Dancing beyond boundaries

Li Sixian, 25, discovered her love for K-pop during her teenage years. While she enjoys many girl groups, when it comes to boy groups, Seventeen is the only one for her.

Despite being an introvert, she ventured into the world of dance when a childhood friend invited her to random play dance events last year. "Through these events, I've been able to meet other CARATs (a nickname for Seventeen fans) and people who enjoy girl group dances," Li said.

Since then, Li has become an active member of the dance cover community. Even while studying for her postgraduate entrance exam, she managed to find time to take classes at dance studios and record and perform girl group dances.

"Dressing in a similar outfit as the original singer, filming with lights and a camera, dancing with facial expressions, and lip-syncing... All of that makes me feel like I'm a girl group member," Li said.

Li acknowledged that she used to struggle with her body image. "An idol can truly be a source of strength," she said. "My favorite member from Seventeen, Xu Minghao, is a person with lots of inner strength. He once said that if he said or did something wrong, he would correct it; if not, he would ignore meaningless comments."

Cui Yichen, a 21-year-old junior at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, possesses a strong and fierce mind. In middle school, Cui developed a passion for Red Velvet, which later led him to start dancing. "I've always done things at the spur of the moment. However, dancing is a hobby that has stuck with me and I'm going to keep it up," he said.

Cui covers both boy group and girl group dances, sometimes receiving negative comments for the latter. "I'm dancing because I enjoy it, so I don't really care about what others say. I think people who leave these types of comments are close-minded and pitiful."