#hangyeolbe

< w. @hangyeolbe >

stevie’s beginning to love dancing. not that he didn’t love it to some degree before– but next gen has alighted something in him with it that’s different than before. stevie’s not sure how to explain it; it could be a change in his self or his mindset about it, maybe. none the less– he’s pretty excited doing a.maze for this cover performance. 

the dance already is fun, the beat catchy enough that stevie bobs his head to it on instinct. the original choreography feels easier to learn than the classical dance break they’re going to try. not that it’s incredibly difficult, but the styles are different than what he’s used to. 

it’s elegant, it’s graceful. it’s a lot more expression and fluidity and movement than stevie has practiced, but seeing it done is entrancing. intriguing. it’s a nice reprieve from the heavy moves they’re supposed to hit earlier in the song. 

@hangyeolbe

practice ends at every time, every day, on the dot without fail except for sundays and holidays. jiu learned his roommate's schedule long before offering to walk home with him most nights, the sound of the door unlatching, opening, and closing again a familiar fixture in his schedule since moving in together. he knows how tired hangyeol is after a long day of singing and dancing and whatever else these companies make their poor trainees do. he also knows how hangyeol hides his pain like an injured animal desperate to appear too tough for predators to pick off. going straight to bed every night may be a bit boring, but it's what's in hangyeol's best interests.

that doesn't mean that jiu doesn't try to change it up every now and then. he knows, again by the sounds of another body entering and leaving the apartment each day, that sundays are more flexible. so, by his own reasoning, that means saturday nights can break routine every now and then and hangyeol can catch a few extra z's the next morning instead. "get a drink with me," he suggests to his friend, linking their arms together so they're uncomfortably close for a humid june night. "and sleep until noon tomorrow. you deserve it. you're gonna drop dead if you don't."

he grins as he makes his prediction, based on nothing but vibes and the request for someone to go out with him tonight. "we don't even have to go crazy. i was gonna suggest norebang but you're probably tired of singing all day, right? or does singing badly not count? or i can do all the singing, but it'd be so bad it might, like, infect your voice by proximity and then all your coaches will hate me." jiu laughs at his completely impossible scenario, spiraled so far out of control that it's become utterly ridiculous.

FIRST LANGUAGE: KOREAN [ 50 POINTS ] 

  LEADERSHIP [ 4 POINTS ] - Before signing with SR Media, Hangyeol was a full-time dance instructor and choreographer for all ages. From beginner hip-hop for adults to elite competition dance for children, he was only just shy of owning and running his own studio, and is accustomed to leading diverse groups of dancers as well as private sessions for his most serious students, including some who have gone on to enroll at SOPA, obtain contracts as backup dancers, or join prestigious dance programs abroad.

  CREATIVE DIRECTION [ 6 POINTS ] - Subsequently, he boasted the responsibility of directing multiple recitals and competition routines, from the music mixes down to the very last sequined glitter bobby pin. He also shared in regularly creating new signature cocktails during his tenure as a bartender, and planning the club’s themed events.

  SOLO PERFORMANCE [ 3 POINTS ]  - Before he was a dance instructor, he was a competition soloist, and has extensive experience performing (and winning) onstage by himself. However, outside of Next Gen, he has never had to sing or rap while doing so.

  PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING [ 6 POINTS ] - While bartending at a relatively high profile gay club for years, he established a friendly rapport with a handful of significant regulars, always maintaining the appropriate amount of professionalism and discretion, especially with the select few who might have held any connections to the entertainment industry. Likewise, his time spent jumping between auditions, classes, and competitions both as a performer and as a choreographer has helped him keep up with a handful of related connections.

  SPECIAL SKILL: FLEXIBILITY [ 8 POINTS ] - Hangyeol’s dance background originates in ballet and contemporary dance, though he plays heavily in pop and hip-hop these days as well. As such, he’s had to maintain a certain amount of flexibility to perform in both classical and modern dance genres with ease, with daily, and nightly, stretching routines. (He might have little legs, but at least he’s got all three sets of splits)

  SPECIAL SKILL: CONTEMPORARY DANCE [ 9 POINTS ] - See above: he has been dancing since he was a toddler, and shines particularly bright in the contemporary genre.

  SPECIAL SKILL: FREESTYLE DANCE/DANCE IMPROV [ 6 POINTS ] - Like any dancer with dreams of dancing professionally, Hangyeol has plenty of experience coming up with a few eight-counts of movement on the spot, oftentimes without even knowing what music he’ll be dancing to until it starts.

when kou had heard that they were receiving new trainees from next gen, he didn't quite expect that one of the newer trainees would be the same guy that had practically saved him ( lent him a charger in a bar, once, when kou had gotten lost and hit on ).

kou isn't particularly the type to reach out to new trainees, especially since he'd been the new sr media trainee for what might have been the longest time. but he goes out of his way to search around for hangyeol, and when he does find him, he greets him with a wave, and a smile.

"congratulations, hangyeol," he says, taking a seat beside his friend. "now we're label mates, and you can lend me your charger all the time," he says, though through his deadpanned demeanour, it's clear that he'd intended for it to be a joke.

@hangyeolbe

of course it's a chaotic mix of emotions in the finale of next gen. yejun can't lie and say he's not disappointed at all; it's only natural that he'd feel a bit glum about making it so far, so close, sacrificing his time, energy, and even family to make it here, only to fall short at the end of the competition. he can't get back the blood, sweat, and tears he put into each performance, nor does he think that he really wants to. there's bitterness, of course, but there's sweetness too.

for once, hwang yejun is looking on the bright side.

it's easy, actually, when there's a whole sun shining brightly just beside him. well, not literally at the moment; hangyeol disappeared behind the scenes somewhere to talk terms and agreements. yejun couldn't be happier for him, despite his own pain. he deserves this prize more than anyone, finally something good to change his friend's life for the better. and it goes without saying that hangyeol was one of the strongest contestants in the first place; it should be no surprise that he's a grand prize winner after everything.

yejun waits for his friend, standing idly by the back exit of the studio. he wishes he had a job or something; since being more or less disowned by his parents, the young man really doesn't have a cent to his name. that doesn't stop him from wishing he could take hangyeol out for a late night celebration to bask in his victory. he'd feel bad for asking the star of the night to pay, but he hardly has time to think about that before he spots hangyeol making his way over. a smile splits yejun's lips automatically.

— COMPANY NOTICE

CHOI HANGYEOL has joined sr media as of JUNE 5, 2024.

< w. @hangyeolbe >

everytime stevie's given a song, he knocks out the choreography first and foremost. it comes the easiest to him, and it's better to lay the groundwork so stevie can make adjustments according to vocal heavy portions.

though out of the whole choreography, stevie does think there's one portion that is pretty exciting. while as a whole it is pretty simple, and not really as exciting as other dances he's done so far. but it's nice and whimsical in a sense, refreshing. but then there's the lift at the start of the bridge that stevie finds probably the most memorable part.