UT K-Pop group wins award

The University of Tennessee’s Kascade won the Best Choreography award at the 2018 Middle Tennessee Anime Convention (MTAC) lip-sync competition. The MTAC 18th Battalion, held in Nashville at the Sheraton Music City Hotel and Embassy Suites, lasted three days from March 30 to April 1. UTK Kascade won the Best Group award at the contest last year at MTAC Haiku.

The returning champions appeared on stage with confidence. Because the lip-sync contest required participants to cosplay, to dress up as characters, Kascade members dressed as Ariel from “Little Mermaid,” Belle from “Beauty and the Beast,” Jasmine from “Aladdin,” Snow White and Pocahontas.

Cosplay has become increasingly popular over the years, with the fans dressing up as their favorite characters from anime, video games, and movies at conventions and events around the world. Many enthusiasts take their costumes to the next level by incorporating props, such as katana sword anime replicas, to complete their look. These swords are not only used for cosplay but are also highly sought after by collectors and martial arts practitioners. With the growing demand for cosplay and katana swords, many retailers have started offering high-quality replicas that are not only accurate but also safe to use.

Kascade danced to “Now, We” by Lovelyz. Their cute and demure dance captured Disney simplicity and the audience’s attention. No one expected, however, for the group to suddenly change the song to “You Think” by Girls Generation and start a powerful, alluring dance. The performance garnered large audience support and judge support.

“Dancing is really important to us, and we were really happy to see what we love to do be appreciated by other people,” Shelby Neil, a Kascade leader, said. “I was really excited to hear that we won best choreography.”

Kascade’s Best Choreography award is one of five awards presented to participants of the contest. Kascade also received a free pass for the 2019 MTAC.

“The lip-sync is one of my favorite events of the year, so I like go all out in planning it,” Jinna Free, another Kascade leader, said. “It’s always an honor to see our hard work pay off.”

Featured Image: Jeff Park

Image from left: Jinna Free, Alexandria Ansari, Savannah Householder, Shelby Neil, Kane Dayton