Van Patten joined the Royal Danish Ballet as an apprentice when she was fifteen years old. During her first season, she was cast as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, which she performed for the Queen of Denmark. While dancing with the Royal Danish Ballet, she met Helgi Tomasson, the artistic director and principal choreographer of the San Francisco Ballet. After two seasons in Copenhagen, Tomasson offered seventeen-year-old Van Patten a soloist position with the SF Ballet, and after four seasons, he promoted her to principal ballerina. Van Patten was a principal dancer with the company for 20 seasons.

She is currently a stager and, most recently, worked with choreographer and Artistic Director Cathy Marston as an assistant to the choreographer. Van Patten has also expanded her creative pursuits beyond the stage. Her love for dance, creative expression, and artistic collaboration inspired her to adopt new roles as a choreographer, producer, and director.  She choreographed “skylight” for the Cincinnati ballet and produced and directed a dance film with her nonprofit organization, Tahoe Dance Camp.