Taranaki Hip Hop Community retains crown after winning nationals in Dunedin

Taranaki Hip Hop Community won the schools national competition in Dunedin.

Taranaki Hip Hop Community won the New Zealand schools national finals for the second consecutive time.

Treasurer Tansi Williams says entering as a hip-hop community allowed students from multiple schools to enter the competition.

“Our local high schools did not have enough dancers or resources to be competitive individually, but by entering as the Taranaki Hip Hop Community it allowed multiple students from multiple schools from the region to compete as a regional team at the NZ Schools competition.”

The group received a grant from the New Zealand Community Trust to cover the van hire and accommodation costs.

“We received $3960. The dancers have saved enough money to cover their airfares, fundraised to cover uniforms and out-of-town choreographers, and paid their way for the regional comp in Wellington in July.”

Taranaki Hip Hop Community started in 2020, Tansi says.

“The purpose of the society is to unite the Taranaki community through hip-hop dance, music and culture and to make street dance accessible to all youth. We have brought 25 high schoolers together, representing up to nine kura from around the maunga.”

Tansi says for next year, the crew are working to bring their own Street Dance Competition to Taranaki.

“Not only will it have crew divisions for kids, teens and adults, but also a solo division, allowing more youth and adults to perform. We want to create an event that whanau can support.

“We want to create a little hip-hop village with fashion and graffiti art on display along with food trucks. This will all take place under the banner of Hip Hop International, meaning that the dancers will compete in their region and can then qualify for nationals and then on to worlds.”