Brothers win big on world hip-hop dance stage

Raūl and Riān Gounder placed third worldwide with their brotherly duo performance. By Carlos Norton, AUT Journalism Student A young brotherly duo who represented New Zealand on the global dance stage claimed podium finishes in two categories including a coveted gold. Pakuranga College pupils Raūl and Riān Gounder earned the right to compete at the Hip Hop Unite World Championships in Portugal after placing first in this country’s qualifiers. At only 13 years old, Riān has also placed first in the 2024 Youth Battle World Championship, a one-on-one dance battle where he edged out a South African opponent for the gold. Despite his young age, he’s been competing for years, although this experience was unlike any other. “The whole thing went so fast,” he says. “It’s really different because the stage is about three times bigger, the crowd’s bigger, the music’s really loud and only around 20 people from New Zealand went.” Downplaying his accomplishments, Riān points out how the experience will help push him even further. “All the judges and people who entered the battles had a lot of experience. “As a dancer, it was great to look up to [them] because I could take bits and learn from...