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National | Arts

Waikato school students premiere "A Change in Time" production

Students from throughout the Waikato region premiered their production “A Change in Time” last night to coincide with King Tuheitia's 9th Coronation.

Through dance and music they re-created Waikato history and while the students are all first-timers to acting, they had their audience captivated from the get-go.

Waikato history, land confiscation and leadership were displayed through dance and music by the youth of Waikato.

A once devastating time for the Waikato people was portrayed with an uplifting vibe following the theme of “Happy Feet”.

Kingi Kiriona says, “I saw how easy it was for these kids to enter their roles and tell the story of the land confiscation in the context of Happy Feet.”

Young Princess Piki, a penguin who was outcast by her kind, because of her inability to sing and attract a mate, instead expressed herself through dancing.

But it wasn't all bad singing, in actual fact the production was full of natural flair.

While the messages about land confiscation were clear, the survival of Waikato history and the Māori language has a promising future.

Kiriona says, “One of the aims of Whakatipuranga 2050 is encouraging the growth, development and achievement of our youth.  So through the efforts we saw here tonight, we will achieve that.”

Young Piki returns to her people as a vibrant leader in her own right, with a voice that shocks the crowd.

The three amigos were some of the favourites of the night with their witty flair, but say they still have room for improvement.

Te Hookio Maipi says, “I think we achieved most of our expectations tonight, but there is room to develop.  There's still a lot to fix in our performance.  But it was great for our first time.”

The cast has been rehearsing for a month.  The production will run again on Friday night at Te Wharekura o Rākaumangamanga in Huntly.