Boston University students who are interested in K-pop dance and are looking for a community of others who are as well should look no further.
K-pop dance lovers can come together at BU miXx, a K-pop dance crew that films dance cover videos across campus and other parts of Boston.
“It’s a really great community to be a part of,” said BU miXx president Brigid Kane, senior in the College of Communication. “Everyone has similar interests. It’s easy to talk to everyone, everyone has the same mindset.”
The BU miXx e-board hosts three cycles of performances a semester, each consisting of per beginner, intermediate and advanced routine. Choreography leaders also teach open workshop practices for general members.
The group launched in 2013 and has since accumulated more than 20,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Auditions are held for the filming of each dance cover the group posts on its YouTube channel. Members who are selected for the videos recreate the outfits from the original K-pop music videos as well, Kane said.
BU miXx can be seen filming in various locations in Boston, such as Downtown Plaza and Seaport, and on campus, such as Marsh Plaza — locations are decided upon by the choreography leaders and the cast.
“If it’s more of a summer-y song or something, maybe we’ll go down to the waterfront,” Kane said, “and it would kind of fit that aesthetic a little bit more.”
Auditions can get “very competitive,” Kane said, adding that a dance with seven spots may have had around 60 students audition.
BU miXx members can also pitch a side project to lead. These projects still hold auditions but are meant for dancers to help improve their dance skills before getting cast in main cycle videos.
“I remember when I was a freshman, I would get really discouraged if I didn’t get cast in anything,” Kane said. “But you just have to take a step back and realize there’s so many upperclassmen too that have been here for years and know how everything works, and have been doing this type of dance for a while, so it’s just a learning process.”
For the majority of members who don’t get cast, going to practices and finding community is just as fun as being in a video.
“It’s nice to go to a practice every once or twice a week and see people who all share the same interests as you and just get to hang out and dance in a gym for a few hours,” Kane said.
Mary Miura, a COM sophomore who serves as underclassmen representative for BU miXx, said she enjoys main cycle practices because of the number of people that show up.
“The last time we had like over 100 people in one practice,” Miura said. “It was so fun to be dancing with that many people who [are] sharing our passion toward a song.”
BU miXx is resuming main cycle activities this Fall, after a semester off for COVID-19 precautions when club activities were online.
Kane, who had not been a dancer before joining BU miXx, said the group has helped her grow as a person overall.
“I’ve gotten to a point where I feel a lot more confident in my teaching abilities, my dancing abilities, just being-able-to-speak-in-front-of-people abilities,” Kane said.
Miura said she enjoys having a place to dance with others and talk about K-pop in general.
“I love dancing to K-pop, but I didn’t have any friends who [were] interested in K-pop dancing in my high school,” Miura said. “I certainly feel BU miXx is a place that I can share my [passion] with dancing K-pop.”
BU MiXx will host their “miXxhibition” Nov. 13 and will start the next cycle in October.
Kane said it can be challenging for new students to find a community where they feel comfortable. She said she is glad BU miXx can be that place for some people.
“But once you find it,” Kane said, “it makes such a difference in your college experience and just your life in general.”
