Atamira Dance Company launches rebrand and showcase ‘MOKO’ via Saatchi & Saatchi Design

New Zealand’s leading Maori contemporary dance theatre creator, Atamira Dance Company, has announced its new conceptual full-length show MOKO as well as new design and rebranding via Saatchi & Saatchi Design.

Inspired by the traditional Maori art of body tattooing, MOKO is a conceptual dance performance spurred by the enticement of mana (spiritual power) where the patterns of Ta Moko explode – emotionally and literally – onto the stage in riveting three-dimensional forms.

A showcase of fashion, form and force, brought to life with immersive sound and lighting, MOKO takes audiences on an unforgettable journey and marks a powerful new direction for the company.

Saatchi & Saatchi Design, Atamira’s strategic and creative partner, developed and delivered ground-breaking creative that asserts a unique and important Maori voice. By fostering collaborations with some of New Zealand’s best in the design industry, Saatchi & Saatchi Design has ensured Atamira is set to own the contemporary Maori dance space.

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Atamira has collaborated with industry-leading organisations including innovative fashion house WORLD on costuming. Custom-designed by WORLD designers Francis Hooper and Benny Castles, and using their signature dramatic long sleeves in campaign imagery, the costumes offer a striking point of difference, unique to anything seen on a New Zealand stage before.

MOKO’s choreographer Moss Patterson is world-renowned for his innovative, expressive and emotional choreography. In 2013, Patterson released a 17- minute dance theatre piece for Atamira entitled MOKO, which was selected to be performed at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Festival in Lee, Massachusetts. That invitation prompted the company’s tour of the US last year. Off the back of its huge success, this year Patterson has developed MOKO into a full-length performance.

Patterson also co-choreographed the widely lauded New Zealand Rugby World Cup 2011 opening ceremony and large- scale works Sacre, Poutama, Takarangi and Te Manu Ahi in association with Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. His previous works explore Maori traditions including painted and carved design, dress and chant.

Says Patterson: “MOKO explores the embodiment of ancestral designs, motifs and metaphors in our culture. It is about the transformation within a person before the process of tattoo. In this performance, I wanted to explore the unfolding of self, the emotional journey that brings someone to the point in their life where they are ready to accept their moko. It’s about realising your potential, acknowledging your inner voice and following that voice to a place of calm where you can rediscover your sense of self. We all take personal journeys, MOKO represents this collective journey through an expressive performance piece on stage.”

Says Hooper: “WORLD is honoured and excited to collaborate with Atamira Dance Company on their upcoming season. We were able to approach Atamira’s work from a completely different point of view employing a purely avant-garde attitude to create unique pieces around the shapes of the dancers’ bodies. As a totally new experience it was fascinating to see how a collection of dancers and choreographers were able to interpret our conceptualisations, working them into their performance to amplify the spirit and emotion of the show. WORLD is always inspired by challenging, talented, ground breaking people and that is exactly what Atamira is.”

Also new to the stage this year, Patterson is working closely with set and lighting designers to create an interactive and immersive performance piece.

Says Patterson: “There is a symbolic relationship between dancers and their environment. For the first time Atamira’s dancers will explore set interaction via lighting linked to their movements while immersed in an interactive on stage feedback loop.”

Rounding off the production are M.A.C. make up and Ryder Hairdressing offering new conceptualised looks for the dancers.

Through captivating dance theatre and exciting collaborations, the story of MOKO is made compelling to a broad audience.

MOKO

Atamira Dance Company

SkyCity Theatre Auckland

Thursday April 10 – Saturday April 12, 2014

Tickets available from iticket.co.nz.

Artistic Director & Choreographer: Moss Patterson

Design: Saatchi & Saatchi Design Worldwide