‘Unheard of’: Hip-hop crew ranked NZ’s second-best – and now eyeing world title

A Tauranga hip-hop dance crew are heading to the US in a few months in a bid to capture the world title.

The Space Studios hip-hop varsity crew, named Outkasts, are fundraising to compete in the Hip Hop International world dance championships in Pheonix, Arizona, from July 31 to August 6.

The eight-strong team includes Connor Settle-Smith, 18, Jonah Stewart, 16, Austin Taylor, 17, Noah Ball, 16, Baylee Murray, 18, Maia Hemana, 17, Sienna Lagerberg, 15, and Ella Radovanovich, 17. They will be part of more than 3000 of the world’s best dancers from more than 55 countries who will compete for international bragging rights.

Space Studios director Cameron Smith said the dance crew qualified for the same competition last year and were returning this year with a new crew in a bid for the world title.

Smith said to qualify for this year’s world championships, the team had to place top five in their age division at the national competition in Auckland last month.

“This year they came second, which means they are ranked second in New Zealand, he said. “It is a pretty big deal and almost unheard of for a Bay of Plenty team to be so successful. Even to sit second in New Zealand is a huge [deal].”

Smith said the team started training in December last year and have since been perfecting their routine “until we get it right”.

“That’s our motto. It is not uncommon for us to hold midnight trainings until the early hours of the morning. There are no days off in the lead-up to the event,” he said.

Smith said Space Studios was about teaching the dancers not just new moves but also life skills and work ethic.

He said as teenagers, dancers often had to make sacrifices in everyday life to focus on training. “Some have even gone as far as sacrificing the school ball to make it happen.”

“The biggest thing is the kids love what they do. They are part of a crew.”

Smith, who also choreographed this year’s routine, said the crew was excited to be sharing a different “image” to what they have done in the past to the world stage this year.

“It is heavily inspired by the old-school hip-hop from back in the 1990s.”

To get to Arizona, the dancers were fundraising by hosting sausage sizzles, Givealittle pages and more in the next few weeks.

A Corks and Canvas fundraising event was planned for July 1 at the University of Waikato. Tickets were $65 each and include a drink on arrival, a step-by-step guided art lesson by Mount Maunganui artist Briar York and a performance by Outkasts. Funds will go towards the hip-hop crew.