AROHA DANCE

kō Pūtauaki te Maunga

kō Rangitai ki te Awa

kō Ngāti Awa ki Rangitaiki te iwi

kō Mātaatua te waka

kō Nga Maihi te Hapū

kō Peter Rakanui tōku Tāne

He kaiako āhau kei roto i Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu

kō Aroha Rakanui āhau

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Kia ora, I'm Aroha, I am a Dance teacher, resource creator, and content specialist for Aroha Dance. My journey in dance education has been incredibly fulfilling, and I've had the privilege of working with various institutions to promote the art of dance. I am currently working at Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (The Correspondence School) as a resource developer. In this role, I am involved in creating the Level one Dance program, and I am excited to commence the development of the Te Ao Haka Level 1 course for 2024, alongside my team.

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I have a dance background is in Ballet, Kapahaka, Contemporary, Jazz, Cook Island and Samoan cultural dance. After completing a diploma in Fashion and Design, I went on to pursue my Bachelor of Performing & Screen Arts with a major in Dance at Unitec, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Secondary Teaching at the Epsom campus, which is now Auckland University.

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My teaching career began at Onehunga High School, this experience paved the way for new opportunities, leading me to take up the role of Head of Dance at Botany Downs Secondary College, where I served from 2006 to 2019. Throughout my journey, I have accumulated two decades of enriching experience in dance education within the New Zealand educational system.

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In 2020, during the challenges of the Covid-19 lockdown, I was to create Aroha Dance. With one simple goal: to develop affordable, digital and interactive resources to support my fellow dance teachers who, like me, face the daily academic and physical demands in the classroom.

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Through Aroha Dance, my aim is to bring added value to dance teaching programs by providing educators with valuable resources that save precious time while enhancing the classroom experience. I am genuinely excited to witness the magic that teachers and their akōnga (learners) will create using these resources, as they bring their unique visions to life.

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Hāpaitia te arā tika pūmau ai tē rangatiratanga mō ngā uri whakatipu

Foster the pathway of knowledge to strength, independence,

and growth for future generations.

 

Aroha🌺

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