By Minh Nguyen

UnderSkore is the official K-Pop dance team at the University of Arizona. Founded in 2017, it is now directed by Amelie Schumacher and Andy Rosas. UnderSkore is open to any UA student and anyone over the age of 18. According to their website, UnderSkore is “dedicated to reflecting K-pop’s diverse fanbase by having a team of different shapes, sizes, colors, and identities.” This acceptance of the dance team has created lifelong friendships and a strong sense of community.
UnderSkore has been a creative outlet for many people, regardless of their interest in K-pop or dance. There is more to Underskore than dance, including media and leadership. You could be on the media team instead of performing and still be part of the community.
People join UnderSkore for different reasons: to continue dancing, to make friends, to join a community, or to step out of their comfort zone. Most want to continue dancing, but others seek a community to be part of and build friendships within it.
When UnderSkore members are asked what their favorite part about being on the team is, most likely they’ll answer with friends and/or the community. Executive Director Amelie Schumacher, Artistic Director Andy Rosas, Community Outreach member Briauna Montague, and Dance Captains Maegan Campbell, Mars Abdoian, and Adonn Lucero all share their love for the community and friendship fostered by UnderSkore.
Some didn’t have friends who were into K-Pop. Lucero shares his reason for joining UnderSkore, “I just wanted to be part of, like, a K-Pop community because I didn’t, like I said, I didn’t have any K-Pop friends,” Lucero says. UnderSkore has created a community for people to dance and make friends. However, UnderSkore has also supported personal and social growth. Montague joined the team because of her love for K-Pop and dance, but along the way, she found herself growing. “It really helped me, like, get out of my shell and meet new people,” Montague says. But Montague isn’t the only one. Schumacher shares that UnderSkore has made her more comfortable with herself: “UnderSkore has made me a much more confident person,” she says. As artistic director, Rosas shares that UnderSkore has helped him develop stronger leadership skills. This is proof that UnderSkore has provided more than a dance team and a community. The team is friendly and often spends time together outside of practices and official events. According to Campbell, team members spend time together outside of practices at least once a week, “We are, like, grossly attached to the hip,” she says. Everyone is friendly and welcoming, which helps create that strong sense of community and lifelong friendships. “You just always have someone around,” Abdoian says. Even if some team members aren’t part of a cover group, they still show up to support each other. “We’re like there to support and like watch them and like cheer them off.” Lucero says.
UnderSkore has created countless memories over the years, from showcases and filming covers to running workshops and social gatherings, and local events. “Every memory I have of UnderSkore is pretty fun,” says Rosas. UnderSkore has provided more than just a dance team and community; it has supported personal and social development and has branched out to other communities. Although UnderSkore may seem like just a dance team, it is more than dance.