More than 100 dancers from across New Zealand took to the stage in Christchurch for the inaugural KROWN K-pop Dance Championship.

The nationwide competition, held at The Grange Theatre on July 18, attracted 13 teams from across the country, alongside guest performances from Euphoria and Megastar.

The sold-out event featured local and international judges, professional staging and participation from several Christchurch schools.

KROWN co-organiser and Beyondance director Lisel Zhang said the response from dancers, parents and audience members had been overwhelming.

“We received an incredible number of messages after the competition, with many people describing it as one of the best organised competitions they had ever attended,” Zhang said.

“They praised the professional production, the welcoming atmosphere and the sense of community throughout the event.

“The theatre was full, the atmosphere was electric and it was wonderful to see K-pop dancers and fans from across the country come together in Christchurch.”

KROWN is an independent event brand founded and delivered by Christchurch dance organisation Beyondance.

Created by K-pop fans for K-pop fans, it aims to celebrate Korean music, dance and culture through competitions, workshops and community activities.

The championship was co-organised with the New Zealand Association of Musicians and Dancers, a not-for-profit organisation promoting music, dance and performing arts across the country.

The event received funding from the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, recognising its contribution to cultural exchange, youth engagement and the celebration of Korean culture in Aotearoa.

It was also supported by South Korean entertainment company PLEDIS Entertainment, Street Woman Fighter 2 dancer Ling Zhang, the Korean Society of Christchurch, Kosco, Lotus Law and Michelle Fu of Harcourts Gold.

Zhang said the championship provided performers of different ages and experience levels with an opportunity to showcase their skills on a professional stage.

“K-pop has created a strong and passionate community throughout New Zealand, but there have been limited opportunities for dancers from different cities to meet and compete together,” she said.

“KROWN was created to provide that platform and to strengthen the connections between Korean culture and communities throughout Aotearoa.”

Beyondance was co-founded by Zhang and Yajing Wang and provides training in K-pop, hip hop, jazz and other styles.

Since 2019, its dancers have won several national championship titles.

This year, a Beyondance team also earned the opportunity to represent New Zealand at the Hip Hop Unite World Championships, where it will compete against performers from 28 other countries.

Zhang said planning had already begun for the next KROWN championship, along with further showcases, workshops and community performances.

“Our vision is to grow KROWN into one of New Zealand’s leading K-pop cultural events,” she said.

“We want to create more opportunities for dancers, connect communities and continue celebrating the creativity, energy and inclusiveness of K-pop culture.”