Bodybox
REST IN MOTION
HELENA MAY
About the work
Rest in Motion is a durational, improvised contemporary dance performance that explores slowing down and resting while moving. Through gentle, sustained motion, soft music, and occasional poetry, the work constructs a visual meditation where rest becomes an embodied act of reflection and care.
The piece responds to the pressures of late-stage capitalism, mass consumerism, and the relentless pace of modern life. It foregrounds the need to pause, to slow, and to create space for connection with oneself, community, and Papatūānuku. By moving so slowly that time itself seems to stretch, the work transforms vulnerability and stillness into a collective, restorative act.
About the artist
Helena May
(Te Āti Awa)
Poneke, Aotearoa
Helena May (she/her) is a professional freelance dancer and choreographer born and raised in Aotearoa, of Māori (Te Āti Awa) and Pākehā descent. Since graduating from the New Zealand School of Dance in 2021, she has worked professionally across dance, theatre, fashion, and international film sectors. Helena is also a trained stunt performer with NZ Stunt School.
Her creative practice is rooted in meditation and the authentic, embodied expression of emotion. She is drawn to queer and Indigenous identity-driven work that is courageous, tender, and unflinching in its confrontation of truth. Helena has undertaken residencies at Pōneke Festival of Contemporary Dance, Movement Art Practice in Ōtautahi, and Toi Pōneke Studios in Pōneke.