On April 6th, UCLA Taekwondo performed in UCLA Korean Culture Night's (KCN's) 31st annual production "Meet Me Where I Am!" This was the first time UCLA Taekwondo has participated in KCN in the club's history. We couldn't be more proud of our demonstration team and all of the effort they put into preparing for this event. Our team committed to extra practices throughout all of winter quarter and the beginning of spring quarter.
Our demonstration team performed in Royce Hall. The performance included a choreographed poomsae, a martial arts and dance performance, and board breaking. Let's take a look at what one of our demonstration team coordinators,
Eugene Kimura, has to say about the event:
How would you describe your experience coordinating KCN?
Eugene Kimura: "As UCLA Taekwondo Club's first time performing at the Korean Culture Night, the first question that came to mind was, "What will this team be able to achieve?" With a mixture of high hopes and uncertainty, I was looking forward to playing a part in helping the team discover their potential. Surrounding myself with hard-working athletes with a common goal, there has been this indescribable passion about being in the Taekwondo community."
What was your favorite part about the performance?
Eugene Kimura: "My favorite part of the performance was working with all the members on the creative poomsae form. With an ambitious incorporation of the iconic pop song, Levitating by Dua Lipa, the team displayed a fusion of graceful martial-art components and modern pop techniques to immerse the audience in a fully-authentic Taekwondo experience. The individual hard work that was put inside and outside of practice greatly contributed to structuring our KCN performance!"
Our team consisted of 28 performers, ranging from members with little Taekwondo experience to individuals with competitive backgrounds. The team had a place for everyone and gave our members a chance to express their passion for Taekwondo on the stage. Let's see what one of our members,
Allison Chen, thought about the performance:
How would your describe your experience preparing for KCN?Â
Allison Chen: "I think practices for KCN were always really fun, and I got to know more people in the Taekwondo club through this experience. Everyone was supportive and that fostered an environment where people tried their best to improve."
What was your favorite part about the performance?
Allison Chen: "My favorite part of the performance was the creative forms and Chungha's Gotta Go."
Thank you to our KCN demonstration team coordinators that made this event possible:
Sharlene Duong
Eugene Kimura
Derrick Kwak
Erica Seo
Finally, thank you the KCN coordinators for putting on such a fantastic event!
If you're interested in watching our performance, check out the Youtube video link down below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwCfmRK0M_s
