Parris Goebel

The youngest of four children born to a Pākehā father, Brett, and a Sāmoan mother, LeeAnn, Parris struggled with her identity growing up. She identifies herself as ‘afakasi’ – a Sāmoan word that is a transliteration of ‘half caste’ – and she was one of the only Polynesian girls in her year at school. It wasn’t until she transferred to an all-girls school with more Polynesian students that she started to find her feet.

By this time, she’d been dancing for almost half her life, finding an affinity for Hip Hop at 10, inspired by Missy Elliott, Michael Jackson, and Beyoncé videos.

“I loved the sounds, the lightness, the music, and the freedom of it. I knew I’d found my calling,” she says.

At 15, supported by her parents, Parris dropped out of school, and formed the dance group ReQuest, practising in her aunt’s garage. Inspired by MTV and YouTube videos, she taught herself and her crew how to move, and after a year practising together, they fundraised and competed at Hip Hop International, a global dance competition known as ‘the Olympics of Hip Hop’ featuring dancers from more than 55 countries. It wasn’t long before they were winning gold medals and attracting the attention of high-profile artists.

“When you’re 15 and you don’t go to school, you have all the free time in the world. It made me really determined: I’ve gotten rid of my gateway to education. All I could do now was something with my talent,” Parris says.

In 2009, when Parris was 17, her family founded The Palace Dance Studio in Auckland to provide a rehearsal studio for students of all ages and abilities.

“We called it ‘The Palace’ because our mantra is ‘Crowns Up’. It’s all about self-empowerment and making sure our students believe in themselves,” says Brett.

It is also home to several of Parris’s dance crews who perform all over the world, including The Royal Family, watched over (long-distance, these days) by Parris.

In 2014, Parris collaborated with Justin Bieber to create 13 music videos for his album Purpose in three weeks, on a miniscule budget. She brought in more than 60 dancers – including her ReQuest crew – to create the videos. The video for Sorry, which she choreographed, directed, and produced, and where Justin didn’t feature at all, became the third-most watched video on YouTube, and it won video of the year at the American Music Awards.

Her signature dance style showcases “sassy women fire with aggressive inner strength,” and Parris has continued to hone her craft, branching out into singing and acting, featuring in the movie Step Up: All In (2014) as well as choreographing parts of it. A self-confessed workaholic, Parris immerses herself in the music, and dedicates hours to honing dances until they reach the exacting level she demands and match the vision she has. “Passion never has a day off,” she says. She continues to inspire younger dancers from the South Pacific to push their limits and deliver their best performances.