SMART ACT KEEPS THE YOUNG ON THE GO
( a-ko's translation -> excessive Hi-5 may have a laxative effect ) *wink*

"baby pop" band Hi-5 is quickly becoming the envy of mainstream music groups in australia.

Hi-5 has released four albums, which all reached platinum sales, and has won two aria awards.
it's next album, celebrate, will be released in october, midway through the group's current national tour.
created by helena harris and posie graeme evans, Hi-5 is telivised in more than 60 countries, with a huge fillowing in singapore, where it's live shows have been booked out.
the group formed in 1998 and consists of kathleen de leon, 24, TIM harding, 24, nathan foley, 22, kellie hoggart, 28, and charli robinson, 21.
each represents a specific function - shapes in space ( nathan ), puzzles and patterns ( kathleen ), making music ( TIM ), word play ( kellie ) and body movement ( charli ).
"the children of today are much more visually intelligent than ever before," helena harris said.
"the group is all about being anti couch-potato."
a childhood adviser axamines every television episode and routine before it airs. any action or word deemed inappropriate for the target audience is deleted.
during the national celebrate tour, the group will perform up to three shows a day for two weeks with just two days off.
"it is hard physical work at the start of the tours but by the end we are all in pretty good shape," kellie said.
the new show includes previous favourites ( but not robot number 1 ) as well as a swag of new songs.
dressed in bright costumes and with smiling faces and and energy level to match their target audience of two to eight-year-olds, group members enraptured their audience at a sydney preview concert.
the easy-to-follow theme and catchy tunes had the children out of their seats in a flash and into the "mosh pit".
the show runs for about 55 minutes without a break, leaving no time for children to become distracted or bored.
"we have found the most important thing is not to be patronising towards the children," kellie said.
"children are smart and don't want to be treated as if they are just stupid."
unlike australia's other hugely popular children's group the wiggles, Hi-5 does not own it's copyright. however, the performers always are consulted for input.
"we do have a lot of input into our shows," nathan foley said.
"we've written our own songs and come up with a lot of creative ideas as well as dancing routines and what we wear.
it is all based on audience participation, getting the children involved with the show, on stage or on television."
the group does not hide its celebrity but neither does it flaunt it.
"if we are out somewhere socially and someone asks us what we do i normally tell them i'm a roadie," nathan said.
"i tell them i'm a make-up artist," kellie said.
"people tend to treat you differently once they find out you are on television.
"we probably work the same amount of hours as the average person."
when not touring, the five performers practise three days a week before filming five 30-minute tv episodes in two days.

-> john merriman
-> sunday mail 25/08/2002