Dancing in the streets | Auckland News | Local News in Auckland

He goes by the name Hurricane and he's a 17-year-old hip-hop dancer who wants to get his crew out of the rain. Sophie Smith reports

Memebers of Boom Shakalakaz dance crew have been breaking and locking their slick dance styles to the top of competitions for three years.

The all-boy crew of 10 students from Mt Roskill Grammar, Wesley College and Seventh Day Adventist School have, this year, won prizes in Stomp, Off the Hook and Bollywood competitions.

But when he's not krumping with his school crew, Maafu Tulimaiau (aka Hurricane) and his friends still dance - on the street. Maafu says the level of competitions rises with every event, so those without proper rehearsal space will be left behind.

"Everyone is picking up the game. Every crew is looking better each year," says Maafu.

Boom Shakalakaz are preparing for their next competition, Groove, coming up in about six weeks, creating a new work of fast, agile co-ordination that also parodies ethnic dance and modern culture.

Although loaded with talent, the troupe lack a proper space in which to rehearse. Maafu says they do the best they can by using school facilities. However, after hours and at weekends, practising outdoors is a struggle, especially in winter.

"We need a space, preferably with mirrors that we can use as a studio. Even just a shelter would do," he says.

Maafu says the crew practise wherever they can, using their mobile phones on speaker to plot moves. Without mirrors, they can't be sure they are all synchronised.

"We try new moves but don't know if we are looking silly. And we're kind of cold cause we're practising outside. So that's all the boys are thinking about: when they're going to get warm, not the moves. It makes it hard work," says Maafu.

The Aucklander's enquiries into local facilities have found a partial solution for Boom Shakalakaz for at least one night a week.

Wesley Community Centre, in Mt Roskill, is offering rooms as part of a free There's A Better Way programme run by Glen Green.

By day Mr Green is a community constable and after hours he dedicates his time to the kids in Mt Roskill.

He aims to engage young people in activities from work experience to sport. A Better Way night is free to enter from 4pm to 8pm every Thursday. He says the scheme is working small miracles in the suburb.

"By offering other opportunities for the young people through the centre we've seen a huge change in the crime rate here. A couple of guys who were involved with the King Cobra gang have handed in their patches and are now helping us help others," says Mr Green.

"We've started a league team called the Central Stallions and, by getting kids in training and not drinking, we've nearly wiped out the gang in Roskill which is pretty amazing. It's become a new way of policing in the area."

Mr Green looks forward to meeting Boom Shakalakaz and inviting them along. He says he'll even try to find some mirrors to meet the boys' needs.

Meanwhile, anyone who would like to be involved in There's A Better Way can contact him at the Wesley Centre or through Mt Roskill police station.

Y'know it

A dance crew is a group of street dancers who create dance routines with moves known as breaking, locking and popping, that developed in the 1970s. Hip-hop culture has since spread around the world, with breaking crews getting together to practise and battle with each other by dancing. Today, the street dance style is a mainstream form of fitness in many gyms.