Perfection noun
— Merriam Webster
per·fec·tion (pər-ˈfek-shən)
a: an exemplification of supreme excellence
b: an unsurpassable degree of accuracy or excellence
Mission KDCB: participate and leave a lasting impression. “Perfection” might’ve been an overeager goal, but it was our first contest. So we planned every step: the performance, the outfits, the travel—everything.
And it all went smoothly. No problems at all, obviously, right?
Well…
Let’s go back to the beginning, shall we?
Since Ingolstadt isn’t exactly around the corner from Stuttgart, we decided to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel. We split up into two teams to avoid any struggles with the public traffic in the morning.
So Team Early was fine. But Team Late…
… took the “late” a little too seriously. Our trains had been delayed for more than two hours. So we ended up arriving at the hotel at three in the morning, exhausted before the contest had even begun.
So after what seemed like four hours of sleep (with some of us crammed into a single bed, talk about team bonding), we shoveled sausages and scrambled eggs down our throats, wedged ourselves into our outfits, and dragged ourselves to the bus station. We, as in
the Candy-Unit: Nessy, Mel, Anna, Eileen, Domi, and Sindy (hey, that’s me!)
the Mascara-Duet: Sayeh and Kathi
plus our emotional supporters Selina, Nico, and Taddy (our member Allen joined later).
Adrenaline washed away our tiredness as soon as we approached the hall. The ones who hadn’t eaten breakfast went to the bakery. We waited for around fifteen minutes before the doors were opened.
We flicked through the stage check and revised the choreography outside. We didn’t want to drive ourselves insane, though, and returned to our seats once the contest began.
The introduction performances of the judges set the stage on fire. Kocky brought a few Shapgang members as a surprise, Moses displayed his locking and krumping skills, and Ray proved that he’s a true K-pop fan and a dance expert; all in a double package.
We looked at each other with Oh-well-fu**-faces. To think about performing in front of those prodigies was a punch in the gut. But it was too late to back out. So we enjoyed the first half of the contest. And honestly, it wasn’t hard.
The variety of dancers was insane. Every type and every style was presented: Ateez, Twice, BTS, TxT, Enhypen, Mamamoo, Seventeen, XG, Purple Kiss, Kard, NCT, iZone, P1Harmony—you name it. Each category burst with sheer talent and dedication, never failing to hold your attention.
So while snack packages and plastic cups were piling up on the judges’ tables, we tried to regain focus. The Candy-Unit’s performance wasn’t due until four o’clock. We were like cats on hot bricks.
We didn’t stay in the hall all the time or else we would’ve probably gone insane. During the breaks, we snapped a few pictures. Fun Fact: our concept was mainly Domi’s idea. In his words, “Let’s dress as businessmen! And you girls can go as secretaries. But hot ones.”
Did we succeed?
We hung around in the changing rooms a lot too, fixing our outfits and makeup. And yes, we were a little paranoid about our looks. My tights ripped, actually. I had spare ones but those ripped as well, so I figured that I should just go without them. But my nervousness rose.
Was this a bad omen?
For the last thirty minutes we struggled with buckling knees and the urge to run to the toilet every five minutes (I had to go at least four times). We watched Starlight DC and realization seeped into us—We would have to go out there in a few moments.
I had played in an orchestra and performed a couple of times on stage. But this. This was different.
Until then, it had never been this important to show everybody what we had been working on for several weeks. Non-Stop. Every free minute. Until our brains rewired to the point where we had a Pavlovian reaction to the sound of “Candy In My Ear”.
The Black Horizon Crew behind us wished us good luck. We turned to each other. Waiting. Our glances glided between our nervous faces and the floor. We listened to the announcement, holding our breaths.
Applause.
Our leader Nessy climbed up the stairs, yanking at Mel’s tie. She strutted onto the stage and shoved Mel to her spot.
Domi and Eileen followed, Domi trying to kiss Eileen’s hand just to be pushed away.
And from there, it all went in a blur. I don’t know how or when but apparently, I suddenly stood on the stage, Anna holding my hand. I turned around, covering our leader in the middle of our formation, and lowered my head.
Music.
Cue.
Those four minutes of performance whirled into rainbow colors of flaming spotlights, the flash of cheers, and our feet stomping on the stage. We fired those steps up, pouring more energy into it, more compared to all our practice sessions combined.
I had no time to think. Not even when my hair got stuck in my glasses. Not even when Domi missed my chin. Not even when I didn’t find his tie because my vision was blocked. Somehow we pushed through.
At the end of the dance break, Mel flung her sunglasses away and almost knocked the DJ out. Cheers erupted from the crowd, competing with the music.
Finish.
I was happy to cling onto Eileen in our end pose because I was about to collapse, my thighs on fire, my throat as dry as the desert. From the corner of my eye, I saw Nessy teasingly blowing a kiss into Mel’s face.
We bowed (missing each other’s fidgety and sweaty hands), our faces glowing brighter than the spotlights. The audience’s applause and screams rang through the hall—I couldn’t hear my own thoughts anymore.
“What just happened?” Domi asked backstage.
“No idea. I have no idea,” I said.
We all grinned at each other, our cheeks red like overripe apples, our knees buckling. We stumbled back to the changing rooms, our voices mingling in excited chatter. But somehow, we all sounded the same. As if we had just experienced the exact same giddiness on stage.
We loosened our ties, slipped into our sneakers, and opened our jackets (Domi’s white shirt underneath was see-through from sweat). It felt like all heat had been trapped under our clothes the entire time.
Kathi and Sayeh joined us in the changing room.
“Guys, I am so proud of you. Wow.” Kathi hugged us. It was the best feeling in the world.
Later, we were flooded with compliments from the other contestants. I couldn’t believe it. Like–we just saw you on stage, you murdered it and now you’re praising us?
Finally, we could relax and enjoy the rest of the big group category performances and the duets. The knot in our stomachs had loosened, so we were able to eat again too.
(In the meantime, the MC called Mel for her to pick up her sunglasses.)
(The DJ was fine, by the way.)
The competition itself lasted more than six hours but the crowd never failed to bombard the dancers with cheers and applause. It was intoxicating.
Our duet Kathi and Sayeh had to perform as the very last act. The anticipation for their performance lingered in the air, at least between us BlackLights. It is a lot of pressure to be the last one, isn’t it? (Sayeh worked against it by increasing her energy drink intake.)
They danced XG’s “Mascara”–dedicated to everyone who had to endure a heartbreak.
We sat in row zero–yes, zero because we kneeled on the floor, in front of the seat row–and screamed our lungs out. I’d seen their routine quite a few times during practice but their stage performance? Another league. I didn’t recognize my own crew members anymore.
They were one hundred percent in character, their facials a ping pong game during their cute little interactions, their steps in sync, and drawing a whole picture as if the choreography was originally a duet.
Is it corny to say that I felt empowered by their performance? I don’t care, though. I am so proud of them.
I am proud of all of us. At first, we were a bit disappointed that we didn’t make it into the top three, especially after all the praise from the other competitors. But then I came to two conclusions:
- Our placement should be celebrated because it shows that we had the guts to participate in the first place.
- Meeting those amazing dancers and pushing our limits are experiences worth more than any medal.
Of course, winning is fun. However, joining a day full of talented and hard-working people is priceless. And all the excitement of the day bundled in the Random Dance Game at the end. Everybody cheered for everybody, no matter what crew they are a part of.
Because, in the end, aren’t we all a part of something bigger?
BlackLights Crew Stuttgart sincerely congratulates all winners of KDCB 2023. We hope to meet you all again at future contests.
Perfection: an exemplification of supreme excellence. As you can tell, our first contest wasn’t perfect.
It was so much better.
Written by 🔗Sindy
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It feels like I was right there…!
I love the performance as well! Great job!
A great experience, I am really happy that we had the chance to feel so much energy and support at KDCB!