Young dancers get good rap

Jermaine Whare, 19, (left) Ariana Whare, 17, Nathaniel Mohi, 15, Shanz Whare, 23 (front) and Shania Parkinson, 16, from Breakthrew Academy. Photo / Ben Fraser

A group of Rotorua youths have been given an exciting opportunity to dance at a music festival in Hamilton this Saturday.

A dance crew from Breakthrew Academy will perform as back-up dancers for Guvna B, a UK-based urban contemporary gospel rap artist and composer at Festival One, a multi-day Christian festival held at Mystery Creek.

The six-member group have been perfecting their routine all week, which they will perform during the rapper's final song.

Crew member and Rotorua Lakes High School student Shania Parkinson, 16, was thrilled to perform.

"I am really excited, there will be a good chance to experience and get out there more."

Shanz Whare, 23, was excited to do something new, he said. "I just felt quite excited. I've never been a back-up dancer before so I just think doing something new with dance is quite exciting."

Breakthrew Academy director Bree Solomon said the crew were recommended to the rapper by executive director of Street Dance NZ Bev Adair-Beets.

"She had heard about us and came down to check out what we were doing and she was blown away by what we were doing here in Rotorua," Mrs Solomon said.

Breakthrew Academy was set up in 2014 and provides free dance classes for Rotorua youth aged 5 to 25.

Mrs Solomon said the programme gave Rotorua youth the opportunity to showcase their talents regardless of age or skill level. "The biggest thing for us is with the community, getting young people to know there are opportunities to advance in dance. If we can do it, you can too."

-Classes for 2015 will begin in February. Visit the Breakthrew Facebook page.