Middle school girls shine in original K-pop musical performance

“Let’s Play with Culture and Arts! We’re K-pop Stars” unfolded at MBC Gyeongnam Hall in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. Co-hosted by The Dong-A Ilbo, the South Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education, and Yangdeok Girls’ Middle School and supervised by the K-Performance & Art Vision Research Lab, the event showcased the remarkable talents of approximately 20 students from Yangdeok Girls’ Middle School.

The event's highlight was the students’ performance of a K-pop musical concert titled “My Mother.” This original production, inspired by an award-winning contest essay, saw the students' direct involvement in its creation, infusing the work with their dreams and memories of motherhood. Professors Kim Chun-gyeong and Yoo Seong-joon at the Media Arts and Entertainment Department of Dongduk Women’s University provided guidance and supervision throughout the creative process.

“Throughout the preparation for this performance, I realized how much my mother means to me. I became confident that I can manage well challenges in the future,” Im Gang-ra, a 16-year-old participant in the performance, shared, reflecting on the transformative experience. Principal Park Jin-hee expressed her pride in students, stating, “Watching our students learn singing and acting from experts, I saw how talented our students are. I am very proud of my students.” Professor Kim said. “We all feel somewhat sad and moved when we think of our mothers. The students’ performance on the stage resonated with the audience.” Professor Kim oversaw the musical training and highlighted the emotional resonance of the students’ performance.

This year marks the 16th edition of the event since its inception in 2007. The Dong-A Ilbo has been a co-host of the event since 2012 in collaboration with the South Gyeongsang Provincial Office of Education.


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