Showcasing Our Talents

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K-Pop Immersion

Authored By:

Jordan Brown

South Korea has been an eye opening experience. The students are becoming global navigators.  Many moments of discovery, fun, and connections are being created.  Within the last week these global navigators have visited the the human-made Nami island.  On the island, the students explored art from international artists, traditional Korean food, and fun activities. Traveling out of the big city of Seoul was refreshing and well needed to explore without the crowds and noise.  After, we headed to a famous K-Pop destination called Laundry Pizza where BTS used the setting for their album Love Yourself: Her.  The pizza tasted like a slice of home!

CIEE realizes that South Korea music is not only K-Pop.  We invited local Korean students to join us and help practice the language, culture and customs. This day was filled with music including listening, creating, and performing.  The students viewed Nanta, the longest-running show in Korean history.  Nanta is a theatrical show including comedy, dance, martial arts, and drumming. We had a great time that was engaging and fun; especially with the drumming that kept us in awe.  After we learned how to drum the way from Nanta performers.  Learning new rhythms was challenging, but we all imagined ourselves as drummers in a famous band.  

The night came to end with spectatcular performces by local Korean bands.  Songs included originals and covers from Ed Sheeran and Beyonce, and students sang along and danced.  The space was initmate, had cool lighting and refreshing drinks.  This atmosphere was perfect for the studenst to showcase their talents they had been perfecting over the week.  Performances included, magic, singing, dance routines, solo piano playing, spoken word and storytelling.  The students fed off the energy of each other which made the performances so dynamic and creative.  Everyone was surprised at the amount of talent each student possesed.