Schools pull out all stops for kapa haka regionals

Months of hard work and practice for primary school pupils will be on display at the Te Arawa Primary Schools Regional Kapa Haka Competition.

Twelve schools will be competing today to be named the overall winner as well as claiming a spot in the top four to go to the national competition next year. The event will be held at the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre.

Chairwoman of the Te Arawa primary school kapa haka committee France Wharerahi said each of the three sessions were sold out.

PREPARING: Malfroy Primary School on stage at the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre yesterday preparing for today's regional kapa haka competition. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

"There will be just over 2000 people here and that's not including the performing groups and their supporters," Ms Wharerahi said.

"This event is about culture, identity and allowing our tamariki to be able to express themselves through Maori performing arts. It's about letting them excel but at the same time they are representing their whanau, hapu and iwi."

The day was also focused on whanaungatanga (family ties), she said.

"What I've noticed is the camaraderie among the schools. They're competing with each other but they will go up and give them a hug."

Malfroy Primary School teacher Teina Tauti said this was the first time they had been part of the competition. She said 38 pupils had been under the guidance of tutors and experienced kapa haka performers Jamus Webster, Byron Thompson and Pryor Falwasser.

"We are very lucky to have these tutors and being able learn from their experience," Ms Tauti said.

"This group love it, we started practising in March and opened the opportunity up to the whole school. Whoever was interested.

"We had 72 students but we knew we could only have 40 on stage so over the weeks of training we found our core group."

The top four groups from the regional competition will represent Te Arawa in the national competition next year in Palmerston North.