Justice Crew
17th June 2010 by Julia Hosking
Justice Crew, the nine talented hip-hop dancers who recently won Channel 7's Australia's Got Talent, are musical performers making a difference – with a little help from The Salvation Army.
The self-taught dancers – who used to rehearse in front of a glass window at the Sydney Entertainment Centre because they could not afford to hire a studio – won $250,000 when they received the most votes from the public out of seven other acts.
Maurice June, the crew's mentor, heads up a non-profit organisation known as MMAD Moves (Musicians Making a Difference) which teaches dance lessons to kids, teenagers and adults in the community who cannot afford to pay for classes.
MMAD Moves was initially held in a community hall. When a new location was required, Maurice, a passionate Christian, approached The Salvation Army to connect the program with a church.
For the past 18 months, Justice Crew have joined Maurice at various Sydney Salvation Army corps, including Miranda and Hurstville. Due to their commitments with Australia's Got Talent, they temporarily withdrew from their weekly teaching.
Despite that, the crew members share a desire to reach out to people who come from low socio-economic backgrounds or broken homes – situations akin to their personal experiences.
The crew and Maurice reach out to young people by not only teaching them how to dance at the free classes, but by also encouraging them to set goals and strive for their dreams.
One of the crew members, Solo Tohi, echoed this sentiment with a comment after winning Australia's Got Talent: "As long as it's positive and your dream is strong, anyone can do anything."
At The Salvation Army corps where MMAD Moves takes place, the classes have been helpful in building relationships and connecting the church to the community.
By Julia Hosking
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Comments
OMG justice crew i love you, p.s you'se r HOT!