Taranaki Hard’s Russiaan ‘POLE DANCING SAVED MY LIFE ’
By day, Russiaan Hauraki works at a dusty aluminium factory in Bell Block, Waitara, alongside his grandfather and other men who grew up in the small town north of New Plymouth. But as soon as his shift ends, the fresh-faced star of Three’s new docu-series Taranaki Hard swaps his overalls for tasselled tops and metallic shorts.
As a dancer, there’s nothing the talented 22-year-old loves more than taking to the stage and draping his tattooed body around a steel pole under bright lights, with pumping music.
“I performed in my first burlesque show this year in New Plymouth and that was super-exciting,” says Russiaan, who was raised by his grandparents in Waitara, alongside
