Junior Hip Hop dance crew shows grit
Waitara junior hip hop dance crew Oryan, is taking its highenergy, sassy street dancing to the big stage in Wellington.
For the first time ever, the allgirl group with urban attitude aged 7- 10 years, will compete in the Street Dance New Zealand regional qualifier in the windy city, March 18.
The star quality dancers are; Daisy Martin, 7, Lily Martin, 10, Courtney Blakeney-Williams, 10, Summa White, 9, Jessica Knowles, 10, Jade Commerer, 10, and Ane Pasefika, 10.
What they lack in age they make up for in talent, passion, and grit, reasons why Niquay Langton hand-picked them to take under his choreography wing.
Last year Langton handed the reins of his dance school to a fellow dancer, but before he did he chose a handful of girls to take to the next dance level.
‘‘They always gave me that bit extra. I decided to invest my own time and cost to take them to the next level because I wished when I was their age I had a Niquay.’’
The girls currently train for three hours a day, three days a week, and haven’t faltered on their commitment to the Hip Hop prize yet.
‘‘They may be small town girls but they are so professional. I am very raw with them, they have to want it. I teach them accountability,’’ Langton said.
For crew member Pasefika, dancing was a massive part of her young life, as an even littler girl she’d get lost in her own world
‘‘I'm going to work to dance harder than I've ever danced before’’
Ane Pasefika
dancing in front of the TV.
With the competition only a month away she said she was excited about the competition. ’’But I’m scared too, cos I’ve never danced in front of a really big audience before.’’
However, Pasefika is sure she will overcome her fears to follow her dream of being just like one of Parris Goebel’s dancers. ’’I’m going to work to dance harder than I’ve ever danced before.’’
The competitive dance realm will provide the small crew the chance to showcase their unique ultimate performance.
‘‘My dance style went against the current grain because as the dance world had evolved, male dancers had become so feminine because now it’s on trend.’’ Langton said he knows how to give sass, flavour, and fierceness, but he is not a feminine dancer.
i Langtons style was fast, powerful and masculine, fused with an African vibe.