Pango
Enter into the nothing, the blackness. From this formless state of consciousness come potential, movement, energy and life. Atamira Dance Company brings to the stage a meditation on the space of Te Kore. Potentiality, and the eternity of existence before light, is communicated through mesmeric soundscapes and movement.
The collaboration of choreographer Moss Patterson with master musicians James Webster and Shayne Carter, six powerful male dancers and award-winning spatial and projection designers create a unique and mesmeric fusion of movement imagery, light, and sound. The six male dancers ignite the stage inside a black rope wharenui created by spatial designer Robin Rawstorne, to explore their individual experience of Te Kore.
Moving from haka through lyricism to energised muscularity, their personal stories offer rich commentaries on the humanity born within this sacred space. The blend of live electric guitar by Shayne Carter and traditional Māori instruments by master player James Webster, creates a dramatic mix of soundscapes and movement. Reverberations of ancient karakia and takutaku chant, evoke the presence of atua Māori. Projection design by Rowan Pierce casts light and imagery onto the dancers’ bodies adding a rich visual tapestry and opening the imagination to the multi layered aspects of this work.
Choreographed by Moss Patterson in collaboration with performers; Andrew Miller, Arahi Easton, Eddie Elliot, Emmanuel Reynaud, Luke Hanna, & Roymata Holmes.
TĀHUHU KŌRERO
2018
Municipal Theatre | Napier
War Memorial Theatre | Gisborne
Baycourt Addison Theatre | Tauranga
Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts | Hamilton
TSB Theatre, TSB Showplace | New Plymouth
Forum North | Whangarei
Q Theatre | Auckland
2016
Opera House | Wellington
Toi Maōri Art Market
International Tour
Experimental Theatre, Kaohsiung, Pulima Arts Festival | Taiwan
Guangdong Cantonese Opera Arts Centre, Guangdong Dance Festival | China
"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
"What more is there to say. This mighty performance will linger with us. Pango has awoken us, loved us, separated and torn us..."
Megan Seawright, The Hook, 2018
