Hundreds Line Up For Hip Hop Competition

Media Release
7 September, 2009

Hundreds Line Up For Hip Hop Competition

Almost 700 high school students will take to the stage at Vector Arena on
September 19 for New Zealand's largest secondary schools hip-hop dance
competition.

Bring It On is in its seventh year and promises to be an electric and
highly entertaining event to showcase the talent within Auckland's young
people.

The initiative started with event founder Talanoa Fonua, 20-years-old at
the time, she had a vision to put on a dance competition on a professional
stage to showcase the talent and creativity within our nation's youth.

Talanoa started by going to bus stops and spreading the word about her
vision for Bring It On and with the help of a committed group of young
volunteers the event began.

There are now 20 Bring It On school mentors who work in 30 schools to help
students with their routine but more importantly to set and achieve life
goals. There are also almost 100 volunteers who donate their time and
energy each year to make a difference to the nation’s next generation of
leaders. This is the first time the event has been held at the Vector
Arena, which has a seating capacity of 12,000 people and a 360-degree
stage.

"The whole spirit, philosophy and vision of Bring It On is what sets it
apart because you have kids who, through dance, are able to express the
freedom of knowing who they are," Bring It On event manager Luvu Afemui,
24, says.
"They are global leaders born to do great things.”

Bring It On also runs an All stars camp, which consists of 60 students
chosen from 30 high schools who train in dance and learn life skills. The
first All stars camp was held in July. Nita Latu, 19, co- leads the All
stars and was herself a Bring It On, Kelston Girls College leader in 2007.

"The camp was 10 percent dance and 90 percent values and principles
teaching, the students came in representing their different schools but by
the end of it they were one big family. We listened to the dreams inside
these young people and what they have inside of them is on a global
scale."

Shalom Leilua co-leads Aorere College, who are in the Bring It On, Grand
Final. The 18-year-old won this year's World Hip Hop Dance Championship
title in Las Vegas with group ReQuest. "Bring It On has helped us so much
because we've learnt leadership skills and this year we are passing those
leadership skills down to the students who are coming up after us,"
Shalom says.

"Our team is like one big family that helps each other to get through
whatever we are going through - we've had students come in who are facing
big problems, but their life has changed by being in a team and a part of
something that is positive."

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