最新天美传媒

By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing

K-Pop is exploding onto the American music scene and 最新天美传媒 student Chelsea Hitchcock wants to be part of it.

The senior dance major dreams of touring with a major artist as a backup dancer and K-Pop concerts, which originated in South Korea, could provide plenty of opportunities for such a gig. 

That goal now feels closer thanks to Jennifer Archibald, who joined USF鈥檚 School of Theatre and Dance this year as an assistant professor of commercial dance 鈥� a category of dance traditionally used in music videos and concerts that fuses hip-hop, jazz, street and other popular movements. 

Known for her choreography work for Nike, MAC Cosmetics, Tommy Hilfiger and top-charting artists, Archibald is considered one of the nation鈥檚 leading choreographers and she is incorporating K-Pop music into her classes and choreography.

鈥淜-Pop is an emerging part of the dance industry, and its U.S. concerts provide plenty of new opportunities for dancers,鈥� Hitchcock said. 鈥淗aving experience dancing for one of its top choreographers will help me make connections.鈥�

Hitchcock performs in Archibald鈥檚 new piece during the College of Design, Art and Performance鈥檚 upcoming fall dance concert. The nine-minute segment features a mash-up of music that blends alternative, electronic, and, of course, K-Pop songs.

鈥淚f you aren鈥檛 familiar with K-Pop, you might be surprised by how many people in the audience know the songs,鈥� Archibald said. 鈥淭hese fans know the groups and all the words, even when not in English. It鈥檚 a whole new culture, and on a global scale people are obsessed with it.鈥�

鈥淧rior to Jennifer, we didn鈥檛 really have any professors who focused on commercial dance,鈥� said Isabel Rubiera, a senior dance major performing in Archibald鈥檚 piece. 鈥淭he whole experience has been something I鈥檝e never done before. It鈥檚 been awesome and will provide more opportunities for us after graduation. It鈥檚 becoming a really big thing for commercial dancers to perform on tour with Korean pop stars.鈥�

K-Pop emerged in Korea in the early 1990s, blending hip-hop, R&B, rock and techno with Korean-language lyrics and grand concert performances and music videos.

It broke through in the United States about 15 years ago as social media became a go-to source of global videos. K-Pop next grew here through high-profile collaborations like one between K-Pop鈥檚 BTS and singer-songwriter Halsey.

This year, K-Pop bands Aespa, ATEEZ and Stray Kids have toured Florida arenas, and one of Netflix鈥檚 most popular films has been KPop Demon Hunters, an animated movie about a K-Pop girl group secretly battling demons while balancing fame, performance and sisterhood.

鈥淜-Pop is extremely popular right now,鈥� Hitchcock said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 gaining such a big audience and growing all the time.鈥�

Born in Toronto, Archibald was the first female resident choreographer for the Cincinnati Ballet and served more than 10 years as a lecturer at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University. She became engrossed in the K-Pop industry in 2022. That year, she choreographed a performance for KCON Los Angeles, an annual convention celebrating K-Pop, Korean culture and entertainment through concerts, fan panels, dance workshops and celebrity appearances.

鈥淚 knew about K-Pop, but after landing that job, I really immersed myself in the music, the history, the dances, the top artists,鈥� Archibald said.

Archibald was such a hit, that she has returned each year since.

鈥淭hose fans are living their best lives,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey know every dance move to every song from every music video. It鈥檚 an awesome event to be a part of.鈥�

Archibald is not entirely new to USF. During Rubiera鈥檚 freshman year, she had a guest residency here.

鈥淲hen I heard she was coming back, I was very motivated to work with her again,鈥� Rubiera said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a great experience. She finds ways to combine commercial and concert dance, and it forces us as dancers to be more diverse. It definitely helps us in our education.鈥�

鈥淏eing in Jennifer鈥檚 work and incorporating K-Pop has been an amazing platform for us and will definitely help me in the industry after graduation,鈥� Hitchcock added. 鈥淛ust having the opportunity learn from her is something I鈥檓 incredibly grateful for.鈥�

Catch Archibald鈥檚 students perform during the USF Fall Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23鈥�25 and at 2 p.m. Oct. 26 in Theatre 1 on the Tampa campus. Other featured choreographers include Andrew Carroll, Michael Foley, Bliss Kohlmyer and Saar Magal. The performances are free to the public. Tickets are required for entry.