Kapa Haka Dress Rehearsal

Kia ora koutou

Our Kapa Haka group “Ngā Maioha o te Rangikauia” has their dress rehearsal for the Regional Secondary School Competition this Sunday at St Patrick’s College hall at 3pm. Gold coin entry. Doors open at 1:30pm with hot food for sale. Flyer attached. You are warmly invited to join us.

If you have never seen a college kapa haka group, now is your chance. The performance is only 30 mins long, however that belies the many hours of practice – a minimum of 19 hours per week over the last few months. Parents have also been fundraising, sewing costumes and making poi for the last few months.

Our group is a combination of students from SCC, SPC and SMC. Some are experienced kapa haka proponents (including head girl Paige Wilson who won Kaitataki Wahine (top female lead) in the previous competition while she was in year 11. Quite a feat to win over kapa haka competitors who have been through kōhanga and are at kura kaupapa Māori (Māori immersion schools), and especially as she had never done kapa haka until year 9).

Ngā Maioha will take the stage at the TSB on 5 July and are one of 12 groups. They will the 10th group to perform and are scheduled to take the stage at 3:20-3:50pm. Tickets are available on https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/whakataetae-kapa-haka-kura-tuarua-te-whanganui-a-tara-ki-otaki-wellington-05-07-2021/event/24005A9BE4911B5D

Staying to watch the prizegiving is an incredibly moving event with school groups spontaneously doing haka to acknowledge those who have won. Several of our students acknowledged their tutor Te Pō recently, expressing how grateful they were to learn about kapa haka and how proud he made them feel to be Māori. I’m grateful to SCC for supporting our kapa haka group as for many Māori students (and some non-Māori), kapa haka is small but significant window to access their reo Māori, history and culture.

Ngā mihi

Tania