Brown-RISD K-pop dance team DAEBAK opened doors to students to their annual spring show “DAEBAK & Co.” last Friday and Saturday in Salomon DECI. In front of the packed auditorium, the dancers of DAEBAK performed routines to around 30 K-pop songs.
The show — true to its name — took on a lighthearted business casual theme inspired by the popular office romance, Korean drama “Business Proposal.” In a teaser promo video that played before the show, DAEBAK members posed as businesspeople in a sleek montage-style edit.
The show opened with an energetic performance by the DAEBAK e-board to “Who U Are” by Kang Daniel, followed by a welcome message from the board.
“We have a lot of different choreography to show today, from stages you might have seen at other events to all new pieces,” Bumjin Joo ’25, co-communications chair, told the audience.
Co-Director Annie Liang ’24 encouraged the audience to cheer loudly, saying that the performers “feed off of your audience energy, and we all work together to create an awesome show. You guys are also welcome to sing along.”
Throughout the show, audience members were not shy about expressing their support, with many cheering for their friends and waving glowsticks that were handed out at the ticketing booths.
The show continued with several composite dance numbers, each consisting of two to three pieces titled to fit the business theme. Each performance showcased DAEBAK’s high-energy and synchronized style of dancing. In addition to vibrant colors and strobe lighting that illuminated the stage, a diverse set of coordinated costumes emphasized the dancers’ elaborate movements, taking inspiration from performances by popular K-pop groups.
The team’s shared love for K-pop shone through the performances and amped up the audience. Many of the dancers lip-synced along with the music, some impersonating K-pop group members in their choreography and motions.
The show also featured non-audition members from DAEBAK’s Dance Camp — a weeklong workshop open to dancers of all backgrounds and levels of experience — in a piece titled “Meet the Interns.”
In addition to the set program, DAEBAK featured collaborative performances with other dance groups. On Friday, Impulse and Abhinaya joined DAEBAK to present two partially student-choreographed collaborative performances, fusing each group’s respective cultural and stylistic dance techniques. DAEBAK shared the stage with Ground Breakin’ and Moli East Asian Dance Company on Saturday.
According to Liang and co-Director Elise Togneri ’24, preparation for “DAEBAK & Co.” took the whole year. “It’s pretty hard to organize 34 people … and schedule all their practices,” Liang said. “But our members are also in it to be as productive as possible.”
Despite scheduling challenges, Togneri said that tech week went “surprisingly very smooth. … All our members really (came) prepared.”
Ayusha Maharjan, a Rhode Island School of Design student who came to the show to support a friend, enjoyed seeing “the dancers’ energies” and singing along.
Melanie Lau ’26 also came out to see several friends and “really liked the lights, visuals and the outfits,” she said. “It’s been really fun.”
The show wrapped up with a humorous office rom-com style skit and dance performed by DAEBAK’s graduating seniors, as well as a video compilation of goodbye messages. A dance to “That That” by PSY and BTS’s SUGA performed by the entire group closed out the show.
Moving forward, DAEBAK plans to “continue on the hype,” Togneri said. The group will hold spring auditions and prepare for possible end-of-year performances.
“K-pop is very joyful and happy,” Togneri said. “We want to express our love for dance and K-pop to (our) audience and leave them re-energized and happy.”
Isabel Hahn is an Arts & Culture editor who concentrates in English and Behavioral Decision Sciences. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, reading, and journaling.
