Set within the untamed surroundings of David Horowitz Garden on the spring equinox of 2025, Helios is a site-specific dance performance that unfolds as an allegorical journey through light, power, and connection. Inspired by the myth of Helios and his son Phaeton, the piece explores themes of rivalry and the perilous struggle for control over the sun’s path. Dancers emerge organically from the foliage, embodying both the harmony and discord of celestial forces. Their movements trace the arc of conflict and yearning as Phaeton recklessly seeks to command his father’s chariot, setting the world on a course of imbalance. The performance culminates in a search for reconciliation, as the figure of the female celestial figure of Sekhmet appears beyond the garden wall, an elusive presence of wisdom and restraint.
Visitors are immersed in the experience through handmade, Helios-embossed paperworks infused with the scent of sage, anchoring them sensorially to the mythic narrative. The rhythmic hum of cicadas weaves through the performance, underscoring the deep rapport between the sun and nature, heightening the ephemeral beauty of this equinox ritual.
The previous collaborative project between Marcos Lutyens and Volta, The Bridge, was exhibited at MAXXI National Museum in Rome, was well as at the 92NY Future Dance Festival.
Mamie Green / Volta & Marcos Lutyens
Performers: Ryan Green and Ryley Polak
Thanks to David Horvitz, Sean Murphy, and Jackson Roth
A film of the performance was made but remains unreleased (Dec 2025)
Sound: Sharon Chohi Kim
Photos by Mamie Green and Marcos Lutyens