This book is about K-pop dance and the evolution and presence of its
dance fandom on social media.
Based on five years of ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, choreography,
and participation-observation with 40 amateur and professional K-pop
dancers in New York, California, and Seoul, the book traces the
evolution of K-pop dance from the 1980s to the 2020s and explains its
distinctive feature called 'gestural point choreography' - front-driven,
two-dimensional, decorative and charming movements of the upper body and
face - as an example of what the author theorizes as 'social media
dance.' It also explores K-pop cover dance as a form of intercultural
performance, suggesting that, by imitating and idolizing K-pop dance,
fans are eventually 'fandoming' themselves and their bodies.
Presenting an ethnographic study of K-pop dance and its fandom, this
book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of Media
Studies, Korean Studies, Performance Studies, and Dance.
