Aiki of Dance Crew HOOK Ventures into Musical Theater with 'Frida'

Aiki, the leader of the dance crew HOOK, has shared her reasons for taking on her first musical theater role.

On the October 24th broadcast of SBS PowerFM's 'Park Ha-sun's Cine Town,' musical 'Frida' lead actors Kim So-hyang and Aiki appeared as guests.

'Frida' is a show musical that portrays the final moments of Frida Kahlo, who, despite living in pain after a tragic accident, never lost the joy of life and expressed her suffering through art. Aiki plays the role of Refleja, who is Frida's lover and alter ego, Diego Rivera.

This marks Aiki's debut in musical theater. Upon receiving the casting offer, Aiki described it as a "gift from the heavens," saying, "I haven't been exposed to many musicals, but I felt the energy of the live performance was amazing. I wanted to find something where I could express my talents, and the character of Refleja required performance, so I decided to take it on."

Regarding the unique aspect of musicals where the cast changes for each performance, Aiki commented, "There's a sense of responsibility because my 'wife' changes every show, and I need to take good care of them," showing her adaptability.

Kim So-hyang, who was present, added, "When Aiki came to learn singing, she asked, 'What kind of musical is 'Frida'? I don't really know,' and I told her, 'It's a musical you can excel in.'"

Kim So-hyang became Aiki's vocal coach, praising her as "already a good singer" and noting, "She had a good basic vocal technique, but since it was her first musical, it felt like a nursery rhyme. I tease her about it all the time."

Kim So-hyang humorously remarked, "She's Korea's top dancer, but when she sings, her rhythm seems off. I guess it's different from professional dancing." During a live performance, Aiki impressed her mentor by flawlessly executing her singing, making Kim So-hyang proud. Kim So-hyang also expressed a fondness for Aiki, saying, "She feels like a child to me."

Aiki showed her gratitude by gifting Kim So-hyang with a costume, joking, "Other actors are a bit jealous, but it can't be helped."

Reported by Da-yeon Jeong, TenAsia light@tenasia.co.kr