Sohu's Blogger Festival highlights K-pop enthusiasts' passion, friendships, and growth through dance covers, emphasizing dedication and the joy of live performances.

In the colorful world of K-pop, where music and dance reign supreme, there's a hidden story of friendship and personal growth.

On April 21, Sohu, a prominent Chinese internet company, held its second Blogger Festival, bringing together bloggers from its various channels including K-pop, hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing), photography, and health.

Among these, the K-pop channel stood out, attracting the most attention both online and at the event.

During the festival, 15 groups showcased their dance skills on stage. One particularly impressive performance came from Song Jingyi, a 27-year-old enthusiast who, along with her teammates, performed Deja Vu by Tomorrow X Together.

Song, deeply passionate about K-pop since her elementary school days, has been captivated by the diverse charisma of both solo artists and groups. She started dancing at home, joined a dance club in college, took urban and jazz lessons, auditioned, and became a part of dance crews.

"I've explored every possible way in pursuing my love for dancing," she said.

Typically, K-pop fans organize themselves either through friends or K-pop group chats, often creating new lineups and coming up with fresh "group names" for each dance session. But Song belongs to a semi-permanent crew with a fixed name — 119 Rescue Crew — and the core members of the group stay the same.

Song believes that dancing with a more consistent crew improves their teamwork and chemistry.

"Not only are we more synchronized, but our dance styles and energy become more aligned. We start to adapt to each other," she noted.

To perfect their formations and synchronization, Song and her teammates usually rehearse three to four times a week, with each session lasting about three hours. She also takes the time to study the focus cam of the idol she's covering to capture details and their unique style. "If we're going to do it, we need to do it right," she said, noting that all the practice has truly honed their willpower and stamina.

"We often cover intense and demanding boy group dances, so we jokingly refer to ourselves as requiring a '119 emergency rescue'," she chuckled.

Dong Shujun, 22, delved into the world of K-pop dance covers in 2020.Similar to Song, it was also a fascination with idol culture that sparked her love for dancing. But now, her main motivation for continuing this hobby is her friends. However, this also presents a challenge because she finds it difficult to turn down her friends.

"Most of the dance covers I participate in are through invitations from friends. Sometimes, it's for songs I'm not familiar with or haven't heard before, and the other crew members might be total strangers," Dong said. "There are occasions when I end up performing the same dance multiple times to support different friends."

Qian Huiyun, 23, has been a K-pop enthusiast for over a decade. "I've always enjoyed performing in front of people since I was young. Idols like Miss A portrayed an ideal image of who I aspire to be: a confident, charismatic woman who dresses up for herself rather than to please others," she said.

It wasn't until two years ago that Qian, through an invitation from a high school friend, joined the cover dance community.

She was dedicated, investing both money and effort into the endeavor. However, she soon discovered that not everyone has the same level of dedication as she does.

"I would feel a bit disappointed if others weren't fully prepared or arrived late for practice, but then I realized that most people are here to have fun and complete a dance cover together. That's when I began to relax and truly enjoy the process with them," she said.

However, commitment is still important for dance cover teams to maintain their tight-knit cohesion. To do that, they typically designate a "leader" who coordinates the group and ensures the smooth execution of the dance cover.

Song believes that an effective leader should be accountable for the team and capable of managing all organizational aspects: from scheduling practices and booking rehearsal spaces to leading practices, making final decisions, and registering for events.

Qian recalled an experience when she joined a team, and only four out of eight members showed up for the first practice because the leader failed to coordinate and communicate effectively. It also became apparent that the leader wasn't familiar with the choreography and couldn't lead the dance. As a result, despite enduring three practices and facing various issues, they never succeeded in filming the cover.

"For a leader, it's crucial to follow through from selecting team members to producing the final product. Yes, we're doing it for enjoyment, but it's also a commitment," Qian stressed.

In the K-pop community, fans frequently share their dance cover videos online, while offline meetups often feature performances and random play dances. The former showcases complete dance covers, while the latter involves impromptu flash mobs during choruses.

Song appreciates the satisfaction of creating a well-filmed and edited video but also finds live performances to have a unique charm.

"For starters, there's the live audience cheering and applauding. More importantly, unlike filming a cover, performing live is a one-take affair. It pushes you to give your best and be fully present in the moment," she said.

Qian once entertained the idea of becoming an idol herself, although she hasn't had the chance to pursue that dream yet.

"I see every performance as an opportunity to gain more experience and refine my skills. If the right time comes one day, I'll definitely seize it."

For Song, this was her third time attending a Sohu event. Last November, she and her team received an award at the Sohu Dance Festival. "It was a great honor to see our hard work and video being recognized and praised by so many people," she reminisced.

Recognition and personal growth are indeed significant rewards for these K-pop enthusiasts, but so is friendship.

For instance, Song became roommates with one of her crew members, while Dong formed 90 percent of her friendships through dancing. Qian also celebrated her last birthday with friends she often dances with.

For most cover dancers, this hobby has become an integral part of their lives, and they approach it with great dedication.

"Dancing combines the idol culture I adore, my fitness routine, self-improvement, and social interactions. I can't imagine replacing it with anything else," Dong affirmed.