The Roma group for 2026 was made up of year thirteen students Angelina Balog, Kelly Jung, Gabrielle Manuhuia, Lucy Cao, and Tuyen La. Angelina has led the group since 2024, choreographing all the performances, organising what the girls wear and attending the polyfest leaders conferences. 

This year’s Polyfest Diversity theme is “The environment lives in me, as I live in it.” Angelina read in her opening speech, “To me, this means our culture lives inside us wherever we go. Our people have travelled across many lands, but our spirit, music, and traditions stay strong. We begin with “Djelem Djelem,” the national anthem of the Roma people. It tells the story of our journey, our struggles, and our hope for the future. Inspired by the passionate music of the Gipsy Kings, our performance shows the energy, resilience, and pride of our culture” 

Angelina is an incredible leader, always aiming for better performances each year. The diversity stage crew always remember the girls with their dynamic dancing, eye-catching skirts and upbeat music. All the hard work and dedication paid off this year with the group placing second in the Europe Continent category.

We will miss the group next year since all the members are finishing school this year, so we would especially like to thank Angelina for showcasing and sharing the Roma culture that is part of our Waitākere College community for the past few years.

Palikerav tumenge, we thank you.