K-Pop Cover Dance Festival in Canada (Perfect Night with P1Harmony)
On Sunday, the 18th of September, Ottawa's Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe held Canada’s K-Pop Cover Dance Festival. The annual competition drew 12 dance crews from all over Canada competing for the chance to represent the country at the festival’s World Finals taking place in Seoul this October, hosted by Canada’s Korean Cultural Centre and the Seoul Shinmun Daily. This K-Pop Cover Dance Festival was also known as the ‘Perfect Night with P1Harmony’ as the popular K-Pop group P1Harmony was there. The group made an appearance as the event’s special guest performers and judges, after previously holding a free fan sign event and a performance at the Royal Ontario Museum’s ROM After Dark party.
Canada’s K-Pop Cover Dance Festival began with a speech by the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Canada, followed by a performance from the twelve competing dance crews, whom each performed a cover of a song by different artists. Once all the dance crews had wrapped up, the festival went into a 15-minute intermission before P1Harmony took to the stage to do a quick Q&A segment with a member of the Korean Cultural Centre. Here, they were asked questions about their time in Canada, their favorite Canadian foods, their experiences in the country, and their favourite songs to dance to, amongst others. With Keeho having lived in Canada before becoming a K-Pop idol, we’re sure the rest of P1Harmony had a great time exploring Canada with their leader.
Photo courtesy of Jorge Toledo-Ramirez
Once the Q&A had finished, P1Harmony performed a selection of songs including, “Black Hole,” “Scared,” and “If You Call Me,” as well as a few others. The members took time to interact with their fans, taking breaks in between their songs to talk to them, telling them how happy they were to be in Canada and at the festival, especially Keeho who, as previously mentioned, lived in Canada. P1Harmony also waved at fans on the balcony, did hearts with the crowd and their fellow members, posed for those who were taking photos, and even took selfie videos on the phones of attendees in the very front row.
Photo courtesy of Jorge Toledo-Ramirez
Photo courtesy of Jorge Toledo-Ramirez
After P1Harmony had performed, the 12 competing dance crews returned to the stage for the announcement of the first, second, and third place acts whom P1Harmony had helped judge and choose. RPM Dance Crew was announced as the overall winner, winning the role of being the Canadian representative when the World Finals take place in Seoul next month. Not only this but the winner and the two runners-up were also rewarded with a giant cheque, presented by the P1Harmony members, winning actual money for their hard work and performance. P1Harmony then took photos with each of the dance crews and the crowd before the festival sadly came to an end.
Photo courtesy of Jorge Toledo-Ramirez
The 2022 K-Pop Cover Dance Festival in Canada was the second time that Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe had held this event, with the first being in 2019 with K-Pop group Snuper as the special guest judges. Overall, it was a great event that can be seen as providing a platform for K-Pop groups who often don’t get the chance to tour, or are from small labels, to perform in front of their fans and be part of something special, especially in areas that are not known for hosting K-Pop events. After the success of this year's K-Pop Cover Dance Festival, we can’t wait to see who will be here judging and performing next year onwards.