Auckland's Town Hall is turning into New Zealand's epicentre of K-Pop on Saturday, February 23 as part of the Auckland Fringe Festival.
K-Pop — which is a blend of worldwide musical influences such as hip hop, gospel and electronica — emerged in South Korea in the early 90s, but didn't take on its 'idol' culture until boy band H.O.T. became popular in 1996.
These days, K-Pop is defined as more than just a musical genre, but rather an all-encompassing aesthetic. The French National Audiovisual Insitute describes K-Pop as a "fusion of synthesized music, sharp dance routines and fashionable, colourful outfits." The genre's 'idol culture' is also incredibly important. Training and grooming a K-Pop star/'idol' under one of the big record labels costs about US$3 million, according to a 2012 The Wall Street Journal article.
K-Pop Party will be curated by Rina Chae, known for dancing with Beyoncé and Justin Bieber as well as choreographing for AOA, Cosmic Girls, SF9 and Monsta X, the K-Pop only, all-ages dance party will feature the most current K-Pop hits, guest dance performances by Rina Chae, Street Candee, 603 and Jua.