OUR TRUST

The Urban Dance Youth Trust (The Trust) was incorporated under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957 on 18th April 2011 number 254506 and registered with the Charities Commission as a charitable entity under the Charities Act 2005 on 30 June 2011 number CC46722.

The aim of The Trust is to provide education, activities and services for the benefit of youth, and the wider community, in the art of dance, specifically Hip Hop, which will provide opportunities for young people to grow, develop, create and express themselves through dance.

The Trust seeks to present opportunities to empower the youth of today by using dance as a vehicle for personal development and achievement, hauora (physical, mental, social, and spiritual health and well being) work ethics, life lessons, leadership and team skills. Research confirms that youth benefit from being involved in this positive dance scene, which can give them the sense of belonging and identity they require.

Important life skills about teamwork, responsibility, time management and budgeting improve their self esteem; they learn to contribute and express themselves in positive ways and improve their behaviour and social interaction at school and in the wider community.

Formation and participation in a performance dance crew; involvement in teaching, music editing, choreography, costume and set design, workshops, event management and adjudication is how they practice discipline, improve capability, make friends, and build relationships.

Although aiming to benefit youth, the Trust targets all ages, genders and cultures, from all socio economic backgrounds in the Tauranga Te Puke area and the greater Bay of Plenty. These include teachers, students, schools, sports, cultural and corporate events, the music industry, health boards and local councils as well as professional businesses, accommodation providers and supporting retail outlets. The Trust also currently provides part time work for three senior teachers under the mentoring programme, crew development and assisting with Company rehearsals.

Some of the proven indicators that dance performance provides immense social and educational benefits include: development of self discipline, increased self esteem, improved social skills, increased motivation, better family and other adult relationships, more positive and less resistant peer interaction, improved academic achievement and reduced truancy.

Meet our Trustees

Kenneth Brown Trustee

Arriving in Tauranga from the Hawkes Bay as a six year old, Kenneth attended school in Otumoetai until his final year, which he spent at Auckland Grammar.

After some overseas travel, and a good working holiday around New Zealand, Kenneth signed up with the Territorial Army, eventually retiring as Lieutenant Colonel and a former Commanding Officer of the local Hauraki Regiment, 34 years later. He is a past president and current treasurer of the BOP Officers Club.

After a spell in insurance with AMP he then worked as a management trainee at Westfield Freezing Works in Auckland for three years in the 1970s, studying part time for a BCom degree at Auckland University, and graduating in 1981, by which time he had married.

Kenneth worked in insolvency and audit at Deloittes in the 1980s in Auckland and Melbourne before joining Peat Marwick Mitchell (now KPMG) back in Tauranga in 1987 – in time for the sharemarket crash!

After 10 years with KPMG he took a year off to act as a military observer in Lebanon and the Golan Heights. Returning to KPMG in 2001, he was invited to join what was then Rodewald Hart and Associates Limited.

Ken’s Insolvency skills were honed in Auckland, Melbourne and Tauranga with the Big 4 firms, but only after he had experienced the business world first hand.

Kenneth currently enjoys supporting local junior rugby as honorary auditor for the Tauranga Rugby Sports JMC and is also the current treasurer for the local branch of the National Party.

Sharon Martin Trustee

Sharon has personal and teaching experience in social and competitive Latin American, Ballroom, Jazz & Contemporary dance styles and brings years of production experience in performance and theatre, as well as being a past delegate for the Wellington and Manawatu regions for the Performing Arts Competitions Association of New Zealand Inc. (PACANZ).

Sharon has coached netball to Premiere grade and both artistic and rhythmic gymnastics and has a passion for all aspects of dance, not least the personal and community benefits.

With a strong background in public service, insolvency accounting and business management practices as her career background, Sharon was also a partner in a successful motel business in Mount Maunganui.

Monique Nee Nee Trustee

Fakaalofa lahi atu, Talofa lava, Kia Ora and a big hello!

My name is Monique Nee Nee and it is with great privilege that I serve as a trustee on the Urban Dance Youth Trust.

I am 34 years of age and have been the sole director of a small landscape business here in the sunny Bay of Plenty for the past 12 years.

I like to think of myself as a well-managed extrovert who enjoys working with (or on) effective management structures and thinking outside the square. I enjoy working with others and also enjoy knuckling down on my own.

My professional and educational background includes university/tertiary qualifications in business management and landscape design.

My experience includes my current positions on a number of trust boards (some multi-million), not-for-profit community organisations and government/community steering/focus groups with a core focus on increasing capabilities for Maori and Pacifika people.

As a board member, I bring to the table: life experience (single teen Mum who got educated and started her own business), reality, innovation, cultural understanding from a Pacifika and Maori persons perspective and applicable practice management.

Statement: I believe in Urban Dance's committed dream of providing a place where young people can come and express themselves in a positive atmosphere through hip hop urban dance.