Question 1

Who are Hī Hā school productions for?

Accepted Answer

All our shows are created especially for New Zealand primary and intermediate schools. They are graded as most suitable for junior or senior syndicates, or can be performed by the whole school.

Question 2

What makes Hī Hā school productions different?

Accepted Answer

They are movement based and include choreographed dance videos. Our shows are all-Kiwi and NZ curriculum-friendly, with easy Māori language, culture and history interwoven throughout.

Question 3

Who makes your productions?

Accepted Answer

Hī Hā is a collaboration between kids' dance teacher/choreographer Lleuarne Panoho and children's author Sally Sutton.

Question 4

What do we get?

Accepted Answer

Purchasing a school production gives you access to fully choreographed dance videos tailored to your show, a pdf copy of the script and instructions and/or videos for simple costume ideas.

Question 5

What do you mean by 'movement-based'?

Accepted Answer

Not just our dances, but our scripts too are designed to get tamariki moving. This may be anything from physical action in the script, to action-based rhymes, to StoryDances.

Question 6

What is a StoryDance?

Accepted Answer

Some of our productions have pre-recorded audio where kids move freely to the story. This technique is especially good for engaging younger tamariki and allows for a more detailed script, while cutting down on rehearsal time and line-learning. It's also great fun!

Question 7

Do we have to sing?

Accepted Answer

As our shows are movement-based, singing is not usually required. However, some of the songs are easy to sing along to if desired. We’ve provided the lyrics for the songs that are available. Some songs also have options for songs and/or your own kapa haka item.

Question 8

How do I find out more about your shows?

Accepted Answer

Just click on each production on our home page.

Question 9

I can't decide which production to choose - what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Please contact us to discuss which show would work best for you - we're happy to help!

Question 10

Are music rights for public performance included?

Accepted Answer

No, schools should hold the standard One Music School's Licence. Most schools ready have this.

Question 11

How do we play the songs for performances?

Accepted Answer

Songs can be streamed directly from our website - however, to avoid any internet connection issues, we highly recommend downloading the songs on Spotify or similar (just search the song title or artist).

Question 12

We are a small/rural school. Can we still do a show?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! We have discounts for small/rural schools. Please contact us with roll numbers.

Question 13

Is cast size flexible?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our plays consist of dance groups plus main characters. Numbers within dance groups can be scaled up or down, or groups can be combined as desired. For details on main characters, see demos on our Productions page.

Question 14

Are the productions hard/expensive to stage?

Accepted Answer

No. Costumes are easy, there are minimal props and no fancy backdrops are required. You can make your show as simple or elaborate as you wish!

Question 15

What is the run time?

Accepted Answer

Run times vary from show to show and depend on cast size, staging etc. Most should be around an hour - some a little shorter, some a little longer.

Question 16

How long does it take to rehearse a production?

Accepted Answer

It depends entirely on you! Some schools begin a year in advance for a highly polished show; others rehearse and perform within the same term. The more your practise, the better you'll be!

Question 17

Our school has signed up. How do our teachers log in?

Accepted Answer

We will contact you with your password. For school productions, click on the name of your production under 'Productions' on the menu bar. You will be directed to a 'Guest Area'. Enter the password for your production. For Assembly Items, you will be sent an email with password.

Question 18

What if our school wants to repeat a production we've done previously?

Accepted Answer

Access to your production is valid for one year after purchase. If you would like to do the same production in a different year, we ask that you re-purchase. Assess to Assembly Items is valid for six months.

Question 19

I still have questions! Who do I ask?

Accepted Answer

Please contact Sally: sally@hiha.co.nz.  We would love to hear from you!

Frequently Asked Questions