"It's something we shouldn't compromise. We should keep our traditions as much as we can."
He said he could understand why Ms Apanui might "cop a lot of flak".
"We take our culture very seriously," Mr Kennedy said.
Ngamoni Huata, author of The Rhythm of Life of Poi said modernising poi was "old news".
She said Maori had no choice but to become "agents of change" because traditions like poi were constantly evolving.
"There has been a resurgence of the whole concept of poi. What we have to do is adapt to the contemporary."
Ms Apanui said change was good and she would not be deterred by any negative feedback.
"Maori culture is really beautiful. I just like to look at things and see how I can improve it."
Rotorua Deputy Mayor Trevor Maxwell said he was a fan of improved modern poi and said the talent of some performers was tremendous.
"Poi has evolved over the years. It would have been seen as contemporary when it first started."
He said poi would be poi regardless of how it was performed and he welcomed Ms Apanui's contemporary approach.
The council, with Real NZ and the Rotorua Trust, will provide Rotorua-themed costumes for the poi performers rather than traditional Maori dress.
Council community arts officer Kiri Jarden said she thought the workshop was a fantastic opportunity for locals to show their passion for poi.
"It won't be poi in a traditional sense. The idea is to build and grow a legacy group community to be part of various community events."
The trainees and Ms Apanui will perform on the streets during the Rugby World Cup.
