Come Dance in Seoul, South Korea! - Eva Le Flanchec
Published: 10 December 2022
I really recommend joining sports when going abroad, because it helps with concentration, sleep and overall mood, which is beneficial for us stressed students!
Picture of me at 1 Million Dance Studio after a Class with Yeji Kim
Seoul is one of the world’s biggest dance centres, with some of the best dance studios and choreographers in the dance community, and a general interest in dance. I am very passionate about dance, which is one of the reasons I chose Seoul as my Study Abroad destination. On the plane, the instructions were accompanied by K-pop groups’ choreographies to entertain the passengers. The streets of Seoul, especially around Sinchon and Hongdae, always welcome groups of dancers busking. Groups of students danced for us at our University orientation and University
festivals held this fall had tons of amazing students perform on stage!
Instance of seeing dance in my daily life living in Seoul
My own experience at a University Dance Club: Jazz Feel
At Yonsei University, I auditioned for a dance club called Jazz Feel, and made the cut! It is a primarily Jazz and Lyrical style dance club, but we learn a variety of different dances from multiple genres every week.
The Club’s logo
The Club’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@jazzfeelyonsei8837
The Club’s Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/jazzfeel_official/
If you are interested in other dance styles, there are a number of other clubs at Yonsei University for you to apply to!
In my dance club, we have training twice a week from 7 to 10pm, which motivates me to stay active. I really recommend joining sports when going abroad, because it helps with concentration, sleep and overall mood, which is beneficial for us stressed students!
What is super cool about joining a performing arts club like dance, is that you will get to perform in front of other students at University festivals! I am going to perform at a festival in March with my dance team, and I could not be more excited!
Picture from the University festivals I attended this fall
Here, university clubs are taken very seriously, so attendance is very strict and lateness is not condoned either. If you do have to miss practice, you need proof as to why you will be absent. There also are general meetings, and everyone is assigned to a role inside the club. In my club, there are 5 departments, each of which takes care of different elements, from organising activities and socials, to taking attendance, making sure everything is clean, designing the club’s posters for the performances, and other tasks. You have to choose which one to be a part of, attend meetings, fulfill tasks and -usually for the leader of the department- write a report every week!
Because Korean university clubs take a lot of time, energy and commitment, people usually get very close and it feels like a small family. The number of club members is also limited (in my club there are 17 of us this semester) which helps to create this warm atmosphere. There are social gatherings often, as well as activities like photo contests, board games nights, and other fun events where everyone gets to know each other better.
In conclusion, if you decide to join a club, make sure you are really motivated and committed! If you are really passionate about what you do, it should feel rewarding and fun just like it is for me! However, if joining a club is not for you, but you still want to dance, that is also okay. There are tons of dance studios around Seoul with a huge selection of styles you can attend. The most popular ones that are easy to join for Exchange students are 1 Million Dance Studio, Just Jerk Dance Studio, and Seoul Tanz Studio.
First published: 10 December 2022