From the beginning powhiri to the final word of the audience question and answer segment, Moko in rehearsal was a powerful production based on respect – respect for dance, respect for Maori culture, and overall a strong sense of respect for everyone who shared the space.  This special event was designed to provide an audience with an insight into the development of a dance work and this was successfully achieved. The audience gained an insight into the processes of both choreographer and company, the thoughts and influences which led to dance movement. Most segments were presented in a developed form.

Dance communicates without words, but we were also provided with a detailed insight into the images and processes, background and history of Moko, the dance, followed by Derek Lardelli’s presentation of the key aspects of the traditional Maori practice of ta moko (tattooing of the face and body ), which was warmly appreciated by the audience.  

Stephen Bradshaw stepped in to replace Director Moss Patterson, who was attending a family tangi, and did an excellent job of providing a background to Patterson’s dance work, Moko, in rehearsal. Sources of a number of motifs and images in the dance work were explained and were easily recognised when the dancers performed. Video excerpts of earlier dance segments by Atamira were too short to fully absorb and this segment may have been unnecessary, though the  images of Maori and urban design (photographed by Patterson’s sister) used as stimulus material in developing the Moko certainly complemented the discussion.   

From the moment the dancers first came on stage there was an explosive energy in the space. There was a beauty in their articulate movement and a full-bodied freshness and honesty in their expressive movement.  Dance exceprts were presented in sections interspersed with talk, discussion and images, the overall experience remained quite powerful.

Master carver Derek Lardelli shared his knowledge of the practice of ta moko , providing a set of images on a screen of pivotal figures in the history of the form. His presentation drew attention to the fact that the dancers had captured the very essence of what he described as a living art form, “bringing something back into the world of light and shining some light on it”.

The question had been posed to the dancers: “how do you translate the images into movement, how do you physically express the visual aspects of it and what are your feelings about it. Dancer Kelly Nash responded to an image of a swirl projected onto the background screen. Her movement response answered the questions completely.

To quote a speaker in the Q & A forum, “from a traditional sense, you’ve captured everything that is within the living face. Mataora is alive and well in contemporary dance.

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