Grand finale for Māori Performing Arts Competition

PRESS RELEASE
19 June 2008

Grand finale for the National Secondary School Māori Performing Arts Competition 2008 kicks off tonight

Three days of outstanding kapa haka performances are coming to a close. The section winners and overall winners will be announced at tonight’s Awards Ceremony at TSB Bank Arena on the Wellington waterfront.

National Coordinator, Puti Mackey says it has been an absolute ‘buzz’ for everybody involved.

“All these secondary school groups have lifted their performances. This generation have a very positive attitude towards being Māori and it shows in their performances.”

36 groups from Invercargill to Northland have competed at this year’s nationals. Puti believes the opportunity for secondary school students to be awarded NCEA credits for Māori performing arts has been a key reason for the improved quality of performances.

“I think it gives students an incentive to work a lot harder and strive to perform at their very best,” says Puti.

Tickets for the three days of performances sold out a week before the competition started. Tickets for the Awards ceremony this evening are still available and can be purchased at Ticketek via www.ticketek.co.nz

The first three place-getters for each section including whakaeke (entrance item), mōteatea (traditional chant), waiata ā-ringa (action song), poi, haka whakawātea (exit item), waiata tira (choral), kaitātaki tane (male leader), kaitātaki wahine (female leader), kākahu (clothing), te reo and the overall winner will be announced.

ENDS.

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