Kiwi crew fourth in Aussie dance-off

BREAKING IT DOWN: The Junior Legion crew are, back row from left: Pearl Uren-Te Kuru, Tukotahi Mareikura-Edmonds, Jada Henare, Karlos Croft, Pania Tautari, Tamarangi Haunui-Tipene and Dannielle-Rose Dephoff; front, Ariana Roberts, Rosalyn Rawiri-Peita, Anika Werekake and Hailey Mareikura-Edmonds. PHOTO / PETER DE GRAAF

A Northland dance crew has placed fourth out of 16 teams at the World Supremacy Battlegrounds hip-hop dance competition in Melbourne.

Junior Legion, a group of 11 youngsters aged 11-14 from the Kawakawa/Moerewa area, spent months polishing their dance moves ahead of the competition. They returned on Wednesday after seven days in the Victorian capital.

Coach Horrace Maunsell said the fourth placing was the "icing on the cake" of an enjoyable trip and his best result in four years of taking teams to the event.

The crew hired a studio in Melbourne to spend the first three days training. After the contest they relaxed, shopped, rode trams and trains, and caught up with Melbourne whanau. They also got lost several times so saw even more of the city than they had intended. Many Melbourne-based Kiwis came to the Saturday night competition to support the team, Mr Maunsell said.

"It was an awesome experience for the kids. They had a blast."

Teams in the World Supremacy Battlegrounds compete in junior, varsity, open and monster divisions. The juniors was won by an Australian crew called Hellraisers. Junior Legion is planning a tour of Mid North schools and will perform at the Kawakawa Christmas parade.