K-pop was in the Plaza April 22, as the Asian Pacific Islander American Faculty & Staff Association, Disability Services for Students, and Kinesiology Department presented “Adapted K-pop Dance for All.” The partners recruited faculty, students, and staff to present KPop dances that were adapted so dancers in wheelchairs and dancers without supportive devices could perform together.
“While many videos of K-pop cover dances have been uploaded to YouTube, I have not seen one that features differently abled dancers as performers,” co-organizer Lauren Morimoto, Kinesiology Department Chair, said.
After performing three K-pop “point dances,” to video projected on Lobovision, members of the crowd were invited to join in, with wheelchairs on hand for those who wanted to try dancing in them.
The dance highlighted and celebrated the intersections of Disability Awareness Month and Asian American Heritage Month.
“Individuals with disabilities and Asian American and Pacific Islander Americans often speak of feeling simultaneously invisible and hypervisible,” Morimoto said. “We created this event to show these identities are broader and more diverse than what is normally presented in popular and social media.”
K-pop fans or not, it was heartwarming to experience the event with everyone and dance, said co-organizer Christina Thao, MESA Lead and Advisor. “It has inspired us to envision how we can expand next year and make it even more successful. I'm excited!” she said.