Site-Specific Dances Presents Sculpture Dances: Kykuit

Site-Specific Dances, the interdisciplinary performance company led by Michael Spencer Phillips and Dino Kiratzidis, announces Sculpture Dances: Kykuit, an hour-long site-specific performance that animates the sculpture gardens of the historic Rockefeller Estate. Presented in partnership with the Rockefeller Brothers Fund as the finale of the Culpeper Summer Performance Series, the work will premiere September 11–13, 2025 at The Pocantico Center, Kykuit, in Tarrytown, NY. It is also the first immersive performance activation to take place in the Kykuit sculpture gardens.

Sculpture Dances: Kykuit draws inspiration from Nelson Rockefeller’s groundbreaking vision for the gardens. Designed by landscape architect William Welles Bosworth, Kykuit’s grounds were originally conceived with classical symmetry and order. Rockefeller disrupted this order by introducing monumental modernist sculptures—many flown in by helicopter—repositioning them until they achieved dramatic new relationships to the landscape. Responding to this dialogue between tradition and experimentation, Sculpture Dances: Kykuit stages a living choreography of bodies and sound.

Dancers interact with the site’s sculptural and architectural elements while audiences move in a guided procession through the gardens. The activations aim to bridge architectural heritage with ephemeral performance, showing new ways to engage with historical sites. Each evening will conclude with a reception hosted by The Pocantico Center. 

The entire piece is set to a spatial score by collaborating composer Phong Tran, played from mobile speakers, distributed on the grounds. Presented in partnership with the Rockefeller Brothers’ Fund’s Culpeper Arts & Culture program as part of the Culpeper Summer Performance Series.

The event dates will be: Thursday September 11, 2025 | 6:00 - 7:00pm EDT, Friday September 12, 2025 | 6:00 - 7:00pm EDT, Saturday September 13, 2025 | 1:00 - 2:00pm EDT, Saturday September 13, 2025 | 5:00 - 6:00pm EDT

Location: Kykuit Sculpture Garden / The Pocantico Center, 200 Lake Road Tarrytown, NY 10591

Press Contact: Christopher Constable, Publicist | Chris@ccpr-nyc.com