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MULTI AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER
Vol 44, No 21
General 271 8000 ■ Classified 271 8055 ■ Delivery Enquiries 271 8014 ■ Website www.times.co.nz
Family mourns ‘natural leader’ By NATALIE BRITTAN
BORN TO DANCE: Left, Sophie de Renzy who is part of the Parris Goebel’s Bubblegum junior crew is certain they will qualify for the World hip hop competition in San Diego; Pakuranga College girls Shalom Teikamata, centre, and Morgan Buckley have been selected to represent Insseption at the International hip hop competition in Florida. Times photos Wayne Martin
Dancing their way to fame
INSIDE
petitions and mouth platitudes like “dance is more than movement. “It’s a lot more than what you see,” says Morgan who has been there and danced that! “It is a mindset. When you don’t get through in a competition you shouldn’t give up. Just keep going.” Shalom interjects saying: “I love competitions. The adrenalin and the rush when the crowd is screaming, is simply amazing! It feels great to feed off everyone’s energy.” She says was overwhelmed when she heard she was selected by Ashley Medcalfe to be part of the A-team that goes to Florida in April. “I was screaming and crying,” she says. Both Morgan and she are thrilled to be competing with different nations at the international hip hop competition. They say: “We are more than happy to dance eight hours a day!
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“Competitions are full on. There is a lot of endurance and strength work involved.” Elaine McKellar, head of the department of dance at Pakuranga College says: “It’s great to see them grow in terms of skills and flexibility in how they move. “I’m very proud to be teaching them and they will be our leaders for the ‘Bring It On Auckland Secondary School Dance competition’.” Shalom says: “Someday I’d like to have my own hip hop dance studio and make it free. There are so many people out there who are good dancers but can’t afford to join classes.” The passion and commitment the teenage hip hop dancers share is extraordinary. It’s as if they are born to dance. Putting into words her passion for dance, Sophie ends saying: “To me, a day without dance is a day without water.”
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HE transformation is mindboggling! From a reticent, softspoken 13-year-old to unleashing power and aggression on the dance floor, Sophie de Renzy’s diminutive frame takes another persona. Suddenly she is larger than life— exuding a fierce inner strength with rhythm and grace. The new routine she’s training for is mesmeric! There’s something entrancing about the way Sophie moves. It doesn’t take long to figure out why this year 9, hip hop dancer from Pakuranga College is part of the Bubblegum dance crew led by the multiple award-winning hip hop dancer and choreographer Parris Goebel. Being a part of Parris’ dancing crew at The Palace is a badge she proudly wears. Sophie unabashedly looks up to the 23-year-old hip hop champion
and choreographer known to have worked with the likes of J-Lo and Nicki Minaj. The dedicated dancer, who is young enough to be part of the junior crew, says she couldn’t stop crying when her name was announced on facebook. It was a step closer to her dreams of being a back-up dancer to Beyonce someday. Currently, Sophie has been selected to defend Bubblegum’s title of dance champions “and if we win nationally, which I think we will, we will be going to San Diego,” she says confidently. Sitting with her in the Pakuranga College dance studio are the vivacious duo, 14-year-old Morgan Buckley and 15-year-old Shalom Teikamata. Both are part of the Insseption dance crew led by Ashley Medcalfe. They are regulars at dance com-
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By FARIDA MASTER
THE young man killed in a collision in Whitford last Tuesday morning was a devoted son, brother and friend. Klay Huxtable, 28, was heading home when his grey Toyota sedan drifted across the centre line into the path of a black 4WD driven by Dr Nikki Retford on the corner of Waikopua and WhitfordMaraetai Roads just before 6am. The 35-year-old Beachlands woman’s car was largely unscathed and the mother of three was taken to Middlemore Hospital with minor injuries. A police officer on his way to work called emergency services including the Beachlands Volunteer Fire Brigade and St John Ambulance paramedics. But Mr Huxtable was pronounced dead at the scene. Counties Manukau Police’s serious crash unit is investigating the collision which resulted in road closure for nearly five hours. The eldest of three, Mr Huxtable worked in events at Vector Arena. Speaking on behalf of his family, Mr Huxtable’s younger brother Floyd Huxtable told the Times that his colleagues knew him as a dependable worker who “thrived on hard work”. The family – including partner, Pania Wirihana, brother Vinnie Wilson and mother Helen Christian – have been “hit so hard”, says Floyd. The community and friends of Mr Huxtable rallied together, gathering at his Beachlands home that he shared with Ms Wirihana and Ms Christian’s which was just down the road from her son. “Hundreds of people have stopped by to see if our family’s okay. We’ve had flowers and visits from people we haven’t seen in 10-15 years,” Floyd says. “He was an outstanding friend and was just a natural at anything. He’s one of those natural leaders that people would look to,” he says. ➤ Turn to Page 2