K-Pop dance show brings Korean culture to Alabama State Fair in Montgomery

K-Pop dance movements are a graceful, fluid and unified, and are forged from many dance styles into one that's both uniquely Korean and globally recognized.

That's the kind of relationship local Korean leaders would like to form with Montgomery at large, blending the best of a Korean population of roughly 15,000 into their adopted Alabama home for the benefit of both.

"In Montgomery, it's very unique here because we have Hyundai and Mobis, very strong Korean companies around here. However, somehow as compared to other big cities, we don't really have interaction with mainstream society," said Win (Gi-Yong) Koo, a Troy University professor and Sport Management Ph.D. program coordinator. He's also the principal of the Montgomery Korea School at the Korean-American Association of Greater Montgomery (KAAGM) facility on Eastern Boulevard.

Koo said he and KAAGM's president Chang Won Cho have a goal to bring Korean culture into the city's mainstream. This weekend, they're taking steps toward that through a K-Pop dance lesson and a dance team competition at the Alabama National Fair.

"Many cities like Montgomery are hosting some kind of K-Pop events," Koo said. The dances are set to popular Korean music. Many wildly popular K-Pop groups like the boy band BTS sing and dance at the same time.

Leading this year's fair experience is the Korean dance team JjinTop.

"Thinking about meeting you in person, I'm already excited," said a member of the team in a promotional video.

They'll host a free "Shall We Dance K-Pop?" workshop on Saturday, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. on the stage at Garrett Coliseum. Everyone at the fair is invited to participate.

"We'll be there teaching the Korean dance to everybody, so we can dance together," Koo said.

On Sunday, JjinTop will judge and dance during the K-Pop Star Contest on the fair's outdoor stage. Koo said teams from across Alabama and Georgia sent in videos of their dance in hope of a spot. From them, about a dozen teams were selected for the competition. First place gets $2,000, second $1,500 and third $1,000.

K-Pop blends dances from hip-hop, jazz and other forms from around the world.

"They all move at the same time in the same pose," Koo said. "It's very, very organized, and very dynamic."

Koo said KAAGM would like to have an annual partnership with the fair to provide more Korean events, like K-Sport Taekwondo, K-Drama and K-Pop singing, to deepen the Korean culture bonds with Montgomery. Plus, it's not just about teaching Americans about what Korea has to offer.

"We have a lot of young kids nowadays, because their parents are from Korea and work here. We are trying to let those kids know about the pride of Korea as well," Koo said.

Expanding understanding of Korean language, culture

If there's one key word to describe Korean culture, Koo said it's respect. Respect for others, respect for yourself, respect for older and younger generations, respect for Korean history, and respect for other cultures.

"America is a melting pot, so we should know each other," said Koo.

More than a decade ago, Koo was working in Arkansas, where the options for a taste of home didn't exist.

"Whenever I wanted Korean food, I had to drive six hours to Dallas, Texas," Koo said. He'd eat, and then go to the Korean market there to stock up before making the long drive back.

Ten years ago, Koo moved to Montgomery to join Troy University. Since then, those long commutes for food haven't been necessary. Montgomery has many businesses — restaurants, markets, and even specialized care businesses like dentists — that cater directly to its Korean community.

"You can find those kinds of stuff easily here," Koo said. "However, even though you have a strong Korean culture here, you don't really have a connection with the mainstream."

The city's overall entertainment scene is an example of the separation from Korean culture.

"To me, the entertainment in this area is more for sports," Koo said. "Every Saturday is going to tailgating and watching games, hanging out with friends. That is the American culture. Korean culture here, they're supposed to interact with American people so they enjoy those kinds of aspects together. However, the Korean people they don't really enjoy interacting with that kind of stuff."

Even the Alabama National Fair itself could be viewed as more of an American event, Koo said.

"But it's not," Koo said. "That why the K-Pop contest can be kind of a stepping stone for that, a bridge for those two different cultures."

It's not the only one.

On Nov. 5, KAAGM will bring an orchestra from Korea to Montgomery perform at Troy University's Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts.

"That orchestra is very unique because the conductor is disabled," Koo said. "There are some disabled musicians as well."

Another group doing similar work in Montgomery is the Alabama Korea Education and Economic Partnership (A-KEEP). Last year, they brought a K-Pop concert to Davis Theatre. They've also brought Korean theatre to Montgomery, partnered with the Montgomery Biscuits for a Korean theme night, and held Korean language classes at the RSA Union Building.

Keeping Korean children in touch with their culture

Koo has two sons, both of whom were born in the U.S.

"They know about U.S. culture," he said. "Every year, I go out with them to the Alabama National Fair."

Over the past decade in education, Koo got to know a lot of local Korean youth — middle and high school students — who came to Montgomery with their parents, stayed three of four years, and then went back. Those youths were of an age to hold on to their Korean culture.

"However, that age is getting younger and younger nowadays," Koo said.

For those younger students, the link to mainstream Montgomery is much stronger. They're at the other end of the spectrum. The Montgomery Korea School is a lifeline to their history, and to the respect their culture offers.

"Every Saturday morning, we are teaching the Korean language and culture to Korean kids," Koo said.

Many of the children in the school's six classes are bilingual, English and Korean. Some have parents who speak little English, so they mostly speak Korean at home. Elsewhere, not so much.

"When they go to school, they're talking English all the time," Koo said.

Growing up in the South, have the kids developed a Southern accent to how they speak Korean?

"Definitely, definitely," Koo said.

Ahead for the school, they're planning to offer a class for non-Koreans to learn the language and culture. Before they can do that, they'll likely have to move to a larger location that will accomodate more than six classrooms.

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel at sheupel@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama State Fair to feature K-Pop dance show