On a Friday afternoon, North Atlanta High School may seem deserted. Most of the students have gone home to enjoy their weekend and the teachers are collecting papers and preparing to leave. But in the midst of this gathering calm there is a vibrant gathering taking place. A trip to the 11th floor reveals hallways coming alive with the vibrant music of North Atlanta’s K-Pop Club.

K-Pop, which is short for Korean popular music, is a colorful pop-music-driven musical genre that hails from its home base of South Korea. The catchy and oftentimes quirky genre combines R&B, dance, electronic and Hip-Hop to create its own unique sound. Beyond the music, those who identify with K-Pop like its over-the-top videos that combine sophisticated dance choreography with high production values. It’s funky, it’s danceable and – more than anything – it’s outrageously fun.

The K-Pop Club is a new club founded by sophomores Kennedy Rouse and Kate Flynn and it is sponsored by world languages teacher Fangxia Zhao. Room 11119 is the designated meeting place for the club but members tend to hang out in the hallway as well.

Music videos are an important part of K-Pop culture so the club dedicates itself to teaching K-Pop fans the choreography from the videos they love. Founders Rouse and Flynn prepare for the meetings by learning the choreography beforehand. Most often, you can find them dancing to “Blood, Sweat, Tears” by BTS, one of the most popular K-Pop groups. Other popular bands in the genre are GOT7, Girls’ Generation, Big Bang and EXO.

One of the most well-known K-Pop artists in the West is Psy whose smash hit “Gangnam Style” climbed U.S. charts in 2012. Although “Gangnam Style” is no longer number 2 on Billboard Top 100 chart, this earworm has made a lasting impact in the U.S. by creating a hit song that’s still sung, quoted and danced to. It was the artist Psy who turned a little-known genre into a widespread phenomenon in the West and around the world.

Since K-Pop is based in South Korea, it can be difficult for American fans to find each other, hence the club here at North Atlanta. “It’s a way to come together and share our interests,” said Flynn.

Usually, around seven to 10 members come to the meetings and all are welcome to join. Dancing is encouraged but, of course, optional.