By Kevin Sears
“Drama-ma–ma-ma”
“I break trauma-ma-ma-ma”
With the lights dimmed low, the spotlight shining on her, junior Theresa Nguyen poses for a photo finish as the last vestiges of “Drama” by Aespa echo through her ears. There’s a brief moment of silence — the audience is spellbound — then the crowd breaks into cheers. Along with Theresa Nguyen, a new K-Pop dance group emerges from their first competition at Loara High School’s International Night.
Junior Barons Khue Tran and Theresa Nguyen, along with Saxons Krisden Baltazar, also a junior, and sophomore Tina Nguyen, formed a quartet. They chose a simple yet personal name for their group: (TK)2, which combines the first letters of their names.
Unlike many professional groups performing at International Night, (TK)2 had rough beginnings. Baltazar, who had left a previous dance group, and Tina Nguyen wished to compete at International Night but did not have enough members. It was a struggle to find people willing to persevere through hours of choreography every week and stand brave and tall on stage. The two final members, Tran and Theresa Nguyen joined (TK)2 without any previous dance experience.
“Tina first asked [Theresa] to join the dance team before inviting me, and, to be honest, I told her I would think about it. [I had] plans on declining afterward: I was hesitant to join because dancing with such a small group meant there would be more attention on me, which seemed like a recipe for disaster,” Tran said.
Fortunately for (TK)2, Tran did not succumb to her doubts.
Burdened by their busy junior year schedules, the group often finds it difficult to meet up in person to practice, and instead have to opt to practice at home on their own. One thing every member of the group can agree on is their love for dancing, which makes practice feel less like a task and more of a pleasure.
“Whether it’s alone or with a group, there’s this sense of satisfaction you earn when you finally get the choreography down right, which always makes you want to practice some more,” Tran said.
Learning choreography is a long and tedious process. In the beginning, any movement you make will look off or awkward, especially when practicing on your own.
“If the choreography is hard, just keep practicing until you get it right. You know what everyone says, practice makes perfect, and I stand by that. If you’re afraid of what other people may think, try and overcome that fear,” Baltazar said.
When practicing together, the group does their best to move in sync — which is more difficult than it seems.
“I was messing up a lot during practice, and I came to a realization. Even if I’m not serving [in] dancing, at least I’m serving [in] looks,” Theresa Nguyen said.
(TK)2 has chosen to perform the song “Magnetic” by Illit next.
At the end of the day, (TK)2 is performing to have a good time and encourage others to form their own groups and dance to their favorite songs too.
(TK)2 recommends starting with YouTube tutorials. By slowing down dancers’ movements, you can match their choreography. And most importantly, to just have fun.
“I honestly love (TK)2 so much: we’ve become really good friends. As cliché as it sounds, I think the friendships you make and the bond you form along the way is what makes it all worth it,” Tran said.
This article was originally published in the 2024 RED Magazine. Stop by room 306 to pick up a copy.
