"We have a role to play and contributions to make as creatives, choreographers, dancers and artists to the community and to the world around us." Moss Patterson

Born in Turangi Moss’s proud ancestry comes from both the central north island and northern tribes of Aotearoa, New Zealand.
Moss was appointed as the first Artistic Director of Atamira Dance Company in 2010 taking the company to new heights as New Zealand’s leading Indigenous dance company touring nationally and internationally annually.

Moss has also developed a significant body of work which has lead the way for Atamira’s work to be presented on New Zealand’s largest and most prestigious platforms for dance. In 2013 Moss’s works Moko and Haka were selected for presentation at the prestigious Jacobs Pillow USA opening the way for international touring for Atamira. In 2015 Moko went on to tour China and Korea and from 2016 - 2018 two newly commissioned works Pango and Marama toured Taiwan,China, Korea and New Zealand.

From 2011 – 2017 Moss joined forces with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra to present a series of six large scale dance projects drawing artists from diverse communities all over Auckland city. These works were presented in all of Auckland’s largest professional dance theatres as part of the Auckland International Arts Festival.
Since retiring from his role as Artistic Director Moss has initiated a series of new works in development for next year under a new whanau company label called TOHU and is one of five Atamira choreographers to collaborate on a major new Atamira project for 2021, celebrating 20 years of Atamira's existence and works.

Moss has received choreographic awards from Tempo Dance Festival, Toi Maori and Creative New Zealand and continues to be a passionate advocate for the preservation of Māori culture and contemporary dance in New Zealand.

Repertoire
Pango (2016) 

Enter into the nothing, the blackness. From this formless state of consciousness come potential, movement, energy and life. A meditation on the space of Te Kore. Potentiality, and the eternity ofexistence before light, is communicated through mesmeric soundscapes and movement.

"It is a spiritual and thought provoking experience. There should be more work of this calibre and stature appearing on our New Zealand stage."
- Donna Banicevich Gera, Theatreview, 2016

Repertoire
Moko (2014) 

Moko is a powerful choreography inspired by the traditional Maori art of body tattooing. Spurred by the enticement of mana (spiritual power) and tracing a return to equilibrium, the patterns of Ta Moko explode both emotionally andliterally onto the stage in new three-dimensional forms. Featuring costumes by avant-garde fashion label World premiered in April 2014 at Aucklands, Sky City Theatre.