Sohu's Dancing Festival in Beijing brings together K-pop enthusiasts, cover dancers, and idols, creating a vibrant celebration of music, friendship, and self-expression in the global dance culture scene, Li Xinran reports.

On Nov 26, Chinese internet company Sohu hosted its inaugural Dancing Festival in Beijing, uniting idols like BOY STORY and Name, along with hundreds of cover dancers and bloggers, under one roof.

Cover dance culture thrives on the global popularity of K-pop, where enthusiasts film and sometimes give live performances of their renditions of idol groups' choreography.

Participants engage in events like random play dance, where choruses of different K-pop hits are played consecutively, allowing those who know the choreography to showcase their moves. These events, often held in public squares or shopping malls, are promoted on social media platforms and in organizers' WeChat groups.

Li Zihao, 19, one of the six members of the Chinese hip-hop boy group BOY STORY, highlighted the unique appeal of random play dance: "Compared to performing on stage, it's an event that people can enjoy together. You could be total strangers and still feel the vibe and energy from each other. That is something valuable."