While Hallyu (the Korean wave) is gaining recognition globally, international fans have become more proactive in showing their love for it. This has stemmed from K-Dramas trending in different countries, the opening of K-Food restaurants in several cities, the rise in K-Pop cover dance crews, and more.

Recently, on Kpopmap, we published an article looking into the Hallyu scene in South Africa. South Africa boasts the biggest Hallyu scene in Sub-Saharan Africa with booming interest in K-Pop, K-Dramas, and more.

You can read more about that in the article below.

One of the rising aspects of Hallyu fan culture in South Africa is the K-Pop dance cover crew culture. Many crews have been posting dance covers of their favorite K-Pop artists' work and showing off their talent.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Seoul Flame, a South African dance crew under Nikel Studios based in Johannesburg, South Africa. They also showed us an exclusive look into their dance practice covering (G)I-DLE's 'Nxde' and ITZY's 'ICY'. The passion in the dance studio was palpable as they gave their all to the choreography. You can watch their performance of 'Nxde' here.

In the interview, we asked them about what inspired them to start doing K-Pop dance covers, their K-Pop biases, their K-Pop dance inspirations, and more.

Firstly, thank you for meeting with Kpopmap today! Please introduce your crew and your members to our readers.

Seoul Flame is a dance crew under Nikel Studios that specializes in K-Pop boy group and girl group covers.
Nikel
Hi, I'm Eghz. I'm 13 years old and in the 8th grade. I like dancing and playing games, especially Roblox.
Eghz
I'm Cass. I'm 19 and doing accounting filing but I plan to go to med school. I like The Sims and crocheting.
Cass
I'm Claire. I'm 29 and I'm a chartered accountant. I like dancing, hip-hop, tennis, PlayStation, and board games.
Claire
Hi. I'm Nikel (pronounced Ny-kel - 나이클 in Korean) and I'm 20 years old. I'm a dance instructor and entrepreneur who is studying accounting.
Nikel
I'm Tash. I'm 15 years old, in grade 10, and I like to read and dance.
Tash
I'm Lara. I'm 25 and a strategist. I do media marketing and digital strategy. In my free time, I really enjoy weightlifting, K-Pop dancing, and fangirling. This group is my everything this year. I help Nicole run the social media and we have lots of big plans this year. I hope to build experience with brand building through it. I'm also the mother of the group when I'm not busy with everything else. My love language is acts of service and I love taking care of the other members.
Lara

Kpopmap

What inspired you to start a K-Pop dance crew? How did you find your members and what do you hope to show people through your dancing?

I got into K-Pop in 2019. I saw 'Kill This Love' by BLACKPINK recommended to me and I instantly fell in love. Then I got into BTS and was obsessed with their dancing thanks to their dance practice videos. My friends became obsessed, too. Then Spur (a South African restaurant) had a singing competition and I performed 'Kill This Love'. That's when I got into K-Pop and dancing and would learn the dances through dance videos. I made a new school friend who likes K-Pop. My friend recommended a TikTok video of 'Mafia In The Morning' to me, too. So, I came for the crew's first lesson which was TXT's 'Good Boy Gone Bad' and I decided that I need to come back. Seoul Flame is like my second family. It feels like it's meant to be, like fate.
Eghz
She used to be so quiet and shy but we started practicing and helping her build her confidence. It's a testament to how we want to nurture people. It's not about coming to be the best dancer but about watching people blossom.
Lara (about Eghz)
As an ex-ballet dancer, I wanted to do some form of dance for versatility and balance. I started stanning in 2017 and that's how everything came to be.
Cass
I started down the rabbit hole with BTS. I started stanning a year ago, started listening to their music, and started loving K-Pop and listening to more. I just thought that I wish I could dance and sing. Then I heard about the K-Pop dance studio here and had a free trial day with another member. I've been performing ever since.
Claire
K-Pop dance practices were the inspiration. Dancing by yourself isn't as fun as dancing with a crew which just looks beautiful. You get to fangirl and fanboy collectively. I met everyone through TikTok and posted about the auditions there.
I got into K-Pop in 2017. One of my friends was obsessed and I wanted in on what she was on. I researched and watched 'Blood Sweat & Tears'. That was the moment that I knew I wanted to be a dancer. My friend from a previous dance crew contacted me and asked if I wanted to join them. We performed at the Changwon K-Pop World Festival and came second for the regional round. There were so many BTS performances at Starbucks in Rosebank, too. A couple of members decide to form a crew from there and then we performed 'Black Mamba' (by aespa) at an event and got first place. A couple of months after that, I started my own dance studio by saving up some money and here we are almost 8 months later.
Nikel
I got into K-Pop during the pandemic. Thirst traps on my feed made me curious. I was like, "These guys! Who are they?!" Then I got into BTS and it was all uphill from there and just keeps going up until heaven. I got into K-Pop and started posting on TikTok. The community was really engaging and supportive - I made online friends. Fast forward 2 years, I went to my first ARMY event in Johannesburg and went alone. I met a group of girls who took me in and the community/culture took me in as they recognized me from TikTok. I was watching the performances at this ARMY event and guess who was performing (Nikel). I followed everyone after that. K-Pop as an art form has a lot of hard work put into it and it made me hungry to get back into dancing. The dances are actually so difficult. I'm grateful to Nikel for creating the opportunity to explore K-Pop dancing. I joined the crew and here we are - the thing that keeps me going every week.
Lara

Kpopmap

Can each member please share their favorite K-Pop artist and what you love about them?

My favorite groups at the moment are ENHYPEN and NewJeans, but I think NewJeans takes the cake. I like them a lot because they're close to my age. I really like their music and it gives me a lot of energy. My NewJeans bias is HaeRin. She's just so cute. I just like her.
Eghz
My favorite K-Pop artist of all time is BTS. They own that spot forever. They're the embodiment of my dance journey from their humble beginnings to mine. My bias is obviously YoonGi. Why? I don't know. He's just amazing. Talented. Meow. Yes.
Cass
BTS. No question about it. They started me on this K-Pop journey. I stayed not because of the good music, but because of what they stand for and the fact that they are willing to address multiple issues that many don't. They always put the team first above themselves. They have come from humble beginnings and have a humbled outlook. They seem genuine and I like that they produce their own music that is meaningful and not just a song to sing. I feel like they have a lot to give and are always giving. They're still giving a lot even during their group hiatus and are caring for ARMY. They don't mind if you like other groups... There's a quote about how even if your journey as an ARMY comes to an end, it's okay because it means they've helped you through your journey. I love OT7, you can find amazing qualities among all the members.
Claire
Mine is BLACKPINK. I'm not a BLINK but they're my ultimate. I'm a multi-stan because I love a lot of groups. My playlist is filled with a lot of groups. I love girl groups and their dances. It doesn't mean I don't like boy groups but I like the flowing style of girl groups. My BLACKPINK bias is Lisa. I love the way she's so consistent with every performance. She's never lacking on stage. I love every member of BLACKPINK. Yes, Lisa is my bias but I still love them regardless. I'm also still waiting for JiSoo's solo.
Nikel
The group I choose is LE SSERAFIM. They're great and powerful performers. They encourage me stage presence-wise. My bias is Huh YunJin. She's so dedicated to her craft and so specific with her dancing.
Tash
They have similar dance styles and their both critical of themselves even when they did well.
Lara (about Tash)
BTS and BLACKPINK got me into K-Pop. Going through a girl group phase in 2020, I got more and more into K-Pop. ITZY and Stray Kids have been quite prominent. Their style and music has really struck a chord with me. My ultimate group is Stray Kids. No Bias. OT8. The reason for that is I can really relate to every member. Everybody in the group brings out a different element in me. They as a group inspire me the most now. Watching all the videos, and the series that they do - I wanna emulate that in our own group. They bring me peace. That is my safe space. Their music, energy, and performance really inspire me to do what I do.
Lara

Kpopmap

What does K-Pop mean to you?

Family without judgment. It goes without saying, all of the K-Pop events we've had in South Africa so far... I can go in there feeling like a child without judgment and we all just get each other and support each other. We just click. Soul-relating click that you can have with someone.
Cass
Growth through adversity. K-Pop as a whole and as a genre has had to go through a lot and a lot of people still judge it, but once they listen to it... It's like, "How did I not know this before?!" It's a gateway into a culture. Not without hard work. The thing about K-Pop is making it look easy but a lot of hard work behind the scenes to keep fans and fandom happy.
Claire
It's amazing because you can go to an event and have learned a dance, and everyone there will be in sync, even though you've never met before in your life.
Nicole
Echoing off what Cass said. The sense of family. There's so much judgment and there's a harsh stigma with being a fan. But once you find someone into K-Pop and K-Dramas, it's like an instantaneous family-like bond. I feel like they're some of the most genuine people. It's my safe space. If I have anxiety, I can just learn a K-Pop dance. I don't think I've felt this sense of community anywhere else. Be you. Be obsessed. Bring your dance moves and off-key vocals!
Lara

Kpopmap

Are there any K-Pop idols who are your inspiration when it comes specifically to dancing? Who do you think is the best dancer in K-Pop in your personal opinion?

Hanni from NewJeans. I chose her because if you look at her pre-debut dance videos she was really stiff before (just like me) but now she's really really good and she inspires me. I want to be like her someday.
Eghz
Since my dance roots are ballet... When I started getting into BTS, I watched their auditions and that's how YoonGi became my bias. JiMin speaks to a part of me, though. He's the best dancer I've seen in my life. If I don't become him in terms of dance, I will die today.
Cass
Obviously, since BTS is my bias... But I can't pick between the two. j-hope and JiMin both bring their own styles of dance into play but are both so cohesive in the unit. And they are beautiful.
Claire
It's very difficult to give someone the title of the best dancer when there are different styles. Girl group and boy group are two different things. It's like comparing K-Pop and ballet. In terms of boy group, I'd have to go with j-hope just because I aspire to move like that. He makes it look so easy. The way he moves... It's like a supernatural being.
In terms of girl group, Lisa from BLACKPINK. She's a great mentor in terms of dancing. The way she mentored on "Youth With You" proved that she's a great dancer. She's two different people in person compared to on stage. She's got like this switch. The moment she's on stage, she's her best self.
Nikel
Huh YunJin because her dancing is very powerful. It's not just moving your body but sending a message. I think she does that really well and I think she's very inspirational.
Tash
I'm drawn the most to JungKook's dancing style. I think if I can continue pushing myself I can get there. j-hope is my bias, but I'll never be as smooth as him. Realistically, it's JungKook. He makes it look so effortless. I think it's art watching him dance.
For girl group, I'd choose ITZY's RyuJin or MAMAMOO's HwaSa. I think their stage presence is also something that I want to go after. When they walk onstage, that's all I see. To challenge that dark feminine energy. They're giving that every time they walk on stage.
Lara

Kpopmap

What is the best K-Pop cover that you think you’ve performed as a crew so far? Do you have any significant moments from your cover dance crew experience?

As Seoul Flame, we've done two covers but performed them multiple times. 'Venom' by BVNDIT and 'Pink Venom' by BLACKPINK. We had to go with our fangs out. It was a bit difficult with the one performance for our end-year production. So, we had to split the routines. Our best 'Venom' performance was at the Korean Film and Food Festival. It was amazing. There were so many people and other groups performing. We performed 'Pink Venom' at our year-end show and switched up the formation. We did a 4-member routine with 8 members, which was a bit complicated to do but we pulled it off pretty well. It'll be up by March (most likely) make sure to check it out!
Nikel

Kpopmap

K-Pop dance crew culture has become more prominent in South Africa over the years. In fact, Hallyu (K-Pop, K-Dramas, etc.) is becoming more popular in South Africa in general. What do you think about this?

It's about time.
Cass
It's a great shift in culture.
Claire
It's great because hopefully some artists will come over to South Africa and tour SA. We will sell our kidneys for tickets.😅
Nikel
Will sell friends for tickets. Not these ones, other friends.😅
Lara

Kpopmap

Lastly, as South Africans who love K-Pop, do you have anything special you want to say to your idol or to readers from other countries?

I just want to thank the idols for helping us through tough times. K-Pop helps with a lot of things.
Eghz
Stay well. Eat well. Be healthy. Make sure that no matter what you can always rely on the community. As much as we are disconnected, we are still together as idols and fans. So, rely on us as fans sometimes.
Cass
Firstly, thank you for all the effort that you put in to be an idol. It must be hard behind the scenes but we appreciate being able to be part of your fandom. I hope that your future comebacks go well with no injuries. Thank you for being genuine. We appreciate your time.
Claire
I just wanna say thank you to all the artists for their music. It's such a blessing. Especially the ones with deep lyrics. Special mention to (G)I-DLE and 'Nxde' - the whole message behind that song is amazing.
Nikel
I want to thank you for being you and making music that I can listen to. Without K-Pop I don't know where I'd be right now. Stay safe. Eat well. Thank you.
Tash
To the idols, thank you so much for creating a space, music, and art that can help us get through a tough time. Your dedication is inspiring and you helped me find my second family. Put yourselves first. We love a concert, etc. but it hurts more to see you unwell.
To the communities in South Africa and around the world, the idols always ask us to show each other love. Let's show each other support and let's have a good time.
*All members nod along ferociously. Snaps and claps.*
Lara

Thank you again to Seoul Flame for taking the time to answer this interview with us. We're wishing you all the best with your K-Pop dance cover career! Follow the Seoul Flame crew on their official social media channels: Instagram / TikTok / YouTube.

How is K-Pop dance cover crew culture in your country? Let us know in the comments!