Loquidy high school, 4:15 p.m., Wednesday, the auditorium of the Nantes establishment holds its breath. The large hundred young spectators, very noisy a few minutes before, plunge into a deafening silence. And for good reason: it’s time for the results of the regional stage of the K-Pop world festival. For those who do not have teenagers around them, K-Pop (abbreviation of korean-pop), “it’s a musical phenomenon from Korea that gives birth all over the world to Korean-style girls or boy bands”, sums up Mee Ra Baudez, president of the association korean springco-organizer (with the Korean cultural center in Paris) of this second competition in Nantes.
In the worst place last year (the second), the LFNT group is one of the three selected (out of eight). Called to come on stage for the final verdict, Cindy, spokesperson for this local quintet, descends the steps two by two. Tears stream down her face. In front of her, one of the two boys in the group nearly falls. The emotion is strong. After seeing the eight candidates on stage, the jury decided. “We especially wondered if the winner was capable of winning in Paris, the grand final [le 24 juin] “explains a member of the jury. 4:24 p.m .: in an immense hubbub, the presenter announces the verdict. “The winner is the group LFNT ! “Cindy, dressed all in black equipped with, among other things, laser gloves, a harness and necklaces, no longer tries to hide her tears. “It’s just incredible to go to Paris, we worked so hard for that. “The Nantes group, which has thirteen members a year but only five for this competition, oscillates between “relief and pride”.
The LFNTs are inspired by the Ateez
Going to the capital was their “objective”, but their “ultimate goal is to go to Korea one day”, breathes Mélissa. The group practices every weekend at the Beaux-Arts, and often also under the naves of the Machines de l’Ile in Nantes. The attraction for “dance, choreography and even Korean culture” naturally brought together these thirteen young people (including only two boys), aged 16 to 24. But, what unites them now is obviously K-Pop.
“It’s my second job,” even admits Cindy. Between the rehearsals, the search for outfits, the management of social networks and the creation of choreographies, the young girl is not idle. She is also the one who created the choreographies for the intro and the end of the show presented on the stage of the auditorium of the Lycée du Loquidy. All set to music by the world-famous South Korean boy band: The Ateez. “We are more performers than covers,” explains Cindy. That is to say that we copy a choreography of known groups but we add our touch to it. On stage, the quintet sings (in Korean), screams (in Korean), sways and dances in perfect sync. All in a “dark” atmosphere. Masked at the start of the choreo, the five dancers reveal their true faces very quickly. “The dark side, all in black, is to show that we are one, that we have a single identity”, tries to explain Léa. In Paris, the LFNT will produce the same show… with a place for Korea at stake.