done, leaders invited participants willing to perform to come up and get organized into groups of six. It can be daunting to perform a new dance in front of an audience, but in an environment so welcoming and open, I wasn’t surprised to see the crowd light up.
The first group walks up and gets in position. The music booms through the room, and the crowd roars. They yell, clap and scream their way through the whole 30 seconds of the dance. This repeats for the other four groups, the crowd never losing energy that lets the dancers know they are seen, appreciated and supported.
As I gather my things to leave the Ina Gittings Building, I feel inspired. UnderSkore is an exceptional group of dancers that value not only dancing their hearts out but also treating one another with respect and love. Despite how many views their YouTube channel gets or how many events they perform at, one thing is for sure: They will always put community at the forefront, every step of the way.
Follow UnderSkore!