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| Chocomint HK / Courtesy of Chocomint HK |
By Park Ji-won
HONG KONG ― You may have seen them if you are living in Hong Kong: six young women performing in some of the busiest and most scenic spots in the city, their dance moves slick and stylish.
The women make up Chocomint HK, a K-pop cover dance crew whose members are taking part in "K-pop in public," a popular trend on social media platforms such as YouTube.
Two of the group's most recent videos have gone viral ― their cover of BLACKPINK's "Pink Venom" and "Shut Down" have, as of October 31, had 191,000 and 738,000 views respectively.
Considering the fact that many K-pop cover dance videos made in Hong Kong attract, on average, only hundreds to thousands of views, these numbers are phenomenal.
The videos have attracted the attention of BLACKPINK fans from all over the world and have bumped their subscriber numbers to 7,700 from some 4,000 over the past month.
"We didn't expect that (success)," Pearl Chan Pui-yee, a member of the group, said of the two BLACKPINK videos.
"The number of compliments and views of our videos flattered us," Isis Lai Yin-yu adds. "We didn't expect viewers globally to be so supportive and encouraging. The likes given to our videos and Instagram are definitely why we continue filming dance covers."
One comment in Cantonese reads, "I am happy to see the night view in the background, and the way you matched your clothing to the background for the cover deserves praise."
Another comment, in English, praises the resemblance of the dancers to the K-pop girl group, from their hair and clothes to their facial expressions, "And of course, the work of the cameraman, shooting and editing it all, is also very good, the background, the locations, the scenery behind the girls as well."
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| Chocomint HK / Courtesy of Chocomint HK |
Chocomint HK is riding on the rising popularity of K-pop in Hong Kong. A search on YouTube brings up more than 10 cover dance crews in the city, such as Stunning Dance HK with 61,400 subscribers and Saga Dance Crew with 11,700 subscribers.
These crews regularly upload skillfully choreographed K-pop dances ― new and old ― often filming them in one take. The groups film in various parts of the city, wearing outfits similar to those worn in the original videos by the singers.
Chocomint HK is made up of six friends ― Lai, Pearl Chan, Charlotte Chan Lok-yee, Vicky Wong Ming-yan, Jammie Tsang Hoi-ling and Cherry Lo Ching-ting. Most of them went to university together and they share an "incredible" love of K-pop.
They had already been dancing together for years before they started uploading videos online. After graduating, and feeling a lack in the number of offline venues where they could show off their talent earlier on in the coronavirus pandemic, they created a YouTube channel to upload their cover dance videos in January 2021.
It is not just the moves they focus on, either ― the group put a lot of energy into getting the perfect costumes, practicing lip-synching to the lyrics and matching their facial expressions to the original videos.
It takes almost a month to make one video. One to two weeks are used to discuss and buy costumes and it takes one to two weeks to practice and film it. The video is released a few days after shooting.
"We make our own costumes and give comments on dance steps and costumes to each other," Charlotte Chan added.
Their efforts have borne fruit. The group's cover of KARD's track, "Ring The Alarm," came in second in a dance cover contest, and they have been invited to perform at multiple K-pop events.
For the team, being part of a dance crew is about more than just imitating K-pop acts; it is about friendship.
"We do the cover dances as our hobby, as we all love K-pop and dancing so much," Lai said, but they also do them to improve themselves and to strengthen their bonds with one another. "We get to experience all of the ups and downs with our friends, which is unforgettable and precious."
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| Chocomint HK / Courtesy of Chocomint HK |
The team has no end goal ― they are simply doing what they are good at and enjoy while hoping to find more chances to perform and see their favorite K-pop acts through their activities.
"For now, we only wish (to) bring good covers to others and gain more attention," Charlotte Chan said, adding that they would love to be noticed by the singers they are emulating. "For me, my end goal should be dancing with my favorite idol."
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