KATSEYE Gets Schooled by Third Graders in ‘Celebrity Substitute’

For KATSEYE, performing in front of thousands of fans is nothing new. Performing in front of a room full of third graders, however, came with a few surprises.

The global girl group recently traded the big stage for an elementary school classroom, where Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung spent the day teaching students how to dance, perform and, most importantly, feel confident.

In the latest episode of Celebrity Substitute, released Tuesday, Aug. 11, KATSEYE visited P.S. 17 in Astoria, Queens. The group taught the students choreography from its latest single, “Animal,” before helping turn the school cafeteria into the setting for a colorful music video.

Of course, before the students learned from KATSEYE, the pop stars had a little learning to do themselves.

The students gave the group a crash course in Gen Alpha slang, including words like “skibidi” and “sigma.” Apparently, being an international pop star does not automatically make someone fluent in elementary school vocabulary.

The kids also had plenty of questions. One especially enthusiastic student named Tayra went straight for the important stuff.

“Can I have your phone number?” Tayra asked.

The group had an answer ready.

“Why not?” they replied. “We can make a group chat. Let’s make a group chat.”

Another student, Mila, made it clear that her admiration for KATSEYE runs deep.

“KATSEYE is only the best band in the entire world. I’d do anything for KATSEYE. KATSEYE, you better be hearing this,” Mila said. “I’m serious. I’ll die for you.”

The students were clearly excited to meet their idols, but KATSEYE was just as interested in getting to know them.

The members talked about what they were like as elementary school students. Raj, 20, remembered being “a little demon child,” while Avanzini, 22, admitted that she often got in trouble for being loud and easily distracted. She joked that some of those qualities are still around today.

KATSEYE also shared some of the lessons it has learned since coming together through Dream Academy, the competition series that eventually formed the group.

Being in a group is about more than learning choreography. It means communicating, listening and making sure everyone understands what is happening.

“You really have to make sure that everyone’s on the same level of understanding,” Laforteza said. “So when one person’s kind of left in the dark, that’s when it gets hard.”

The members also talked about dealing with nerves before performances. Even experienced performers can get nervous when they step onto a stage.

“When we first started, we’d get nervous a lot. Like, our first performances going on stage. It can be really scary, but then I think we learned to help each other. We give each other hugs before we perform,” Raj said.

That message of friendship and confidence was something the group wanted the students to take home.

“I hope friendship,” Raj said. “I hope that they have a lot of fun with each other and also just feeling confident in themselves.”

That lesson became especially important once the dancing began.

KATSEYE broke down the “Animal” choreography one step at a time. The students then picked their own animal personas, choosing everything from cats and lions to cheetahs and even capybaras.

And if anyone forgot a move? No big deal.

“Sometimes even we forget the dance move,” Raj admitted.

The trick is not to let the audience know.

“You have to hide it with your face,” they continued. “Confidence. That’s the biggest thing about being a pop star.”

Laforteza added, “Even smiling shows so much confidence.”

In other words, if the choreography goes sideways, keep smiling and keep moving.

While the students practiced, the Celebrity Substitute crew gave the school cafeteria a serious makeover. With furniture and decor from Amazon, the space was transformed into a colorful café lounge that became the backdrop for the students’ own “Animal” music video.

KATSEYE encouraged the third graders to show off their personalities, with plenty of dancing, poses and dramatic camera faces. The group even joined the students for cafeteria duty as part of the video.

Then things got messy.

Very messy.

As the cameras rolled, the students were told to grab peas and throw them, turning the music video shoot into a full-blown food fight.

For one student named Bubbles, there was no question about the highlight of the day.

“My favorite part of today was the food fight,” Bubbles said afterward.

Honestly, it is hard to argue with that choice.

By the end of the shoot, the third graders had their own pop-star moment. KATSEYE was impressed by how confidently the students performed in front of the cameras.

“Guys, you’re killing it,” said host Julian Shapiro-Barnum.

The episode arrived during a busy period for KATSEYE. The group’s current promotions continue without three of its six members.

Manon Bannerman began a temporary hiatus in February to focus on her health and well-being. Laforteza, 23, announced on Aug. 7 that she is taking a temporary break to focus on her mental health and wellness following medical advice.

Megan Skiendiel, 20, was also absent from the Celebrity Substitute visit because she was sick. She still made an appearance through a special message for the students.

“Hey, everyone. I heard you guys are making a special music video for ‘Animal’,” Skiendiel, 20, told the students. “I’m so sad I couldn’t join you guys, but you guys are all future pop stars and I can’t wait to see what you guys came up with.”

Even with members away, KATSEYE has plenty on the horizon.

The group is preparing to release its upcoming EP, WILD, and will head out on The WILD WORLD Tour in support of the project. International dates begin in September 2026, followed by an 18-city North American leg beginning Oct. 13 in Miami.

Before that, KATSEYE will perform at Olivia Rodrigo’s all-women Daisy Chain Fields festival on Aug. 29 at Great Park in Irvine, California.

For one day, though, the biggest stage belonged to a group of third graders in Queens. They learned some dance moves, picked their animal alter egos, practiced their confidence and discovered that forgetting a step does not mean the performance has to stop.

And, naturally, they learned the most important lesson of all: sometimes the best part of becoming a pop star is throwing peas at your friends.