Image courtesy of KOTX
On Sunday, March 9, the Multipurpose Room in the Student Services Center was abuzz with energy. Dancers from all skill levels, years, and backgrounds adorned their best outfits to participate in KOTX’s biggest event of the quarter: the end-of-quarter showcase. This year’s winter showcase flaunted 23 covers performed by almost 100 dancers. With a range of song covers from ENHYPEN, Blackpink, TWICE, SEVENTEEN, aespa, ATEEZ, TXT, Stray Kids, and many others, there was no shortage of entertainment for K-pop lovers, whether a new fan or veteran of the genre.
KOTX is an all-inclusive K-pop dance and social student organization at UC San Diego. Its goal is to provide a welcoming environment for K-pop fans. Its highly-anticipated end-of-quarter showcases began in 2011 with only three cover performances over 30 minutes but have now blossomed into three hours of energetic dancing. Today, the performances are more than just choreography covers and include coordinated outfits, theatrical elements, and audio-visual mixing that pay tribute to authentic K-pop projects. Each showcase’s song and aesthetic choices are centered around one theme: This quarter, it was video games with a focus on Super Smash Bros.
The winter showcase featured student-run performances and a staff-led dance set, which combined the choreography from the KOTX’s previous workshops in one cohesive medley. Each set honored the quarter’s theme in its costumes — jerseys and outfits from classic video games — and in its video skits highlighting characters like Sonic for “Supersonic” by FROMIS_9 and Ice Climbers for “Ice On My Teeth” by ATEEZ.
This showcase took performance art to another level, with some dance numbers even including props or elements of the original choreography. For me, these additions made certain sets more unique and memorable. For example, the dance for “Falling Flower” by SEVENTEEN included throwing flower petals. My favorite piece from this showcase was the finale song, Block B’s “Her,” which featured a choir singing the introduction of the song, silly outfits to match the fun vibes of the melody, and backup dancers to really bring the piece together. Though I was not familiar with the song, the silliness of the cover made for a memorable end to the showcase.
Coordinating an event at this scale involves the participation of not only the dancers and their respective cover leads but also the organization of staff. KOTX has three teams of staffers who work together to bring this event to life: social, media, and dance. I sat down with a staff member from each team to learn about the process of organizing these events and just how important this showcase is to the KOTX community.
The social team is in charge of promoting and event coordination throughout the quarter. Its goal is to increase engagement within the group and develop a sense of community through group bonding. The team’s efforts play a significant role in laying the foundations for the strong sense of friendship that people experience at the showcase.
Second-year Jess Zhou, director of the social team, says the quarterly showcase is one of her favorite KOTX events because of the sense of community and belonging that fosters.
“Engagement with the audience and the dancers is important,” says Zhou. “We cheer super loudly, get morale up, and talk to everyone attending. We coalesce around those who just finish a performance to congratulate them because it’s always amazing work that gets put out.”
The media team is tasked with filming each cover and taking photos throughout the event to remember this moment for years to come. The team has an archive of raw performance videos, action shots, edited full production videos, and photoshoots from through the years.
When I spoke with the director of the media team, third-year Adian Khothsombath, he shared that the most valuable part of being on the media team is being able to capture these memories.
“Out of the hundreds of photos we get, you’ll always get a good couple where you look like a star,” Khothsombath said. “You look like you’re on a stage, you look like you’re performing for a big crowd, and it’s just amazing.”
The dance team is the all-star crew of this event, taking on the majority of the planning and coordination and also hosting workshops to put together a set with the dancers of the organization. The members organize, emcee, and run the event, in addition to leading their own covers and pieces for their sets. Director of the dance team, third-year Frankie Marietti, discussed KOTX’s priority of inclusivity.
”No matter what skill level of dance, everyone feels welcome here,” Marietti said. For her, the performances that stand out are the ones where “the people on the stage are having fun, when you can tell they are enjoying themselves. That’s the best.”
KOTX’s end-of-quarter showcase brought together nearly 100 dancers and filled the Multipurpose Room with friends and family, making it the organization’s biggest event of the quarter. From intricate choreography and theatrical elements, the winter showcase highlighted the dedication and creativity of KOTX’s members. Behind the scenes, KOTX’s social, media, and dance teams worked tirelessly to foster a sense of community, create lasting memories, and ensure an inclusive space where dancers of all levels could shine.