Supreme Winner - NEXT Woman of the Year 2016

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2016

Supreme Winner - NEXT Woman of the Year 2016

With no experience in either dance or working with the elderly, Billie Jordan decided to set up The Hip Op-eration Crew, officially recognised as the world’s oldest dance crew – and in turn created a global movement to break down the stigma of ageing and help give seniors a new lease of life. It’s for her enthusiasm and dedication to leading this revolution that Billie has been named Supreme Winner of the NEXT Woman of the Year Awards in association with Pandora.

With a background in public relations, Billie had moved to Christchurch for a fresh start when the devastating 2011 earthquake hit. Suffering from post-traumatic stress, she headed north to Waiheke and found herself isolated in a new community, where she reached out to the local elderly. She needed friends, they needed a project, so she decided to create the world’s oldest flash mob. It was a runaway success, so Billie then went on to create The Hip Op-eration Crew. She had never taught hip hop before and the ages in her crew ranged from late 60s to early 90s. But that wasn’t going to stop anyone.

“I didn’t mark their progress by how good their dancing was getting, I marked it by how much their confidence was improving,” Billie says. “People would say, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter if they don’t make it to the world champs, as long as they’re getting out of the house.’ And I thought, ‘You wouldn’t say that to someone training to be an All Black, would you?’”

Billie is now expanding her Hip Op-eration Dance Academy internationally, so that other ageing communities can join this dance revolution. But hip hop is just the vehicle, she believes. The real message that Hip Op-eration is sending is that there’s no age limit on achieving goals or stepping outside of your comfort zone.

“I don’t have a background in old people, or dancing, or raising money. You don’t need anything to make a difference in someone’s life; you don’t need resources or sponsors. You just need to care.”

The Honourable Louise Upston, Minister for Women; CEO of Xero Rod Drury; and Seven Sharp presenter Toni Street joined NEXT Editorial Director Sarah Henry on the judging panel for 2016 NEXT Woman of the Year.

The panel congratulates Billie on her success and contribution to an overlooked community.
“There’s a reason Billie and her Hip Op-eration Crew have inspired the world with their story,” Sarah Henry says. “She’s proof you don’t need to wait for funding or have previous experience to start a joyful revolution.”

Billie, who also took out the Arts & Culture category, received her NEXT Woman of the Year Supreme Award tonight at a star-studded ceremony held in Auckland.

The full list of category winners:

Community: Dale Nirvani Pfeifer – the founder of GoodWorld, a software company that enables instant donations via social media.

Education: Anne Gaze – CEO of Campus Link, where top students tutor high school students during the school holidays, and co-ordinator of the Feuerstein Cognitive Intervention programme in New Zealand.

Business & Innovation: Victoria Ransom – co-founder/CEO of Wildfire Interactive, a social media marketing software company.

Sport: Trina Tamati – Tournament CEO of the NRL Nines.

Health & Science: Professor Merryn Gott, Te Arai Palliative Care and End of Life Research Group.

About the NEXT Woman of the Year Awards in association with Pandora
The awards are run by NEXT magazine and are now in their seventh year. They are the first of their kind to recognise New Zealand women in six distinct fields: Health and Science, Arts and Culture, Sport, Business and Innovation, Education and Community. The awards are sponsored by Pandora Jewellery and are held annually.

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