Team Profile: Unity

UNITY
Directors:
- Myung Jaehyun (senior economics major)
- Han Dongmin (junior biology major)
Selected members:
- Sung Hanbin (2nd year psych masters student)
- Shim Jayoon (junior)
- Park Gunwook (sophomore)
- Kim Woonhak (first-year, undecided)
- Han Jihoon (first-year)

Unity’s members are jacks of all trades. Not many have formal training in any specific style, save for Hanbin, who is an up-and-coming icon in the tutting and waacking scene but still chooses to spend his time on a team to improve his other foundations. However, they’re all versatile and receptive to anything their directors throw at them. Their set, therefore, is quintessentially open-style, blending elements of different styles for a unique combination that shows off their teamwork.

Reference: Day One at Elements Dance Competition

Setlist:
tv off - Kendrick Lamar, Lefty Gunplay
212 - Azealia Banks
Did It On ‘Em - Nicki Minaj
Gwara Nao Para - Assi, BM

Team Profile: Persist

PERSIST
Directors:
Lee Sanghyuk (senior dance major)
Kim Donghyun (junior marine biology & environmental science major)
Selected members:
Jang Kyujin (first-year)
Kang Haerin (first-year)
Takayama Riki (sophomore)
Nakakita Yuma (junior)
Yang Jungwon (junior)

Persist is very old-school hip-hop based. Their members are trained more in foundational styles, e.g. Donghyun in waving, Riki in locking, Haerin in litefeet, and Sanghyuk in, well, everything. Their set takes inspiration from movies like Step Up and other classic dance movies, highlighting their grooves and explosive energy. Theme: you’re at a club with your dancer friends and they miraculously play some good music.

Reference: Tristan Edpao at The Get Down 7

Setlist:
Right Thurr - Chingy
The Way I Are - Timbaland, Keri Hilson, D.O.E.
Collard Greens - Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar
Flap Your Wings - Nelly

Other Tidbits

- Dongmin and Sungho’s first ever dance cover was Killing Me by iKon. Obviously, Sungho tried to get them to do a Twice song first. They’re also childhood friends.
- Yes, they both used Kendrick songs. Korea loves him.
- Woonhak’s still undecided on his major, but he met Jaehyun at a finance club interest meeting and Jaehyun immediately adopted him and bugged him to audition for Unity.
- Dongmin and Donghyun eventually become friends as well because they’re in some of the same biology electives. If Donghyun is jealous of him and Sanghyuk at all, he doesn’t show it.
- Sanghyuk gets a job offer as a choreographer even before he graduates. Luckily, he’ll be in Seoul for the near future :)

Sanghyuk Characterization Notes

Weverse Magazine Interview 1 and 2
- “My mother loved music, and she suggested that I take dance lessons, so I did from fifth grade. When I was in middle school, I got the opportunity to go on stage at the school festival… my friends started to treat me differently. (laughs) They told me that I was really good, and I think they thought of me as a cooler person from then on. But all that aside, I was really happy to be on stage.”
- “So, whenever I perform, I really focus and try to do my best even in the parts that aren’t mine, because I believe that I can use my dancing to make other members shine even more.”
- “I’m definitely confident when I’m performing onstage. When I just started out dancing, I felt self-conscious even when I was onstage. I kept thinking about how the audience would see me, but at some point, all those worries just disappeared—at least when I’m onstage.”
- “Maybe I end up paying more attention to working hard than having fun without even realizing it because I tend to get super competitive and can’t turn it off.”

Jan 2019 Def Dance Skool Love Shot Dance Cover
- when doing research for this work, I realized I definitely watched this cover when I was a baby K-pop stan 🥹 red string theory? Also... watching through more of his covers... you know he was Theeeee Trainee to beat because he was covering all of the groups' main dancers 😭

Riwoo talking about his dance journey (translation by myungpups)
- "I've never, not even once, thought of myself as naturally talented at dancing. I always say that I just worked really really hard. I'm not bragging, but instead of studying (academics), I studied dance. I'm so detailed, I analyze my dance down to the tiniest details, even frame by frame, pausing videos (to check my moves)."
- "I'd paid for choreography lesson tutorials. I took notes, writing down what kind of expression or moves I need to do in the exact minute and second. I think I spent years dancing every single day, all week long."

My unwarranted thoughts:
I admire Riwoo a lot. His mentality towards dance and his process of careful analysis of every detail of his moves is very similar to my own. We both found joy in dancing not only because it felt good to be on stage, but also because other people looked at us differently afterwards. However... I am just a little jealous that he was able to dedicate so much time to dancing and give up academics. #chaebolmoney #secondgenimmigrantguilt Good for him though; he's killing it and I'll always look up to him <3

Dongmin Characterization Notes

Taesan's difficulties expressing himself predebut
- "during his trainee days, taesan was always in the studio, practicing nonstop. barely took breaks, rarely went out, and outside of mealtimes, it was hard to even check in on him. the team worried about him."


Weverse Magazine Interview 1 and 2
- “I disliked that whenever I told someone how I felt, they would be affected and have a hard time, too. So I started to take care of everything on my own.”
- “I don’t put on an act on stage, per se. It’s just that I try to show who I think I am, and I get more confident when I’m on stage, too.”
- “I’m a bit of a stickler and a perfectionist, and I really prefer to handle things on my own”
- “The most memorable thing [my dad] ever said to me was, ‘Sharing too much happiness breeds jealousy; revealing sadness shows weakness.’”
- “I’m the kind of person who sticks with something until I feel like I’m decent at it.”
- “I ask other people all the time to film me for self-monitoring purposes. I can’t stand it when I spot my own weaknesses.”
- “You know what people who come prepared say: If you practice a lot, you’ll have confidence no matter what you’re doing.”
- Interviewer: “One of your fans on Weverse recently said, ‘Thank you for not hiding the fact that you’re having a hard time,’ and you wrote back, ‘I usually hate when people can see that, but I just wanted to be comforted like a baby.’”

From Riwoo's Weverse Mag Interview
- “TAESAN is really confident and knows what he likes and wants, so he’s not the dependent type. He doesn’t really ask for help, he asks for confirmation. But he also keeps an eye out for you.”

Also, I can't find the source, but apparently Taesan (+Sungho) learns choreo the fastest within the group! I chalk it up to him having great basic foundations; mans trained for six years lol. He probably also has good pattern recognition and body awareness, which are the most important skills to have to learn choreo quickly rather than being a stronger dancer overall (because interestingly, Riwoo actually takes the longest to learn choreo!)

My unwarranted thoughts:
Wow I really need to get inside Han Taesan's brain. We are a little too similar. INTJ and INFJ things, I suppose. Also, that quote from his dad is lowkey crazy LOL you go Mr. Han I guess. I hope he knows we're all so proud of him and that not everything he does has to be perfect. He's already perfect To Me...