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Kapa haka group practises for first-ever public performance in Kerikeri

Sophia Thomas and Rawi Pere lead the group in a practice session. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf A kapa group with a difference is practising furiously for its first-ever public performance in Kerikeri this Matariki weekend. Ngāti Rēhia Community Kapa Haka is unusual in that most of its 40-odd members have never done kapa haka before - or if they did, it was decades ago in primary school. The group's a mix of Māori and Pākehā of all ages, with a sprinkling of other nationalities such as Sir Lankan, Irish and German. All they had in common when they started eight weeks ago was a love of kapa haka and a desire to learn more about te ao Māori [the Māori world]. It's an initiative by Bay of Islands hapū Ngāti Rēhia to give all nationalities a chance to experience Māori performing arts and expand their te reo. Every member has a different reason for joining the group. For Tara Forsyth, it was the chance to reconnect with her culture. "But doing it away from my whānau so I can mess up without them all laughing at me," she said. "I've also got three young kids who've really embraced te reo at school, so I figured that I need to up my game. The kids laughed at me when I said I was doing this. So I'm out to prove them wrong as well, that mama can do it." As for Jacqui Cox, her mother was barred from speaking te reo at school, and she was part of the generation that grew up without the language. Now the newly retired Whangārei Hospital nurse was finally making up for lost time. "I decided to make a retirement bucket list. And at the top of that list was kapa haka. It's something I've wanted to do for a long, long time, so here I am, and I'm loving it," she said. Learning the poi is one of the biggest challenges in the Ngāti Rēhia Community Kapa Haka programme. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Anna Dadson said she worked alone in her landscaping business, so she was looking for connection. "I've been craving team and community, and kapa haka appealed because it was out of my comfort zone so it's a challenge for myself to practise practising … and just coming together as a collective to sing and create joy and harmony just feeds my heart." Blake Nock, who last did kapa haka as a schoolboy, said he wanted to rejuvenate the mauri [life force] within himself. "But also to get another haka under my belt. I love it. I love the energy and the mauri that it gives me." Amanda Bates joined up because she wasn't sure she'd get another chance like it, given "the way things are shifting in Aotearoa". She also wanted to set an example for her children. "I wanted to show my kids that it's never too late to step up, give something a go, and be proud of who we are. Being part of kapa haka helps me support them when they come home from kura with their own waiata, so we're learning and growing together in te Ao Māori." Ngāti Rēhia Community Kapa Haka founder Rawi Pere is the heart of the eight-week programme. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Tash Wharerau was raised in a religion where kapa haka was effectively forbidden, so she was also making up for lost time. "But mostly I just love to sing. I love waiata and I wanted the chance to learn kapa haka. Ngāti Rehia are very gentle and welcoming and all-encompassing of everybody." Eighty-year-old Neil Hawkins, the oldest member of the group, was also motivated by a love of singing. He joined with his wife, Maureen, and refused to miss a session even as he was recovering from surgery. "We never had music in our family growing up, we never sang. So we're having a late run at getting into music in our golden years," he said. Guitar maestro Danny Kaiawe - who once played in a heavy metal band - says he tries to bring his own unique style to kapa haka. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Meanwhile, for Penelope Kavanagh, kapa haka was not just a way to reconnect with te ao Māori, but also with her childhood and with New Zealand. She grew up a Pākehā child opposite a marae in Pungarehu, Taranaki, where she was welcomed with open arms. The family later moved to Australia, but after 40 years she felt the call to come home. "I used to pop over to the marae every day on my horse and take part in the culture. It was so much fun and I learnt so much. One of the things I wanted to do when I got home was reconnect with Māori culture because it was such a wonderful memory of my childhood. It really enriched me," she said. The kapa haka novices had just eight weeks to learn a programme of challenging choral pieces, action songs, poi and a specially composed haka. Tara Forsyth said it was tough juggling practice sessions with running a busy café in Kerikeri and raising a family. "It's been amazing but daunting. I've had a few moments where I kind of doubted that I should be here. I didn't realise the commitment would be as big as it is, but in saying that, it's very worthwhile." Tutor and motivator-in-chief Sophia Thomas describes herself as the glue holding the programme together. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Tutor Sophia Thomas said she enjoyed watching the tauira [learners] as confusion was replaced by the "lightbulb moment" when they suddenly mastered the songs and actions. "A lot of our whānau have spoken about their tamariki being the driving force of them joining this roopu [group], to learn more reo Māori, to immerse themselves in a kaupapa that the kids love to do at school … But the joy that we see and the enlightenment that our whānau get, there's just no words to explain." Practising the poi. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf The group was founded by Ngāti Rehia's Rawi Pere, who said she wanted to give all nationalities a chance to experience kapa haka and embrace te reo Māori. It was the second year the programme had been run, with participants paying what they could afford, to a maximum of $200, and the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board also providing funding. She expected the performers would feel nervous once they saw the size of the audience at the Turner Centre on Sunday evening. "But then adrenaline will come in and they'll be fine, because we'll be doing it as a kapa haka whānau," she said. Amanda Bates confirmed the pre-show nerves, but also said the past eight weeks had been life-changing. "It's been miharo [amazing]. It's filled my wairua in a way that I didn't really even know was missing, the support and the laughs and the shared purpose. I'm grateful to be part of something that's big for my reo, my culture, but also my sense of belonging." * Ngāti Rēhia Community Kapa Haka will perform a one-off Matariki show at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri from 6pm on 22 June, together with Pacific dance-theatre Shapes in the Clouds and the Vanuatu String Band. Only a handful of the pay-what-you-choose tickets were left as of Wednesday night. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.