Smith College’s Korean Dance Club as popular as ever

Members of SmiKPOP pose for a photo.

From surprise flash mobs to guest performances, SmiKPOP has taken over the Five-College area with its hot dance moves and dynamic groove. SmiKPOP, short for Smith K-pop, is a Smith College Dance Club dedicated to dancing Korean hip pop. The club was founded in the fall of 2011 by Linh Le ’15, Misty Ngo ’15, and Symone Gosby ’15. Before the club was established, the founding students were all members of the Korean American Students of Smith (KASS)’s hip-pop group. The KASS group was established solely for the purpose of performing for the Asian Tea House, an annual fall performance event hosted by KASS and the Asian Students Association. After performing for the Asian Tea House, Linh, Misty and Symone wanted to continue dancing; hence, SmiKPOP was born. The club became an official Smith College dance organization on March 5, 2013.

SmiKPOP is open to all Smith College students as well as a few Five-College students who are interested in dancing and K-pop, or both. Last year, SmiKPOP had around 15 to 20 members, including its very first member from Hampshire College.

SmiKPOP member Yuri Kang’ 16, says, “Before I came to the United States, I did not have any interest in K-pop… my house atmosphere is rigid and strict, [thus] I tried to stay away from [K-pop] as much as possible. However, once I met Momo [Symone Gosby] and joined [SmiKPOP], I changed. I never realized how powerful and influential K-pop was… I felt ashamed for not loving my culture… I wanted to change myself. When I was in Korea, I only studied. I did not have much fun. Joining [SmiKPOP] was my attempt to change my dull life!”

Many other members state that joining SmiKPOP helped them gain self confidence, make new friends, and acquire appreciation for Korean culture.

Last semester, SmiKPOP performed at various events, such as the “Night at Your Museum” event hosted by the Smith College Museum of Art, Rhythm Nations, Asian Market Night at Amherst College, and KASS 2013 Mocktail. They will also be performing at various events this year.

SmiKPOP hopes to continue to spread its passion for K-pop dance in the years to come. “As SmiKPOP grows, we hope that more students from Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, UMASS and Amherst College will come and join us as well,” said Symone.