What's standing between a Tauranga-based dance crew and Las Vegas apart from a 17-hour flight over the Pacific Ocean? The answer: $50,000.
De Visu Dance Crew dancers, Puruakena August, Kayle Stimpson, Kayla Gudsell, Ethan Hika, Chelsea Bachellier, Brooke Mallasch and Charlotte Patterson are raising funds to compete at the World Champs. Photo: Bruce Barnard.
Urban Dance De Visu varsity crew is through to the World Hip Hop Dance Championships, which are held in Las Vegas on August 8-13, after competing at the SDNZ National Championships in Auckland.
However, it comes at a price. A $50,000 price tag.
Chelsea Bachellier, Ethan Hika, Puruakena August, Kayle Stimpson, Brooke Mallasch, Taylah Murray, Kayla Gudsell and Charlotte Patterson are members of the Urban Dance De Visu crew and finished in second place amongst 39 other teams in the 13-17 age-group varsity division.
Urban Dance teaches children and young adults to Hip Hop dance, with more than 400 students body-popping though their studios, community classes, school programmes and training workshops. The dancers are from around the Tauranga region.
Director of Urban Dance and head choreographer Sarah Martin says her organisation is like a family. 'We all just do whatever it takes to give the kids the best opportunity to succeed.”
The team has been coached by Auckland-based choreographer and dancer Kiel Tutin, who's known for being on the Sorority Dance Crew which is in the Royal Family of Palace Dance Studio – 'the home of Hip Hop dance”.
'Kiel contacted me after leaving Palace Dance Studios, knowing that I'm working with the kids who have good foundations.
'Kiel wanted to help out schoolkids from outside the Auckland area and just give back to the rest of New Zealand and the community with things that he learnt from being at the palace,” says Sarah.
The crew collectively hope to raise enough money before the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in August. Fashion shows, quiz nights and concerts are some of the fundraising events they have up their sleeve.
To donate, see: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/devisudancecrew.
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