(Photo credit to the SFHS Spirit publication)

From extravagant footwork to sassy hair flips, the Seoul Foreign High School dance team ‘Empress’ has impressed the student body in every way possible. They flaunted their versatility over multiple fields of dance: at times they blazon their hip-hop groove through the notorious nay-nay; other times, captain Diane Cha leaves the audience with chills from her graceful spins. Their talent is well established throughout the dance community of international schools in Korea, for they participate annually in dance festivals and in the Asia Pacific Activities Conference (APAC). They make their teamwork look effortless, but can a group of girls really exist with zero drama?  It is time to take an exclusive peek at the life of the queens.

Although the members are united through their synchronized choreography, they each have a unique style of dance that  sets them apart: to name a few, Juliette Oh exudes a female hip-hop vibe, Jasmine Park reflects a K-pop feel, and Diane Cha can be described as jazzy, funky, and preppy. Through the experimentation of new dance forms, each member had to make an effort to blend with each other while still shining out their individual styles. The final product is a unique aesthetic of grace and swag. The girls create a remix of several songs, combining both smooth sounds and hard beats. However, this year Empress decided to accomplish something that was far-flung from their comfort zones: a jump trick.

“The team had to accomplish a move that required five girls jumping over the other five,” explained Jasmine Park, one of the three seniors on the team.

“Although it sounds easy, it's something we have never tried before and would risk our safety if we went nervous on stage,”

Fortunately, the finalized stunt was conducted so flawlessly at their first performance that no one would have guessed it was an ultimate challenge for the team! The risks that the team took eventually brought the best results in the end.

When attempting to describe the queens of Empress, one could say: sassy, swaggy, and slightly seductive. Their showy dance tricks play a major part in reflecting these attributes, but so do the costumes. This year, their oversized baseball tops with the Adidas brand wardrobe gave them a swaggy, sporty, yet stylish impression. But surprisingly, choosing these stage costumes turned out to be a struggle during the season. Unlike uniforms or sports jerseys, their costumes were not chosen by the school, nor were they budgeted. That left the members with the conflict of having to pick out stage outfits (literally from head to toe) that would be both financially accomplishable and appropriate for each performance. This frustration created minor arguments and unfamiliar tension regarding both the appearances and the price ranges of stage outfits, for the girls’ different styles and individual preferences clashed. Different members were willing to pay different prices, and it was hard to agree even on the colors of each item. However, they consistently made efforts to respectfully communicate their opinions to each other in order to prevent greater conflict. They finally agreed on a comfy sporty look, because everyone loves baseball, right?

Nonetheless, Empress has left yet another stunning impression in the history of Seoul Foreign High School dance. Through tight practices and overseas APAC memories, the team was able to showcase their talents as a sisterhood, giggling at each other's mistakes and sharing inside jokes.
 

(Photo credit to the SFHS Spirit publication)
 

Eunice Cheung
Grade 11
Seoul Foreign School