Tiny Toones

Overview

So get this, cause I reckon it's pretty cool. An ex-gang member has decided to harness the empowering aspects of hip hop to help troubled kids in Cambodia have a better life. I'm pretty much already sold. Later this month Tuy Sobil and his dance crew ‘Tiny Toones’ will stage a one-off performance in Auckland in order to help this awesome cause.

A bit of background on Sobil, nicknamed KK, illustrates a pretty dark past. He joined the US gang ‘The Crips’ at just 13 and was jailed for armed robbery at age 18. After two years in Taft prison, California, he was transferred to the Immigration Detention Centre, where he served a further three years before he was sent back to Cambodia. A rough road for a teen to say the least. Since facing deportation in 2004, KK has strived to create a better life for himself and for the impoverished children of Phnom Penh. After being dropped in Cambodia with no support, KK joined the outreach staff at Korsang, volunteering in the slums to educate Cambodians about drug abuse and HIV. The local children found out about his reputation as a break dancer and he began giving lessons. This is when 'Tiny Toones’ was born.

Over the past seven years, the organisation has grown and has reached more than 5,000 kids at its six sites across Phnom Penh’s slums. But it is not just dance that is taught. The children are educated about drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, along with music, English, Khmer and computer skills. Through the medium of hip hop, KK teaches street kids the power of their potential. So if there was ever such a thing as turning a situation on its head for the (way) better, this would be a pretty good case study.

In the last few years, the crew have traveled to the USA, Italy, Singapore and most recently Melbourne where all five of the shows they staged sold out. On Friday the 27th April, Tiny Toones will be in New Zealand to debut their remarkable and stunning performance, share their personal stories and inspire local youths.