"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
- Moko
- Awa
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.
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.
AWA is a multi-disciplinary arts spectacle weaving together stories of New Zealand's sacred rivers and China's famous Yellow River. Told through contemporary dance and music – the rhythm of kapa haka, the Chinese martial art of Tai Chi, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and an 80-strong choir of young artists from schools and communities across Auckland – AWA is another collaboration from the team that brought you Ruaumoko in 2016. Awa premiered at the Auckland Town Hall in March 2017 as part of the Auckland
"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
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Career highlights
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Education
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Choreography
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Commissioned works
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Guest choreography
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Awards
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Residencies
- Touring Asia and the USA with my choreographic work, and presenting work at Auckland Arts Festival, working closely with the young artists from our community.
- - Post Graduate Diploma Business Administration
- - Diploma Tertiary Teaching
- - Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts
- 2017 AWA with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra & Atamira Dance Company; Auckland Arts Festival.
- 2016 PANGO with Atamira Dance Company tour to Guangdong Arts Festival, China and Pulima Arts Festival, Taiwan
- 2016 RUAUMOKO with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Large scale full length work. Auckland Arts Festival.
- 2015 MOKO tour to Chang Mu International Dance Festival, Korea and Beijing Arts Festival, China.
- 2015 MANGOPARE with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
- 2014 TE MANU AHI with APO. Large scale full length work
- 2014 MOKO with Atamira Dance Company. Full length work.
- 2013 TAKARANGI with APO. Large scale full length work.
- 2013 MOKO short work and HAKA performed at Jacobs Pillow.
- 2012 TOHU with Atamira Dance Company.
- 2012 POUTAMA with APO. First large scale full length work.
- 2011 SACRE with APO and Royston Muldoom. Full length work.
- 2009 PUHORO with Unitec Dance Programme.
- 2007 WHAKAIRO with Atamira Dance Company. First major full length work
- 2006 KOKOWAI with Footnote Dance Company
- 2005 TE PAKI with Atamira Dance Company
- 2004 KURA with Footnote Dance Company
- 2003 TE NGARU with Footnote Dance Company.
- 2002 PITAU with Footnote Dance Company.
- 2002 MANAWA with Touch Compass.
- 2000 KORU with Black Grace.
- 1999 RAVING FAD with Black Grace.
- - Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony
- - Pacifica Fashion Awards
- - League of Legends Worlds Opening Ceremony
- 2017 MARAMA– International collaboration with Korean choreographer Maeja KIM at Chang Mu International Arts Festival.
- 2010 -13 MIXIT Refugee Youth Guest Choreographer
- - Whakahaungia Choreographic Award
- - Tup Lang Choreographic Scholarship
- - Pulima Taiwan Artist Residency
- - University of Hawaii Summer Master Class Series
- - Critical Path Indigenous Residency Sydney