Leonis Works METAXY

Metaxy is an immersive dance performance by Berlin-based choreographer Renato De Leon, presented by Leonis Works with music mixed live by Berghain resident Norman Nodge.

Drawing from Friedrich Nietzsche’s The Birth of Tragedy, the work explores the tension between the Apollonian and Dionysian: two opposing forces associated with order and chaos, discipline and desire, reason and instinct, control and surrender.
At the centre of the work is a figure caught between these forces. The Apollonian draws him toward ambition, structure, productivity and control, while the Dionysian pulls him toward emotion, pleasure, freedom and excess. Rather than presenting either as an ideal, Metaxy examines what happens when one begins to overpower the other. Discipline turns into isolation and self-punishment, while freedom moves toward excess and the loss of control.

The title comes from the Greek word metaxy, meaning “between” or “in-between.” The work searches for this space not as a fixed point of balance, but as a continuous negotiation between opposing impulses. It asks whether it is possible to exist between extremes without resolving the contradictions that shape us.
Four performers embody and move between these states. Renato De Leon occupies the central human figure, while Dan Ozeri and Caterina Politi represent contrasting Apollonian and Dionysian forces. Jade Albrieux exists between them, embodying a state of balance that remains present but difficult to reach.

The performance unfolds as an immersive environment rather than on a conventional stage. The dancers move through a shared space with the audience, bringing spectators into close proximity with the physical and emotional shifts of the work. Movement, electronic music, light, haze and visual effects transform the Haus 12/13 of Atelier Gardens throughout the performance.
Alongside the performance, Metaxy will feature an additional exhibition, extending the project beyond choreography into a wider visual and spatial experience. The exhibition creates another entry point into the ideas behind the work and allows the world of Metaxy to exist beyond the duration of the performance itself.

Norman Nodge, resident DJ at Berghain, creates and mixes the musical landscape live, allowing sound and choreography to respond to one another in real time. Video projections by Dan Tombs/2MS and lighting by Marco di Nardo further alter the architecture of the space, moving between precision, instability, darkness and exposure.
Presented across six performances, Metaxy continues Leonis Works’ exploration of contemporary dance outside conventional theatrical formats, bringing choreography into dialogue with electronic music, visual art and immersive spatial environments.

Concept & Artistic Direction: Renato De Leon | Leonis Works
Choreography: Renato De Leon, developed in collaboration with the performers
Performers: Renato De Leon | Dan Ozeri | Caterina Politi | Jade Albrieux
Music, Mixed Live: Norman Nodge
Video Projections: Dan Tombs (2MS)
Lighting Design: Marco Di Nardo
Sound System: Dahledohr
Dramaturgical Assistance: Irakli Khishtovani
Operations & Logistics: Mark Polin
Exhibition Curation & Production Support: Emily Brockington
Operations Support: Rocio Lagger
Production Manager: Sheena Leach
Mask Design: Gamma Sky
Styling: Michelle Döring by The Code