DANZAtamira Dance Company Tours To Asia Forging Relationships Between NZ And Chinese Dance
The talented Atamira Dance Company are taking their successful show Moko overseas to the highly esteemed Beijing Dance Festival, the first New Zealand Dance Company to be presented there, followed by the Chang Mu Dance Festival from 21 July - 4 August.
Moko premiered just over a year ago at Sky City Theatre, to rave reviews with its World fashion costumes, cutting edge set to dance interactions and illustrious AV use, winning the Installation Award at the 2015 Interior Architecture Awards for their innovative set design. Choreographed by Artistic Director, Moss Patterson, it was heralded as not only unmissable but at the forefront of today’s Contemporary Dance. The festivals they head to are each highly regarded in their own esteem and only signify the level of success that Atamira Dance Company have reached.
The Beijing Dance Festival is co-organized by BeijingDance/LDTX, Guangdong Modern Dance Company and City Contemporary Dance Company (Hong Kong). Together with the Guangdong Dance Festival and China Dance Forward, they form the biggest contemporary dance network in China. This year, it has evolved to a 2-week programme with one week of educational activities and one week of performances and showcases of national and international programmes.
"It is the first time ever the Beijing Dance Festival presents dance works from New Zealand. We appreciate the philosophy of Atamira, who dedicates in promoting Maori culture in a contemporary form. We are absolutely happy and proud to be able to present Moko, a work of quality and passion, and to have it as the starting point of cultural and artistic dialogues in dance between New Zealand and China." - Karen Cheung, Beijing Dance Festival Director
Atamira have gone from strength to strength; securing funding from Creative New Zealand, acceptance into the Creative New Zealand - Touring Australia initiative 2014, and touring previous works to Hawaii, San Francisco and New York, with Moko the first piece specifically selected to perform at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. While in China, Artistic Director, Moss has been invited to attend Taipei Arts Festival as a guest artist to forge stronger links and intends to visit Cloud Gate Dance Theatre while there. 
The patterns of Moko explode both emotionally and literally onto the stage in new three-dimensional forms. A multi-media, kinetic and sensory dance performance experience. Moko contains mythological references to ancient past and responses to the present world. Referencing the deity of earthquakes ‘Ruaimoko’ who causes the shifting of the earth’s surface creating scars on the earth’s exterior. Moko is a journey of unfolding to find oneself.
Performing Moko is Nancy Wijohn, Bianca Hyslop, Gaby Thomas, Sean McDonald, Eddie Elliot and Mark Bonnington.
Read DANZ article on Atamira in America: New Audiences In America For Atamira