Yuma Kamisage had a sparkling star on his cheek, matching his shining silver jacket, as he kicked off the K.Aire Night with a synchronized and vivid performance with dance partner Sayu Ogura. On June 1, at EMU Ballroom, K.Aire members welcomed students, parents and community members to the “K-Aireverse.”

Many parents and families attended the event, including Kamisage’s host family. One mother said her two daughters wanted to come because they heard about the performance and love K-pop. The night went on with endless performances and endless cheers.

For Kamisage, K.Aire is not only a dance squad, but a community that helped him overcome challenges during his nine months of studying abroad from Japan. He appreciates the K.Aire members for welcoming him even though he was not talkative at first.

“There was a time I felt down, but knowing that K.Aire practices on Tuesdays and Fridays kept me going,” he said. He said that it is often hard for exchange students to find a community and to do something outside of classes. “Most people had to just go home after class,” he said.

Twelve members of K.Aire graduated this year, including Kamisage and Ryan Walker, a senior at UO. Walker has never danced in public before, but she went to a K.Aire workshop her freshman year and caught the K.Aire president’s attention.

“I had never danced outside of my bedroom before,” Walker said, but she has been a K-pop fan since around 2014. However, during her high school years, Walker had a challenging time embracing her fandom toward K-pop, as her friends didn’t share the passion.

Walker sees K-pop as a unique way of connecting people, bridging different cultures from all over the world. It is a space where people can come and enjoy sharing the love of K-pop openly.

K.Aire was founded in 2013 by former UO student Carmen Rong alongside a group of her friends. Its purpose is to spread the love of K-pop and dance, bring people of different backgrounds together and allow members to dance with others on stage.

It has been recognized not only regionally but nationally, and sometimes across the ocean. Kamisage learned about K.Aire even before he came to Oregon. He met a UO alumnus in Japan, and she told him about K.Aire and how it positively impacted her life at UO.

It was K.Aire’s fourth annual K.Aire Night, and members hope more will come in the future. If you like K-pop or love to perform, you might want to check K.Aire out next year. They will have workshops and performances throughout the year.

“It might be scary at first, but you should do it,” Kamisage said.