'Li'l man' set to take on world Hip Hop

Hawaiiki Maipi and Anonymous Dance Kru are heading to Las Vegas to compete in the World Hip Hop Championships. Photo / Christine Cornege

He stands about four feet tall, has a mop of curly hair and is only just losing his baby teeth, but Hawaiiki Maipi means business when he hits the stage.

The pint-sized boy, who goes by the stage name of "Li'l man", is the Hamilton-based Anonymous Dance Kru's "point" or the person who takes front and centre during key parts of their 90-second dance routine.

He has also just turned eight, which will make him possibly the youngest competitor at this year's World Hip Hop Dance Championship and World Battles starting in Las Vegas next week.

"He's little, he's cute, he can dance and when he gets up there he just owns it," said Anonymous Dance Kru manager Raelene Marsters.

"His muscle memory is amazing but he already knew how to perform probably through kapa haka. He's a real asset for our team."

The dance crew from Hamilton have been in training four times a week since March and every day of the recent school holidays.

It is one of three junior teams from New Zealand who will compete in the United States having placed third in the national championships in April.

The team leaves for Las Vegas on Tuesday where they will face off against teams from 35, countries with the Japanese, Canadians and Filipinos the favourites in the Juniors category.

"They [the Japanese] have got amazing acrobatic ability and their choreography is quite special while we have kids of different abilities just trying to look the same," said Ms Marsters.

"They have all got different abilities so trying to get them to look the same is really difficult. You have to make sure their arms are in the same place, their feet are in the same place, it's kind of difficult and it takes a lot of work."

If he's a bit of a show-off on the stage, off it Hawaiiki is painfully shy but he told the Weekend Herald he was looking forward to his first trip on a plane and that he liked krumping.

His uncle, former journalist and broadcaster Potaka Maipi said Hawaiiki had been performing in kapa haka and had been dancing and singing since he was about two.

"He's a real crowd-pleaser," he said.