South Korean boy band BTS’s use of sign language into their July 2021 “Permission to Dance” music video received worldwide acclaim. In particular, the band was applauded for incorporating American Sign Language (ASL, Korean Sign Language (KSL) and International Sign Language (ISL) within their performance. The particular video’s choreography features signs for the words “dance,” “peace,” and “enjoy.” The video is established within the post-pandemic era, where the band members are viewed dancing in various locations including a patio, a laundromat, and a sunny location. The sign language used in “Permission to Dance” occurs by the end of the song, where all the members collectively sang “na, na, na.” To make certain that the meaning of “Permission to Dance” was clear, BTS and their team of choreographers paid extra awareness to the details within their signing. A representative of BTS’ entertainment company Big Hit Music said, “After choosing keywords and symbolic gestures, we turned that into choreography. And we went through a process of holding many discussions with experts [including Deaf people and sign language interpreters] to make sure the meaning was coming across.” The experts the band conferred with stressed the importance of such expressions in performing sign language. For example, the sign for “enjoy” also conveys “welcome.” So, to unambiguously correspond the lyric with regards to “enjoy” to their Deaf and Hard-of-hearing fans, the group had to clearly show happiness in their faces. Response of Deaf Children Who Viewed the Music Video The YouTube channel Deaf BTS recently posted a video of children’s response to the “Permission to Dance” music video. In the past, the channel has published other videos where they have done sign language for various BTS songs. This time around, a group of Deaf children fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) were shown reacting towards the music video whilst sitting on the floor. One particular girl was really shocked when she saw BTS member J-Hope performing in ASL, and shared a touching response. The girl signed, “I’m stunned. That’s ASL ‘dance!’ They signed ‘dance.’ How’d they do that?” She added, “They signed ‘dance’! Cool. They signed ‘dance’ twice. Just like here in the US. I’m gonna pass out.” The excited girl then pretended to pass out by dramatically falling forward on the floor. When the other kids also realized just what the band was doing, they could not believe that BTS had utilized American Sign Language in their performance. One girl pondered about when the band members had learned ASL. The Video’s Positive Outcomes From Using ASL By making use of sign language within their choreography the band provided the kids and thousands of other Deaf or Hard of hearing (D/HoH) sign language users world wide a feeling of greater inclusion in mainstream culture. These types of thoughtful acts by celebrities and other public figures help make members of the D/HoH community feel like they’re being heard and seen by the larger community. BTS’s utilization of sign language is additionally increasing awareness of the D/HoH culture among hearing individuals. The fans were additionally greatly astounded by the sign language integrated into the “Permission to Dance” choreography.. One particular admirer wrote on Twitter, “You know what’s cool? The motion that they were doing for ‘dance’ is the actual sign for ‘dance’ in American Sign Language.” These kinds of remarks declare that “Permission to Dance” can help reduce the preconception regarding the Deaf and Hard of hearing within our culture. They also offer hope to the D/HoH community by showing that hearing people are willing to recognize them and their language as equals. In this manner, the video is an essential steppingstone toward greater acceptance and inclusion of D/HoH individuals mainstream society.
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May 2023
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