The Manaia View school hip hop crew have had a very successful year with community performances and even a story on the local television station Channel North about their achievement at this year’s AIMS Games claiming the silver medal. Coming to the end of the year, they had one more performance to attend, entertainment at the Manaia View School Cultural Arts Festival.

The event was held December 4 where 13 other Primary Schools/Intermediates (Year 1-8) came to participate at the festival. This took place in front of a crowd of around 500 spectators, the kaupapa for the festival is about showcasing young people’s skills in Kapa Haka and celebrating our culture and what great young talent that Northland has to offer. The crowd was thoroughly entertained throughout the day with a variety of acts.

The Manaia View School Hip Hop crew once again did not disappoint as they hit the stage putting on a very entertaining show and capturing the crowd’s attention from the first move drawing in the biggest crowd of the day, impressing the other schools and community with a very polished routine. The creativity and skill level demonstrated by the crew was top notch especially with some of their own choreography incorporated into their routine.

Horrace Maunsell He Oranga Poutama Kaiwhakahaere says “Manaia View now has a very strong base for hip hop dance and a lot of community support to continue into next year, entering more competitions and also competing at next year’s AIMS Games with hopes of grabbing a Gold medal which are just a couple of goals they have for 2016. With such talent, anything’s possible for these young leaders and we’ll be keeping a close eye on these talented young people to see what next year has instore for them.”