On Friday, March 14, WJ’s K-pop dance team, Korean PROject (KPRO), performed among 15 other Montgomery County teams at the Hallyu showcase at Watkins Mill High School. This annual event brings together teams from across the county to showcase their talents in front of a roaring crowd.
KPRO has participated in the event every year since the launch of the showcase four years ago. It is their biggest performance of the year and they spent two months preparing for it.
“We had to prepare it in such a short time, but it came together a lot better than we thought,” junior Secretary Lina Yu said.
The Hallyu showcase’s turnout trumped most other after-school events, with 400 fans filling the auditorium.
“The crowd was very supportive, most of the songs that we did were pretty popular so the crowd sang along with the music,” vice president senior Alexis Batac said. “I think that school spirit is really important when it comes to performing. The hype of the crowd makes the performance overall more enjoyable and entertaining. Without the crowd hyping us up, I don’t think the performance would create as much of an impact as it did in Hallyu.”
The songs picked can be an important factor in the performance. They dictate the energy in the room and the vibe of the performance. This year, the team performed the choreography from several well-known K-pop songs, specifically “Mago” by GFriend, “Fatal Trouble” by Enhyphen and “Fake Love” by BTS.
“We picked the songs because we thought they were iconic songs and they were really popular so that everybody could enjoy them,” Yu said.
The Hallyu showcase is an inspiring display of how art and music can unite many people together. It was clear that everyone in the room supported one another and were united by their shared love of dance.
“Last year was my first year doing Hallyu, and back then I didn’t know anyone,” treasurer junior Esther Yeo said. “The performance is a really team bonding experience. I think the new people that attended Hallyu this year felt the same Euphoric feeling when performing, especially because the experience was not confined within KPRO, but we also got to see other schools perform and interact with the community, which made it really enjoyable for me and for other people.”
![WJ Jazz Ensemble prepares for next song. The ensemble performed on The Bijou stage at the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Feb. 15. “When I first auditioned I wasn't really familiar with [the genre], but I feel like I’ve really grown a lot. As a jazz musician it’s pretty natural,” senior pianist Meley Ghermey said.](https://wjpitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/jsjns-JAZZ-1200x675.jpg)
