Cook Island Group
The Cook Island group is comprised of students from Years 9-13 who express their culture through traditional song and dance, accompanied by drums and the ukelele.
The group perform each year at Auckland’s Polyfest competition in March. At this festival, the Cook Island group perform six items composed by the tutors which are based on the Polyfest theme: “Me tika to’ou kaveinga, ka autu koe” which simply translates as “It’s not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves.”
These items are:
- Kapa Rima (Action Song),
- Ute (Traditional hymn),
- Peu Tupuna (Legend),
- Imene Tuki (Traditional church song)
- Rangatira (Male leader chant)
- Ura Pa’u (Drum dance)
The main colours of the group’s costumes are brown, black and white: the brown signifying our ancestors/history and the black and white signifying Avondale College.
Practises are held each day at lunchtime and after school during February and March.
Teacher in Charge: Ms Suriya Wilson