Te Ao Haka

Course Description

What is Te Ao Haka about?

Te Ao Haka is a culturally responsive art form, providing opportunities for all ākonga to engage in Māori culture, language, and traditional practice. Te Ao Haka is founded on traditional knowledge, but is progressive in the development and evolution of the art form.

Intrinsic to Te Ao Haka are culture, language and identity. Te Ao Haka is a vehicle used to wananga and communicate culture, tikanga, knowledge systems, and iwi traditions. Te Ao Haka is enabling and centres around the importance of family, marae, iwi, hapu, and waka through connection with the past, present and future. This belonging gives ākonga a purpose to strive towards and achieve to their full potential, including empowering them to have fun and enjoy the performing arts.

Ākonga who engage with Te Ao Haka recognise that pride in their culture also comes with a responsibility in that culture and to create a positive space for others to continue expressing themselves in developing their craft. Therefore, ākonga are able to understand their contributions to the art form.

Key Competencies in Te Ao Haka

● Students of Te Ao Haka develop a range of skills and dispositions that enable them to become life-long learners and equip them for future success.

● Te Ao Haka embodies several dispositions, giving ākonga the opportunity to grow into proud, confident, disciplined, resilient, accountable, hardworking, committed, humble leaders who are able to work collaboratively. The skills of manaaki, tiaki, aroha, whakapono, aumangea, tiaki wā, and tōngakingaki will provide lifelong learning for ākonga.

● For many learners, Te Ao Haka provides access to Te Reo Māori that they have not previously had. Te Ao Haka encourages and facilitates learning about reo āwaha as well as reo ā-tinana, allowing students to expand their skills as communicators.

● Te Ao Haka offers a variety of opportunities for students to nurture and grow their leadership skills. Te Ao Haka requires and supports many different types of leadership, both on and off stage. This gives ākonga the chance to explore and exemplify leadership.

● Te Ao Haka requires self-discipline, hard work and dedication. Students in this subject develop a strong work ethic, resilience, perseverance, and problem-solving skills.

● Whanaungatanga is embodied within the work of Te Ao Haka. Students learn about each other, create important bonds, and learn to co-operate and work together.

● As with any arts practice, Te Ao Haka fosters creativity and expression. Students will learn and grow as performers as well as fostering their lateral and critical thinking skills.

Learning Pathway

Te Ao Haka provides ākonga with opportunities both within and outside of the subject. The development of Te Ao Haka skills provides lifelong learning, and creates viable career pathways that lead on to further studies, in areas such as theatre, TV and film, the tourism industry, or government.

Te Ao Haka provides opportunities for all ākonga to develop as global citizens and promote te ao Māori on a global stage, through performances both to visitors to Aotearoa New Zealand, and abroad. This provides the opportunity for Māori culture to be a model for indigenous cultures across the world, giving relevance and value not only to itself, but to others too.

Prerequisite

Due to limited numbers, students may be asked to audition for entry into this course. 

Assessment

NCEA Level 1, 2 and 3 Standards.