`Hip Hop Skool' Fosters Vitality of Youngsters

As you carefully step down the shaky spiral staircase, a spacious wall is covered in metallic graffiti, spelling out the skool logo. Adjacent to the flashy art is a glass door, and through it, you see a large dancing area with three mirrored walls and a line of turntables. Gangster rap is blasting out of speakers constantly, while persons decked out in baggies and helmets are spinning on their heads.

As soon as you walk in, the atmosphere is already different from most``Hakwon,'' or private learning institutions. Everyone seems to be having a good time, and most importantly, everybody is there by choice. People not even signed up for any program are free to come in any time to practice.

Sometimes you can't tell when a class is going on, as there is always dancing, music, and some kind of guidance going on and chiefly because all the persons present during the lessons are not exactly members of the skool.

While the actual ``students'' are having their lesson, the spectators sit on the provided benches at the edge of the dance floor and watch carefully to absorb everything, and at the …

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Publication information: Article title: `Hip Hop Skool' Fosters Vitality of Youngsters. Contributors: Not available. Newspaper title: Korea Times (Seoul, Korea). Publication date: September 30, 1999. Page number: Not available. © Not available. COPYRIGHT 1999 Gale Group.

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