From the moment they struck their opening poses against a bright pink envelope-shaped backdrop, the energy in the room was electric.
For CVHS pep rallies, I anticipated the audience being relatively enthusiastic, with students cheering on their friends and classmates. However, on February 13, the CVHS K-Pop Club far exceeded all expectations at the Valentine’s Day pep rally. As the music started, the crowd’s cheers grew into roars. What followed was a performance that was both technically impressive and entertaining.
The performance began with five dancers and started to the tune “Magnetic” by ILLIT. Their movements were sharp and clean, setting the tone for the rest of the performance. Midway through the song, they extended their hands toward the audience, signaling the rest of the dancers to rush onstage.
One of the highlights of the performance was when Joseph Zhou and Daiki Sakai, two CVHS senior dancers, took center stage during “XO” by ENHYPEN. Zhou’s heart-shaped sunglasses and Sakai’s hand-hearts matched well with the Valentine’s theme and added a playful touch. Their chemistry and stage presence made this section memorable and entertaining. They led the dance into the next section, at which point the dancers cleared off the stage, leaving just nine performers. They ended their routine with an arm heart formation to “Supersonic” by fromis_9, leaving a fun visual touch.
What followed was perhaps, in my opinion, the strongest transition of the night. As “Nice Guy” by BOYNEXTDOOR began, dancers ran onstage with their backs turned. Then, when the beat dropped, they spun around in perfect sync, revealing themselves to the audience in a playfully dramatic fashion.
The highlight of this number was the routine closing with a series of exaggerated rockstar poses. One thing the K-pop Club does especially well is incorporating a lot of personality into their dance moves, which kept many engaged and alert throughout their performance.
As “World” by SEVENTEEN played, the dancers came together to form a line, then executed a dramatic turn one by one before breaking into a full-group routine. Large group formations can easily become messy but their movements remained cohesive and controlled, making it look effortless in the process.
The performance wrapped up with dancers coming together to create a tunnel with their hands for pairs of dancers to run through and pose at the end. Cheering after each pose, the crowd clearly enjoyed the energy and effort the performers put into their grand finale.
What makes this performance even more remarkable is that the CVHS K-Pop Club operates without a formal dance coach. Every routine was choreographed, rehearsed and executed entirely by students. The level of coordination and attention to detail on display speak volumes about their dedication. Their ability to command the stage and keep their formations clean throughout a seven-song setlist is no small feat.
The K-pop Club owned the stage, proving that passion and teamwork can produce something just as polished as any professionally coached team. If this performance is any indication of their capabilities, I can’t wait to see what they bring to the pep rally in April.
