Meet the Artists: Projekt Team, the masterminds behind Pick & Battle

et ready we have a special treat for you, we sat down with the wonderful masterminds behind one of the most inventive family friendly, New Zealand street dance battles around – Projekt Team. Read on and hear what inspires and drives them and most importantly what music they're vibing. Check it out.

Villa Lemanu

Introduce yourself, your practice and your connection to music?
Malo lava, my name is Villa Junior Lemanu. I’m a dancer and proud member of Projekt Team. I’ve always been around music - from growing up around traditional Samoan music, to hymns at church, to trading popular music with friends in school and delving into new genres and artists daily. I have a deep love for music. 

Who or what inspires you in music?
This constantly changes all the time for me. Most recently, listening to movie scores has been really inspiring. 

What's the hardest thing about what you do?
Staying the course. As a freelance performer, constantly working towards paid work that is worth the amount of hours put in is difficult to maintain. It’s not impossible but it takes a lot of self-confidence, patience, future planning and great networking skills to keep up this lifestyle. The art to me is the fun part, it’s the business aspect I find difficult. 

What local or international musicians have inspired you to be a musician/dancer?
Well I have vivid memories growing up watching Michael Jackson music videos. I’m one of the many people that were inspired to moonwalk after watching him.

What's the best advice you've ever recieved?
“In a world full of lies, you owe it to yourself to be honest with yourself.” Something along the lines of that.

What got you started in your music/dancing career?
What got me into taking dance a bit more seriously was having my older cousin (who was a dancer) teach me when I was 12. Not only did he give me confidence, I felt like I really could take it further and I fell in love with the art of it all

What's the best music gig you've seen this year?
I unfortunately haven’t been to any this year haha. Maybe ask me at the end of the year.

What makes a great album in your opinion?
For me, it would be the subject matter, the instrumentation, and the cohesiveness of the album. But that’s just me, musicians might have a better answer than mine. 

Why is music important to you?
Because I’ve seen what it’s capable of. Like sure, you can create cool shapes and aesthetics in dance but when you connect it with other elements i.e. music, or lighting, or setting, or add props, you can really transport an audience somewhere else. You can make them reflect on topics, remind them of certain feelings that the weight of mere words can’t express. I’ve seen dance make people cry. I’ve seen people cry dancing. It’s not just important to me, it’s become a part of living.  

Tell us more about your upcoming project/show.
‘Pick & Battle’ is a fun free event where some of NZ’s most talented street-style dancers will be battling it out to NZ homegrown music - which is chosen by the audience! What a great way to celebrate NZ music this month with your family. 

What can audiences expect from the project/show?
Some good fun, great music and even better dance moves!

What advice would you give to an up-and-coming NZ musician/dancer?
The first step is always the hardest. And majority of the time, the first step is to just ‘start’. Get involved! Come and meet the dancers and organizers of the event. We’d love to chat. 

What do you love most about performing in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland?
It’s the people. And not just the quality of the dancers here, but the genuine sense of community. When you find a good circle of people who actually care about you, it goes beyond dance and that’s why I love it here.

MYKE DAVIS HOEFT

Introduce yourself, your practice and your connection to music?
Kia Ora my name is Mikal Ngatai Davis Hoeft (aka Matua Myke) and my connection to music is through movement/dance.

Who or what inspires you in music?
My household growing up was full of different genres of music but my father was heavily influenced by Hip Hop culture and basketball so I heard a lot of East Coast Hip Hop (Notorious B.I.G, Wu Tang Clan,Nas) these musicians are my influences. 

What's the hardest thing about what you do?
Trying to go to extreme lengths to see how far I can make my body go while balancing music theory in front of thousands of people.

What local or international musicians have inspired you 5. to be a musician/dancer?
Tyler the Creator the one trait I love about his work is that he himself and he’s unique I try and adopt his sense of style in my work to try remain authentic.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? 
One step at a time can create stairs that’ll last a lifetime, elevators can break at any second.

What got you started in your music/dancing career?
Bring It On (secondary school dance competition) 2009.

What’s the best music gig you’ve seen this year? 
Tyler the Creator Spark Arena (Call Me If You Get Lost Tour)

What makes a great album in your opinion?
Storytelling and telling the audience something real.

Why is music/dancing important to you?
It helps me understand myself more ! The more time I train the more time I get to understand my body, my mind.

Tell us about your upcoming project/show. 
A exchange of energy on a dance floor something you won’t want to miss.

What can audiences expect from the project/show? 
Don’t blink you won’t want to miss a moment, dancers have the ability to show you something you’ve never seen before.

What advice would you give to an up and coming NZ musician/dancer? 
The word Start has the word “art” in it, so go start some art.

What do you love most about performing in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland?
Having local people in Auckland be inspired by people from Auckland it’s a full 360 moment because one day the one inspired will be the one performing.

MELE TAPUELUELU

Introduce yourself, your practice and your connection with music?
- MELE TAPUELUELU, TONGAN AND FROM THE 275. I PRACTICE IN SERVING GOD AND OTHERS AND IM BLESSED TO DO THAT THROUGH THE ARTS BUT MAINLY DANCE AND MUSIC. I WAS BROUGHT UP WITH MUSIC, MY DAD HEAVILY ENCOURAGED ALL MY SIBLINGS AND I TO PLAY A BRASS INSTRUMENT FROM A YOUNG AGE TO LEAD AND BE PART OF THE CHURCH BAND. I BELIEVE HE DID THAT BECAUSE MUSIC TOOK HIM PLACES AND GAVE HIM AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES WHILE HE WAS LIVING IN THE ISLANDS AND HE WANTED US TO DO THE SAME. MY CONNECTION TO MUSIC IS THAT ITS PART OF WHO I AM [✨]

Who or what inspires you in music?
MY FAMILY & PEOPLE WHO MAKE GOOD MUSIC.

What’s the hardest thing about what you do? 
THE HARDEST THING ABOUT WHAT I DO IS HAVING COURAGE TO CONTINUOUSLY PUSH LIMITS AND BOUNDARIES.

What local or international musicians have inspired you.
CHURCH MUSOS
SCHOOL MUSOS
OOH ADAM BLACKSTONE 
DANCE WISE, I WOULD SAY FAMILY AND MOVIES LIKE RIZE, U GOT SERVED ETC.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? 
GOD LOVES YOU.

What got you started in your music/dancing career?
FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

What’s the best music gig you’ve seen this year? 
THIS YEAR, RADIKAL FORZE.

What makes a great album in your opinion?
A GOOD STORY AND GOOD MELODY.

Why is music/dancing important to you?
ITS PART OF HOW I GET TO EXPRESS MY OWN STORY.

Tell us about your upcoming project/show. 
ITS A CHANVE TO SHOWCASE STREETDANCE TO A DIFFERENT AUDIENCE AND TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING LOCAL CREATIVES TO DO WHAT THEY DO BEST.

What can audiences expect from the project/show? 
A GOOD TIME.

What advice would you give to an up and coming NZ musician/dancer? 
NEVER STOP DREAMING AND KEEP IT GOING.

What do you love most about performing in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland?
ITS HOME TO ME.

SEIDAH TUAOI

Introduce yourself, your practice and your connection with music?
Hi! My name is Seidah Tuaoi, I am a dancer/teacher and I enjoy all types of music from gospel to Hip Hop to Pacific to homegrown music! 

Who or what inspires you in music?
Love listening to different types of music and sounds. I can remember listening to and watching MJ music videos as a kid and being inspired to perform!

What’s the hardest thing about what you do? 
Balancing work full time as a teacher and doing all the creative things & travelling.

What local or international musicians have inspired you to be a musician/dancer?
My family band Revere, are an inspiration to me! This group consisted of my cousin Tatupu, Petaia, and myself - together we released an album back in May 2018, in honour of NZ music month! Homegrown music such as Che-fu, Aarahdna, Nesian Mystik, NOE! 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? 
Work hard and stay humble! 

What got you started in your music/dancing career?
Being exposed to different types of music, performances in church and family events!

What makes a great album in your opinion?
When there’s a narrative throughout and good catchy beats to move to!

Why is music/dancing important to you?
It’s a tool for creative expression, a way to tell stories, and a great way to gather people together.

Tell us about your upcoming project/show. 
I’ll be performing with Ta’alili in a show called Manu Malo early June! It features dancers and music from New Zealand, Pasifika, and Germany. 

What can audiences expect from the project/show? 
Some awesome ART! 

What advice would you give to an up and coming NZ musician/dancer? 
Get involved as much as you can and learn from others! 

What do you love most about performing in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland?
Lots of opportunities to learn, perform, watch and attend events!

SEJOO HAN

Introduce yourself, your practice and your connection with music?
my name is Sejoo Han. I am a dancer from Projekt team. I was an acoustic singer before I started dancing. I love music with soul and my musical taste definitely shows influences the way I move to this day. 

Who or what inspires you in music?
The artist’s feeling they put it the music whether it’s the lyrics or the way their voice sounds. I try to match how the singer sings on how they dance. 

What’s the hardest thing about what you do? 
Hardest thing for me in what I do is continuously being creative. With the revolution of technology there are many resources available but to ignore this influence and truly create your own is still a challenge I face eveyday. 

What local or international musicians have inspired you 5. to be a musician/dancer?
Kpop artists like Rain and Jay park opened my eyes in dance when I was young my influence in music came in watching movies like camp rock and high school musical as a young person. Watching street dancers dancing popping (auckland popping community) is what got me into doing the dance that i do now. 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? 
Learn how to say no. 

What got you started in your music/dancing career?
My dance career started without me knowing but I guess I fell in love with the art form and I continued to enter battles and teach and somehow got my name out there in the dance scene and it started from a hobby to a career in a smooth form. 

What’s the best music gig you’ve seen this year? 
Ed sheeran Live! In new zealand.

What makes a great album in your opinion?
If every song is worth listening to. Not just the title songs. 

Why is music/dancing important to you?
Because life is boring and once you get older it gets repetitive and everyone chases similar things like money/corporate ladder. Dance and music makes life interesting and it’s an escape from reality. 

Tell us about your upcoming project/show. 
Battlegrounds nz and hopefully Ko Au again 

What can audiences expect from the project/show? 
High quality dance battle from experienced dancer 

What advice would you give to an up and coming NZ musician/dancer? 
Never give up. Everyone starts somewhere and people give up along the way. It’s not about how good you are it’s about how long you can last. 

What do you love most about performing in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland?
The best city where the different culture breathes. I love sharing my art to different audiences