Big launch for kids' fitness DVD

After months of preparation, Whangarei teen Ashleigh McCaw will now see her acrobatic dreams leap onto the small screen.
The 19-year-old is waiting anxiously for 1000 copies of her children's fitness DVD, Beat the Feet, to arrive in New Zealand, after which it will be launched at Forum North tomorrow evening.
Ashleigh first created a DVD with her company Active Attitude for the Young Enterprise Scheme last year while at Kamo High School. She received a loan from Enterprise Northland earlier this year to fund production of a professionally-produced version.
Ashleigh approached The Northern Advocate in April looking for six children to appear in the DVD, a male co-star, and someone to produce music for her aerobics-style routines.
As a result, she was contacted by Whangarei's Tim Bell, 19, who offered his services as both Ashleigh's co-star and music producer, and the parents of six Whangarei children who were keen to be involved.
Tim, who has been involved locally in drama productions both on and off-stage, had just come back from holiday when he "randomly" read a copy of the Advocate the day Ashleigh's story appeared in April.
"I just thought `yeah, that looks like a cool thing to do', I can do music and a bit of drama."
Beat the Feet was filmed on a makeshift set at Tikipunga High School over four days in the July school holidays - during the July storm which ravaged much of Northland.
"We had to cope with a power cut, there was a bit of drama there for a while," Ashleigh said. Tim made up a song and sang it with the children to keep them entertained.
Nine-year-old Anahera Takuira-Mita thought working on the DVD was lots of fun. "I liked being on the TV cameras," she said.
Ashleigh wants to have her DVD distributed in local retail outlets, and hopes one day to franchise her Active Attitude business.
Will another DVD be on the cards in the future? "Maybe ... I'm just keen to see how this one goes."
• The launch of Beat the Feet is 6.30pm tomorrow at the Cafler Suite at Forum North. Members of the public are invited to come along.
Caption details: Whangarei 19-year-old Ashleigh McCaw, front right, is launching her children's fitness DVD Beat the Feet tomorrow night. Pictured are her co-stars Tim Bell, 19, front left, and at back Anahera Takuira-Mita, 9, Ashley Wingrove, 7, Jacob Mason, 11, and Maia Prochazka, 7. Malcolm Patterson, 8, and Josh Burns, 6, also appeared on the DVD.