Zena

Zena — From Cover Dancer to RESCENE's Maknae

Before joining RESCENE, Zena was already dancing in front of a camera. She appeared in cover dance videos as a member of a dance studio, taking Karina's part in a cover of aespa's «Girls». She did not learn to dance as a trainee and then debut — she was dancing first, and the audition came after. When the group broke through in July 2026, those old videos were unearthed all at once, and the result was a record of work she had been building for three years before her debut.

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July 2026: Why Her Middle-School Videos Resurfaced

When RESCENE went viral with the chart resurgence of «LOVE ATTACK», fans went looking for the members' older footage. On Zena's side, the clip that spread furthest was a cover dance of «Ttong Balhassne» filmed in July 2021, when she was in middle school. Posted on the YouTube channel of Premiyeom Dance Studio, it shows her in a grey wig, dressed as an old woman. The original song is an insert track from the EBS animation «Potendog» and has passed 15 million plays on YouTube.

An audition tape from the same period surfaced alongside it. She introduces herself — "Kim Ga-young, 14 years old. I'm playing the grandmother." — then builds the character through facial expression and gesture. Much of the reaction focused less on her dancing than on her instinct for performance.

Her own response:

"I think I'm in trouble. This spread a lot more than I expected."

Taking it with embarrassed good humour worked in her favour. Unearthed footage is often a burden for an idol; in this case it mostly confirmed something else — that she had been building characters in front of a camera since she was about thirteen.

Before Debut: A Dance Studio and «Youth Star»

Zena started at a dance studio. Working as a studio dancer, she appeared in cover dance videos, including the aespa «Girls» cover in which she took Karina's part.

She then competed on Channel A's audition programme «Youth Star» in 2022, entering in the idol category, which put her on television. On the show she performed covers of IVE's «ELEVEN» and Red Velvet's «Red Flavor» — two songs with unmistakable identities, demanding crisp group choreography and a bright concept at the same time.

After the programme she joined THE MUZE Entertainment and debuted with RESCENE on 26 March 2024. Cover dancer, then audition show, then debut.

Maknae and Dance Line

Born in 2008, she is the group's youngest. Within RESCENE's calling card of "vocals plus tight choreography," she carries the performance side. Her movements have clear starts and stops, which makes the formation read cleanly in group dance videos when all five are doing the same routine.

There is one place where starting out in cover dance shows on stage. A cover video has to reproduce the original choreography exactly, so it is training that demands accuracy before interpretation — the same quality required to lock a formation. Conversely, because she also came through pieces that required building a character, like «Ttong Balhassne» and that audition tape, her face does not freeze in the sections that need expression.

Inside the Group: Chart Resurgence and a First Win

RESCENE wrote an unusual reversal in the summer of 2026. «LOVE ATTACK», released in August 2024, climbed all the way to No. 1 on the Melon TOP100 two years later, and on 8 July 2026 the special single «Pretty Girl» — a remake of KARA's 2008 hit — brought the group its first music show win, 841 days after debut.

Because «Pretty Girl» reworks a song from 2008, it asked for choreography with a different texture from their established bright concept. It also meant a member born in 2008 singing a song from 2008. The group's chart results and promotion schedule are collected on the RESCENE page.

Gyeongju Ambassador

On 26 June 2026, all of RESCENE were appointed ambassadors for Zena's hometown of Gyeongju. It was the third hometown ambassadorship the group secured in the first half of 2026, after leader Woni's Geoje on 22 May and Liv's Suwon on 24 June.

It is a case of a member's personal hometown story expanding into team-level public activity. Gyeongju, the thousand-year capital of Silla, has deep tourism material, and Zena's promotional footage drew in part on her trainee-era dance videos.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How old is Zena? Born 27 November 2008, she is RESCENE's maknae.
• What is Zena's real name? Kim Ga-young.
• What is the «Ttong Balhassne» video? A cover dance filmed in July 2021, when she was in middle school, posted on a dance studio's channel — grey wig, dressed as an old woman. It spread again in July 2026 as the group broke through, and she responded with good humour, saying she thought she was "in trouble."
• Was she on «Youth Star»? Yes. She competed in the idol category on Channel A's «Youth Star» in 2022, performing covers of IVE's «ELEVEN» and Red Velvet's «Red Flavor», then joined THE MUZE Entertainment and debuted.
• Are there cover dance videos from before her debut? Yes — most notably the aespa «Girls» cover in which she took Karina's part, from her dance studio days.
• Where is Zena from? Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. On 26 June 2026 all of RESCENE were named Gyeongju city ambassadors.
• What is her position in RESCENE? Maknae and dance line, anchoring the accuracy of the group's choreography.

See Also

RESCENE's members are Woni, May, Liv and Minami; the group profile and chart records are on RESCENE. There is also a travel guide to Zena's hometown, Gyeongju.