QUAKE
QUAKE
Among the chaos in Northview, there is always one constant the students look forward to each year. In the final weeks of January, one would be surprised walking down the halls late at night to see kids of all grades practicing their various talents to showcase on international night. As the directors continue to run through their show, they get to a rather popular group - one that stops all of the performers in their tracks to come racing back to the auditorium for a monumental performance by a group of performers who have come together despite the odds against them. Our editor-in-chief, Sarah Thangamani, sat down for an interview with three members of the most popular dance team at Northview called Quake.
MEET TWO OF THE TEAM'S MEMBERS: MINWOO KIM AND KAMAL KORRAPATI
Minwoo and Benjamin had both grown up dancing through their church. While both their parents had always encouraged them to participate in church dances, they felt like they were being forced into it. Minwoo didn’t think he knew what actual dancing was until very recently - around 2018. After having the chance of learning more challenging choreography and being given the chance to perform, he found his love of dance and was finally able to do what he wanted to do. Benjamin first started dancing at school when a friend invited him to join Re-flex his sophomore year. Seeing as there was no harm, he decided to join, tagging Minwoo along as well. Starting out with street-style hip hop, Minwoo used his skills and joined Quake (which was still a growing team at the time) to help cultivate and grow his skills. This gave him the opportunity to learn other dance forms, such as contemporary.
Kamal’s mother had always been heavily involved with cultural Indian organizations around Atlanta, which led to Kamal having a childhood full of performing upbeat Bollywood songs. Because it was clear he had a clear passion for dance, he enrolled in a local Indian dance studio that mainly specialized in Indian dance forms like Bollywood and Bhangra (but was often encouraged to learn other styles of dance as well). After training there for years, he decided it wasn’t the route for him and decided to stop attending, but kept the fire alive by performing at parties and just dancing around the house. When he discovered Quake, he decided to join and the rest is history.
THE INTERVIEW
What is Quake? Quake is a hip hop dance group that is inclusive as well as diverse at Northview High school. They look for dancers with potential, not only talent, to join the coveted team. Quake used to be a Korean hip hop dance team, but this past year, it was brought back with the mission to bring diversity to dance as well as elevate their dancing as a whole to a new level.
Three Words to Describe Quake: Powerful. Diverse. Exceptional.
What does being in Quake mean as a dancer? To Kamal, being in Quake gave him a sense of purpose. Dancing with other people who were at and above his level of experience made him feel comfortable enough to show his passion to others as well as making him feel included. For Ben, at first Quake was just a dance group, but as time progressed it's made him realize how passionate he is of dancing and how much he looks forward to it; it's a part of him. Minwoo started out by saying that being in Quake is a challenge. While he is very passionate and it has opened him up to the world of dance, they still go through the struggles of any other dance group. In saying that, while it may be difficult at times to make sure they are dancing as a group and not just as individuals, everyone brings their own 'flavor' to the floor in a unique way. As a whole, they wish to inspire others to take a chance on dance and show how the diverse population of Northview can come together for dance; At Northview, most dance groups tend to stick to their own cultures, and before last year Quake was the same, portrayed as a Korean dance group. Now, instead of being known as 'that really cool Korean dance group named Quake, they're known as just Quake. As Kamal likes to say, they are Northview's dance team, not just focussing on one singular culture.
How does Quake function? While they pride themselves on the diversity they bring, at the end of the day they are a dance group and not an individual. Minwoo believes that every dance performance has a meaning and purpose. You shouldn't focus much on yourself, rather focus on what you are contributing to the group. It starts out with one of their leaders, Minwoo, learning a dance routine online; once he masters it, he starts to teach it to the rest of the team, making sure that everyone knows what's going on. Not all of their routine is taken online though. Often times they find themselves not liking certain steps so they choreograph their own parts to fit the vibe and feel of the song and dance. Usually they start practicing to a slowed down track to make sure they pay attention to details and are getting the choreography right. After a while, they start bumping the speed back up to normal so they get used to the actual tempo. Throughout this process, they maintain a level of professionalism while also having fun and making lasting memories. As high school students who do other extracurriculars while also taking a rigorous course load, every minute counts. It's often hard to find time to actually sit down and practice - even if you're focused, there just doesn't seem to have enough time to do everything they want. Meeting at various times from September to the very day of their performances, they decided their frequency based on how much they needed it. Not having access to school all the time as well as not having the funds to rent out a separate space meant that they had to utilize their own houses or other spaces around the community.
How can I join Quake? Quake holds auditions during the spring of each school year. They look for individuals that are talented, but who also have potential to unlock talent. The audition process this year consisted up learning a routine they sent, and having the choice of sending another routine you've done. While they do receive a large number of submissions, they are still a reputable team that consists of varying talent and skill levels.
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