Poi delights and unites young and old
Young and old joined forces to swing poi at Pakaraka School on December 7.
Radius Baycare residents from Haruru Falls recently showed off their new poi skills in a performance at the school. The students also proudly performed kapa haka for their delighted audience. Radius Baycare have enjoyed a relationship with Pakaraka School for around two years says teacher Dee Walker.
‘‘We wanted to do something for the community and work with older people - the golden oldies we call them. They tell the kids about their childhood, talk about the differences and invite them along to visit.
‘‘As a teacher what I’m trying to do is get the students to not forget about older people. We are building relationships. That’s been a theme this year. The students have kept in touch with their older friends via handwritten letters, skype and email.’’
Year 7 student Essica Owen says the students taught the residents how to make the poi and how to perform some actions.
‘‘It was fun, they are really nice and kind and they asked great questions.’’
Fellow student Rian Stuart says: ‘‘It’s quite fascinating [talking about the different childhoods], it’s really quite different. They had many years without modern technology and we are stepping into a new age of technology.
‘‘I’m really excited to see their performance.’’
Baycare resident Patricia Burger said ahead of the performance that she was really looking forward to performing in front of the students.
‘‘Of course I’ve enjoyed doing it [the poi] and I love the haka. There has been wonderful cooperation from the students, they are all so good and very helpful. They are just a lovely lot of children.’’
Radius Baycare Manager Pam Hughes says it is a lovely interaction between young and old.
‘‘The poi really helps with their dexterity and concentration and gives them a sense of achievement. It keeps their wrists supple and keeps them active, it’s been really really good.’’
The Radius Baycare residents performed to Poi E with the Pakaraka students performing a series of action songs and haka.
Researcher Kate Riegle van West is investigating the physical and cognitive effects of poi in her PhD research.
According to her crowdfunding page on Boosted, she says she believes the trial will not only pave the way for future poi and health research, but also have significant implications for the ever growing aging population worldwide.
‘‘Ten years ago, while recovering from a torn rotator cuff, I was introduced to a simple weight on the end of a cord called poi. What started put as passing the time not only healed my shoulder but led me on the journey of a lifetime...founding and teaching at a centre for poi in Chicago, creating a poi musical instrument and giving a TED talk about it in Boston.
‘‘And eventually pursuing PhD research on poi at the University of Auckland.’’