Young Mum Places Fake Bid To Buy World’s Oldest Hip Hop Crew

Young Mother Places Fake Bid To Buy The World’s Oldest Hip Hop Dance Group

A young mother in her early 20’s from Tauranga met the reserve price to purchase the world’s oldest hip hop dance group tonight for the sum of $353,770.

The reserve price bid, if uncontested by the time the auction closes on Wednesday 20th March, would make her the official owner and sponsor of the hip hop dance troupe consisting of 37 hip hop dancers from Waiheke Island aged 66 to 96 years old.

The dance group, called The Hip Op-eration Crew, want to travel to Las Vegas in August to do a tribute performance at the World Hip Hop Championships so are raising the money they need to get to the USA by auctioning themselves on Trade Me under the ‘Antiques and Collectables’ category.

However, the bid from a Trader called Shar2332, has turned out to be a fake bid and has been removed from the auction.

The Hip Op-eration Manager, Billie Jordan, says the fake bidder’s actions were hurtful and disappointing.

“When we saw the bid tonight we got our hopes up that the Crew’s dream to do a tribute hip hop dance performance at the World Championships in Las Vegas in August was going to come true. However, once we looked into Shar2332 and found out she was a young mother from Tauranga called Sharlayna who sold second hand books our hearts sank. We found out her cell phone number and have left messages and called her many times; but it just goes to voicemail. Thankfully Trade Me have been able to remove the fake bid so our auction can continue until the closing date of 20th March. The 29 grandmothers and great grandmothers in the Crew find it disappointing that a young woman would do this to them just for a joke,” says Jordan.

The successful buyer/sponsor of the world’s oldest dance group will get exclusive sponsorship of the Crew, the opportunity to give them a hip hop make-over and brand them, use them for free talent in television, print and radio advertising campaigns, have them perform at public or private functions and become part of the support Crew by joining them on their trip to Las Vegas.

“We are open to any type of buyer or sponsor – including an individual or organisation from overseas that could benefit from having an association with a positive and inspirational international publicity platform. Anyone who comes up with the money to buy or sponsor The Hip Op-eration Crew will also make the dreams of 37 senior citizens, who don’t have a second chance at this, come true,” says Jordan.

The Hip Op-eration Crew members include Violet, a 96 year old in a wheelchair; four people who use other types of mobility aids (including a zimmer frame and walking sticks), 14 members in their 80s and early 90s, many people who are deaf, and one member who is legally blind. The average age is 76 years old and there are eight men and 29 women in the Crew - including a mother (96 years old) and son (69 years old) and his wife (69 years old).

The Hip Op-eration Crew will be doing a tribute performance at the Auckland Regional Hip Hop Championships on Saturday 23rd March. The one and a half minute tribute performance at the Bruce Mason Theatre will be the first time the hip hop dance troupe have ever danced on a proper stage.

“The Bruce Mason Theatre is a huge stadium with lots of lights - so it will be very intimidating for the Crew. However, I know they’ll do a great job.

“One of the biggest challenges will be keeping the Crew awake until it is time for them to perform. The event is being held between 7pm and 10pm; which is bed-time for many members. It’ll also mean having to catch the 11.45pm ferry back to Waiheke Island from Auckland, so they won’t be getting home until well after midnight - making it a really huge day for our seniors. However, if they drink lots of coffee, they should be okay,” says Jordan.

Following their tribute performance on 23rd March, the next big event for the hip hop mega crew will be when they compete head-to-head against the reigning World Champions, The Royal Family on Friday 26th April at the National Hip Hop Championships. The National Hip Hop Championships will be held between 7pm and 10pm at the Victory Centre in Freemans Bay.

“They don’t expect to beat any other mega crew at the New Zealand National Championships. For them it’s more about participating and doing their best,” says Jordan.

The Crew are currently in discussions with the events organisers of the World Hip Hop Championships, Hip Hop International, to see whether they will be allowed to do a tribute performance at the competition’s events.

“If Hip Hop International does not allow The Hip Op-eration Crew to perform at any of their events, the dance group will instead, just Flash Mob different Hip Hop events and/or large audiences gathering in public places around iconic places in Hollywood and Las Vegas,” says Jordan.

The group used to be called The World’s Oldest Flash Mob and did surprise performances around Auckland throughout 2012. However, in January 2013 they set themselves up as an official Hip Hop dance group called ‘The Hip Op-eration Crew’.

A comprehensive document outlining information about buying or sponsoring The Hip Op-eration Crew can be sourced from their website at:-
www.hipop-eration.com

The Hip Op-eration Crew can also be viewed on Facebook at:-
www.facebook.com/thehipop-erationcrew

CREW

ENDS

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