Kristin School

K-Pop with Tiffany.

K-Pop classes in action. Kristin Alumni and K-Pop Tutor Rina Chae.

K-Pop Culture Thriving at Kristin

The introduction of K-Pop dance classes to its co-curricular offering has been an unparalleled success for the Kristin Dance Department this year. Influencing the popularity of this unique style of dance was welcoming global K-Pop superstar and Kristin Alumni from the class of 2001 Rina Chae to the teaching programme.

Rina is an internationally-renowned dancer and choreographer and the New Zealand queen of K-Pop. She has worked and danced all over the globe with some of the world’s hottest music artists including Beyoncé and Justin Bieber, and choreographed for K-Pop greats BoA, Stephanie Kim, SF9 and Monsta X. She runs En Beat Dance Academy on the North Shore, stars in TVNZ’s K-Pop Academy, and leads key nationwide events and festivals for K-Pop.

The phenomenal demand for K-Pop dance lessons at Kristin meant that three separate classes were established. With over 50 students from Years 9 to 13 vying for a place, the auditions were intense and Rina had her work cut out to define just two performance crews.

The purpose of these crews is to train up for performances and competitions throughout the year - Kristin’s celebrated International Peace Night (IPN) and the whole-school dance showcase Dance in the Dove being two key events to prepare for. The third class is open level, focused on developing the fundamentals of K-Pop, and growing confidence in performance and expression.

Joining Rina on her teaching team is fellow Kristin Alumni Tiffany Yeung from the class of 2018. Rounding out the accomplished tutors is Jeandre (JD) du Plooy, another top dancer of Rina’s, trained in K-Pop, Waacking and Groove Foundations. JD leads ELIT-IS, one of En Beat’s elite K-Pop groups who recently competed as finalists in the Auckland Arts Festival’s ‘K-Pop Party’. He is teaching the open-level class and has thoroughly enjoyed working with Kristin students, remarking: “It’s so awesome to see younger generations embracing K-Pop and Dance. Seeing how far K-Pop has come truly blows my mind and I’m so grateful I get to be a part of this wholesome community and teach such great students!”

Together, Rina, Tiffany and JD run a tight ship each week. All students meet in the Dance Studio for a group warm-up before dispersing into their separate training areas for drills in choreography, technique, styling and performance. In what is fast becoming a highlight of the week, the classes regroup for a showing of each other’s work. The enormous support and encouragement students display towards their peers during this showing is quite special, with the Dance Studio filled with cheers and calls of genuine awe and appreciation.

This unique K-Pop culture has not gone unnoticed by students, with Year 10 dancer Nicole Wong stating, “K-Pop class has been a thrilling opportunity for me to explore and appreciate this genre. The atmosphere is always so encouraging and fun to be in - I’m always looking forward to the next session! With a great dance group and supportive tutors, K-Pop at Kristin has been an exceptionally fulfilling experience.”

The K-Pop culture at Kristin has developed in such a short time and is truly incredible to witness. The students cheer each other on, and wholeheartedly support each and every performer, regardless of year level, dance experience or degree of confidence. I’m so proud of what we’re creating here and cannot wait to see these amazing young people light up the stage later this term. Teresa Lauago, K-Pop Manager and Curriculum Leader of Dance

Education beyond the classroom – Kristin’s Electives Programme

Every year, Kristin’s Year 7 and 8 students take part in an Electives programme; an exciting day of activities for students outside the classroom. Kristin School has been offering Electives for 14 years and each year, new and exciting ideas are added to the programme. Activities are both on and off site, and embrace the expertise of our teachers as well as external providers. The aim is for students to choose something that they have never tried before, step out of their comfort zone to embark upon something new.

I really enjoyed learning how to do Anime and Manga Drawing as our teacher was very inspirational and taught in a creative fun way. He also taught me to draw in a completely different way – it was all based on science. – Austin

In 2021, we offered 19 activities to all 300 students, who were allocated one of their top three selections. We strive to include a variety of activities to cater for all interests, and this years lineup included a Cultural Extravaganza, Xtreme Sport (Boxing/Bouldering), Ice Cream Experience, Windsurfing/ Sup/Sailing, Extreme Survival Challenge, Anime and Manga Drawing Workshop, Science and Technology at Motat, Surfing, Mountain Biking, Tree Adventures, MasterChef, Tramp with the Gramp, Basketball Swish Factory, Jewellery Making and Zoo Keeper for a day. There is something for everyone!

Electives 2021 was a successful day out, away from the routine of the classroom where new skills and new friends were made. Many students would have been excited to share their experiences over the weekend with their parents, and the Year 7s will be looking ahead to see what will be on offer for 2022! Electives day shows true Kristin spirit and teamwork at its very best.

Making a difference... One meal at a time

The Year 9-10 Events Leadership Team (Ronald McDonald House Team) continued a long tradition dating back 15 years of the team going to Ronald McDonald House to prepare and cook a meal for the families staying at the house.

It was made even more special by being the first dinner hosted at Ronald McDonald House since the first Covid-19 lockdown in 2020. This small service by the students brought to life the Middle Student leadership philosophy that leadership is not about having a 'title', it is demonstrated with an action that benefits the people you are serving.