Performer Turanga Merito teaching Rotorua Boys' High students dance leads by example

A handful of young men at Rotorua Boys' High School are defying the norm and have taken up dance.

Rotorua performer Turanga Merito is teaching the subject which has been reintroduced after a hiatus.

Merito has 12 students in his junior class and eight in his senior class.

"With boys it's not the coolest thing to do so I'm trying to make it relevant and exciting for them," Merito said.

He said the challenge was making dance relatable to young men while sticking to the NCEA criteria of doing three varying styles.

"The challenge in terms of creating the syllabus for an all-boys school is an intense and daunting thought process," Merito said.

"My experience in working in high school is the kids are quite responsive because it's something new."

In just a week it seems Merito's students have learned a lot and they're already preparing for performances.

Merito said the groups had started with hip-hop, something they were interested in, but would progress into more technically challenging styles like jazz.

The choreographer said he was also making sure the students knew they were lucky.

"They should be grateful. I didn't have this growing up. Dance was something you did for fun. It's not a muck-around class, this is a chance to express yourself and be something bigger than what you might already think you are."

Merito said he wanted to lead by example and inspire the young men.

"To let each of them know it's actually possible to make a career from it [dance]. I've always been a big believer in leading by example."

Merito is also the main choreographer in the school's upcoming production Footloose and artistic director at Lakes Performing Arts Company.

The company runs programmes in more than 10 schools in Rotorua.

Year 10 student Elias Kerr said he had been enjoying the class, teacher and routines and he was following in the steps of his siblings who had also been doing dance.

Rotorua Boys' High School principal Chris Grinter said the performing arts were growing at the school with new music teachers appointed alongside Merito.

"Already there is a buzz of excitement around the boys in the classes he [Merito] teaches," Grinter said.

"Having Turanga on board has been great and provides a further dimension to performing arts in the school."

Some NCEA dance assessments:
- Choreograph a dance: Solo and group (Level 2 and 3)
- Perform a dance: Solo or duet, group, a repertoire, theatre (Level 2 and 3), dance sequences (Level 1)
- Demonstrate understanding of the elements of dance, dance performance (Level 1) choreographic processes, a dance genre or style (Level 2) and understanding of dance performance practices, and the development of dance in NZ (Level 3).
- Demonstrate knowledge of a dance genre or style, compose dance sequences, demonstrate ensemble skills (Level 1)
- Interpret a performance (Level 2)
- Analyse dance, produce dance (Level 3)
- NZQA