#click the rewind thing for the choreo link
<<rewind: march 2019. millenium dance complex, los angeles unofficial idol rule: one must cover an ariana grande song.
there are a few rules when it comes to being an idol. well, maybe more than just a few—but there are many unspoken rules amongst the written. one, specifically, is having to cover an ariana grande song once in your career-span. it doesn’t matter where or how—v-live, special youtube video, at a concert, at a tv competition or at a fanmeet—just as long as it happens sometime. and when it happens, consider your career just a bit more blessedby america’s current pop princess.
it was almost two months after jungeun impulsively decided to extend her vacation in america. she calls the decision “finding myself” but its more like “i’m not going to college so i need something else to do.” it was a convenience her aunt lived in los angeles, a hotspot in the dance scene.
the city of angels is known for more than a few social climbers and people wanting a taste of “fame.” but, it wasn’t jungeun’s arena to fight for a place in. not yet, at least. she had yet to conquer seoul and she needed time to heal (a dramatic choice of wording but truthfully her’s) from treading behind her friends. being away from seoul was a breath of fresh air for her. she didn’t have to hear who’s signing up for what competition or which friend of hers got scouted now. as much as she loves having petty arguments and competition, she just wanted to chill out in a place that was abundant with opportunities.dance where no one knew her, sing carelessly in noraebang without having to feel like she’s at a superstar-k audition, and practice her skills without having to feel like she needed to prove something.
so she did, in her temporary playground. the city of angels. the city of dreams. the city of stars.
(now she knew why all these youtubers wanted to move here.)
jungeun waved at a girl she’s seen in a couple of dance classes she recently took. “hey, kimberly,” the girl says and jungeun’s reminded of when she created her english name.
”hey, what’s your name?” her cousin’s friend asked her. jungeun hadn’t thought about english names. saying a similar name with a dictator of a country america’s not so fond of? not the best idea.
“kim,” jungeun said before realizing america didn’t follow the korean way of formating names, “berly… kimberly.”
jungeun found her spot in the middle of the dance studio. she felt unusually timid when she first took classes at millenium. it was themillenium dance complex. red walls, big names, millionsof youtube views. she almost had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming and she stood in the back during her first class. but it was now her tenth (or more) class and she was feeling more confident, more polished at hip-hop influenced choreographies.
hip-hop,out of all styles. while she wasn’t horribleat it, it wasn’t her usual style or forte back home. but, she wasn’thome and now was the time to branch out. the number of times she danced the style increased over the past few months and it helped that she was being taught by the best of the best.
“five, six, seven, eight!” his voice echoed through the large studio. it felt surreal. she was being taught by someone who was already revered in the industry–kyle hanagami. and though she didn’t feel the need to act like she was in an audition or competition, she thought it would be useful to make somewhatof an effort. watching the group dance, jungeun took note of what she could do to stand out. it was their tenth, no fifteenth, probably thirtieth time going over the choreography. the first few were the choreographer’s demonstrations, then the teaching portion and finally, the solo group turns.
“alright, you guys are next!” the choreographer pointed to jungeun’s group. there were only three of them and the other two were already more established in the LA dance scene. in other situations, jungeun would have been front and center. where she belonged, in her opinion. but, she decided not to tread onto someone else’s territory. yet, they had other ideas in mind. the two senior dancers gestured for the blonde to dance in the middle, flashing big smiles and mouthing–go for it girl!
throughout her life, jungeun came to learn that dancing only gives two seconds for you to shake your nerves away. one for your hands and one for your legs. another lesson was that you had to own your movements and take over your own fears. a flip of a play button and through the motions you go.
even though you’re bad for me i know / you’re the one that i’m (thinking)
as the songstress’ voice echoed throughout the studio, jungeun and the two other dancers performed their best rendition of the choreography. sharp, flowy, sensual, orfierce.there was no wrong way to do the choreography.
everyone had their own spin to what was given. hearing the song and seeing the choreography over and over (and over) again, jungeun was able to memorize the steps. (thank goodness, because she might have withered if she were to embarrass herself). jungeun’s limbs took over without giving it any mind. when the music plays, it flows through her vessels. the blonde moves without the worry she felt a few seconds ago.
her movements are flowy, like wind running through silk scarf. yet, strong when necessary. she does what the music warrants yet adds more through expression.
woo! yeah! hearing the sounds from others was encouraging, especially when it was people she rarely knew. a smug smile forms on her lips and her eyes lock onto the camera in front of her. not that it was her main incentive but she almost forgot that she had a chance to be featured in the choreography’s youtube video. being in this studio was humbling and she treated this chance to grow. (but, it wouldn’t hurt to be featured in a video or two.)
as the choreography transitioned into the dancers’ chance to do a bit of freestyle, jungeun did a small pique to end her moment, paying homage to her ballet roots. the music stopped, a brief moment of silence, then clapping. jungeun and the other dancers hugged, the blonde giving a slight bow.
jungeun fanned herself as she returned to the sidelines, going through a slight adrenaline rush. if a simple class performance felt like this, she wondered how a performance on a showorconcertwould feel. if it felt this good, she wanted more;she wanted the cheers, the love, the adoration received doing what she loved. she belonged in the spotlight and this was a confirmation.
