Te Puke High School dance students shine at Huihui Dance Festival in Taupō

Te Puke high School students performing at the Huihui Dance festival

Senior dance students from Te Puke High School attended the annual Huihui/Collide Dance Festival in Taupō recently.

At its heart, Huihui is about connections – connections with other young dancers, schools and studios, teachers, industry professional and tertiary providers, says dance teacher Jennifer Cram.

“Huihui invites all young people to make these connections and fundamentally believes that all young people can bond through dance,” she says.

Students were able to participate in a performance evening and learn from industry professionals such as Andrew Cesan, Courtnee Amorangi and Sarah Foster-Sproull.

“Te Puke High School’s dance students were incredibly confident in bringing themselves to the stage, showcasing their own choreography and being able to perform many different styles of dance.”

They received positive feedback from professor Ralph Buck (from the University of Auckland) and Andrew Cesan (a seasoned hip-hop performer and creator).

Jennifer says she was very proud of every single student and how they contributed to the world of dance during this weekend.

Te Puke high School students performing at the Huihui Dance festival

“It is so important to mention how respectful, engaged and reflective our dance students are. They are standout performers and always give their all. We look forward to seeing what these students create next year.”

Year 12 student Princess Veloso says the festival was an eye-opener.

“Not only did I gain a deeper understanding of the field of dance studies and its unique aspects, but also receiving positive feedback and praise from teachers and skilled dancers has sparked a thought in me to potentially pursue dance studies as a serious option in my future.”

Mya-Rose Wilson from Year 12 says she loved the bonding that came from being together as a dance group, of getting ready together, travelling together in what would be her year group’s last trip together.

International student Rinna Teshima from Year 11 says attending Huihui supported her understanding of dance.

“We got to cheer on everyone on the stage and being at the workshop without any negativity, I learned that dance is all about having fun and enjoying is everything.”