Members of Bayanihan and K-Pop Dance Club (KPDC) gathered around the outer edge of the plaza, getting ready to perform during lunch in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Month, May 26. Onlookers passing by saw the dancers, and slowly, a crowd formed a circle, setting a stage for the performers. Then, seven members from KPDC made their way to the center and got into formation, and once the familiar instrumentals of “Cupid” by Fifty-Fifty started, cheers sounded through the crowd. 

For the month of May, the freshman class presidents, Nila Pillai (9) and Autumn Ha (9), planned and organized events for AAPI Month.  The pair started planning events around the end of February and focused on getting more participation in the cultural showcase.  Last year, ASB had only Bayanihan perform, but this year, they were also able to get the KPDC involved as well. 

“[We want] people [to] know of and be aware of different cultures, what they do, and how they express their art,” Ha said.

Judy Kang (11) is the vice president of KPDC and joined her sophomore year in hopes of making friends and pursuing her passion for K-Pop, as she has been listening to K-Pop since seventh grade. 

“[The showcase is] an opportunity to get K-Pop out [to more people] and break the stigma of what it is,” Kang said. 

Since the first week of May, the group had practices twice a week to go over the dances. At the showcase, they performed three songs: “Cupid”, “Rover” by Kai, and “I Am” by IVE. The songs were chosen based on their recent popularity on social media so that a wide variety of people would be able to recognize them. Their dance routine was inspired by the actual performances of the K-Pop groups.

KPDC members were assigned one or two dances to learn out of the three choices and were then expected to learn the dance on their own time. At practices, the group would split up into three sub-groups to practice each dance together, give each other pointers, and make sure everyone was on the same page about the routine and how everyone would come together. Then after a while, they would come together and perform the dances for Liahnna Kym (12), the president of the club, so she could give the group critiques. 

Bayanihan had spent a little over a month practicing at club meetings in preparation for the AAPI showcase. Their practices are mostly led by the Tagalog teacher, Jaclyn Brom, and they typically practice after school and, occasionally, during class. For the showcase, they performed a Philippine folk dance called Ilocano a Nasudi, which is a partner dance that represents the beauty and grace of the Filipina. The dance itself is fast-paced and a representation of courtship, which is a dating tradition in the Philippines that is still practiced today. Alyssa Ferre-Perez (11) said that learning the dance itself is very courtship-like, as you are getting to know your partner throughout it with every practice. 

Within the club, there is a focus on connecting with Philippine culture, and members are also able to connect with one another. Gabriel Spruill (10) joined the club for the first time this year and said there is a special sense of belonging that can be found during meetings. 

“It’s very much like an extended family,” Spruill said.

Spruill joined Bayanihan in hopes of connecting more to the Filipino side of himself that he wasn’t exposed to when growing up. 

“[For people who] don’t really have a chance to explore their own culture, [the showcase] gives them a way to connect more with who they are,” Spruill said. “By showcasing this, it shows you are being seen by everyone and we can share this culture with you.”