My beautiful Cambodian ‘Tiny Toones’ ( hip hop centre working with street kids) family with founder ‘KK’ at the head, and I went to Auckland to tour their self-choreographed life stories of poverty, addiction, broken families and of course hope against all odds.

We performed at numerous high schools in poorer areas and met with similar centres to our centre in Cambodia. The aim of the trip was to meet with teenagers who understand hardship and share stories of hope and recovery through conversation and through hip hop and breakdance. The trip was a great success. Pain and recovery, shattered dreams and new hope are themes that cross all language and cultural barriers. I was the speaker at all of these events – the explanation in English, the intro to my dancers, to their stories. Hip hop was the real voice.