Hip-hop dancers 98 Cents qualify for World Championships

98 Cents at the Hip Hop Unite competition in Lower Hutt where they got third place and qualified for the World Championships in Portugal later this year.

Gisborne hip hop dancers Kylah Ashwell and Paul Hawaikirangi, aka 98 Cents, have just received a bronze medal in the Hip Hop Unite New Zealand competitions held in Lower Hutt last month.

This means the dancers have qualified to represent New Zealand in the Hip Hop Unite World Championships in Portugal in October.

“The criteria for world qualifier is based on skill and it is at the judges’ discretion who goes,” Kylah says.

“Last year we got the only qualifier spot with our first place, but this year the top three have qualified because the skill was higher this time around.”

Last year the couple competed in the 2023 Hip Hop Unite World Championships in Obidos, Portugal where they placed 11th out of 18 in the adult duo division.

The 2023 championships in Obidos, Portugal featured representatives from 17 countries with Team NZ taking a contingent of 99 dancers to the competition.

They are still undecided as to whether they will attend this year’s championship event.

The dancers have been keeping busy working on the choreography for “We Will Rock You” for Gisborne Centre Stage, coming up in September.

They have also signed up to dance in the fundraising competition Dance For Life for the Life Education Trust where they have each been paired with non-dancers for the event.