Producing fan identities through K-pop cover dancing: mimicry, ontological security, and social capital in Australia

Within the study of K-pop, there has been a considerable lack of in-depth research into how K-pop cover dancers – as a subgroup of K-pop fandom – engage in practice outside of social media engagement. Additionally, little is known about K-pop cover dancers in Australia, leading to a significant gap in current literature. To respond to this gap, this dissertation explores who K-pop cover dancers are, how they engage in practice, and the impacts of Australian engagement with the Asia-Pacific region on their fan identities. Through an ethnographic approach, I draw upon intercept interviews with K-pop cover dancers at various events during fieldwork in Sydney, semi-structured interviews with five key interlocutors from across Australia, and my own auto-ethnographic experiences as a long-standing member of the Sydney K-pop cover dance community to theorise what it means to be a K-pop cover dancer. 

My ethnography reveals that K-pop cover dancing is highly social, with strong local connections between dancers constructing dedicated communities of practice centred on K-pop fan identity. These communities of practice encourage the consumption of K-pop and the production of covers as affective labour, facilitating dancers’ accrual of social capital and maintenance of their fannish ontological security. Furthermore, these social practices are often emplaced within specific “K-pop spaces” within the local cityscape, which influences how practice occurs, subsequently constructing dancing hubs through repeated travel and training. However, due to the often-public nature of such K-pop spaces, conflict can occur between the K-pop cover dancing community and the general public. This is exacerbated by the broader tensions that Australia holds due to its Eurocentric and Anglophone media hegemony, and historical perceptions of the Asia-Pacific. Consequently, disruptions to practice, infantilisation of community members, and broader negative reactions towards K-pop and Asian popular culture can cause significant ontological insecurity and anxiety. Despite such concerns, K-pop cover dancers continue to engage in regular practice to maintain their fan identities, and frequently continue to practice despite such disruptions. 

Australian K-pop cover dancers present high-quality affective labour for the consumption of both the broader K-pop fandom and the general public. These performances help to reinforce fan identities through the detailed and labour-intensive replication of choreography – the mechanical process of steps and movement – and mimicry – the affective embodiment of an idol persona. These performances can transform the fan-performer into a ‘demi-idol’: a semi-professional dancer who can construct their own parasocial relationships with spectators. K-pop cover dancers can then use these demi-idol identities to promote cosmopolitan values to the general public as cultural ambassadors, leading to potential increases in K-pop consumption. Consequently, polished performances by K-pop cover dancers not only help to benefit South Korea by facilitating the positive reception of the promotion of the Korean Wave, but they can also benefit local governments through their engagement with the public and production of cosmopolitan identities. This not only has the potential to lead to increased positive relations between Australia and South Korea, but it also highlights how local fan communities of practice play a key role in promoting transnational Asian popular culture across the world.