Wonderbound dance company has been dazzling the Denver community with their unique and fun dance performances since 2007 with Artistic Director Garrett Ammon at the helm. The imaginative dance troupe teamed up with local band Chimney Choir to create a performance based on the unique experience of living in Denver during the so called “boom” we all have been experiencing. True to form, the performance was a graceful and creative homage to our booming city, and the live music from Chiminey Choir set the stage perfectly with their folksy western accompaniment, giving the performance a contemporary edge.

The performance starts out in an apartment in what appears to be an uninspired city away from the hustle and bustle of city living, where our main character, played by Dylan G-Bowley, appears to be bored with his hum-drum life. Daily rituals such as pacing aimlessly around an apartment and tuning into the television only to see a barrage of advertisements and programs aimed as selling something made the opening sequence a contemporary muse on the banalities of modern living. A rubber duck became the emblem of status, progress, and money throughout the show.

Soon we learn that our main character will follow his sweetheart to the illustrious and thriving city of Boomtown, that apparently is turning out rubber ducks by the truckload. Opportunities abound. Surely many a audience member, a majority Denver transplants no doubt, could relate to the story of relocating to a city, particularly Denver, for more opportunity.  

In the back of the stage, Denver based band Chimney Choir played on, utilizing a creative mix of instruments that at one point includes a bicycle wheel. It is a subtle reminder to the audience that the music is in fact live throughout the entire show and the folksy music and raspy voice of lead singer Kris Drickey was transfixing in and of itself. The lines were blurred between concert and performance, and this is exactly what Producing Director Dawn Fay intended, “We made a commitment when we started Wonderbound only to use live music. Our intention is to create experiences, so some people come for the concert or enjoy the spoken word. We incorporate a lot of different mediums into one performance.”

Soon we are in boomtown where the “Union Station” signage makes no doubt to viewers what and where boomtown is. A pedicab makes its way around the stage ringing its bell, and it is at this point that reality and performance becomes blurred. The realization sets in that the “life” on stage is truly a reflection, our lives being performed for us, albeit a much more choreographed and graceful life, but the movements and rhythms proceed with a familiar pace. So much so that when the dancer on the pedicab pulls out his phone to seemingly check messages and text, you actually wonder if he really is looking at his phone and responding to friends, “Hey I’m at work right now, can’t talk.”

The dancing proceeds around a set dressed as Larimer square, where dancers move fluidly between light fixtures and the lights overhead seem to pulsate with the music. Auditory gasps from the audience indicate that the joy the dancers are expressing is being literally transmitted to the audience. But it is still ballet, and ballet is a rather conservative art form, so perhaps we shouldn’t be too offended that while the male lead is out looking for a job, the female lead is prancing around the stage with shopping bags and has found a powerful man to provide for her new life in boomtown.

Artistic Director Garret Ammon says the performance started out with a lot of conversations between him and Chimney Choir. Soon, a story and a sound started to develop and when the score was complete, he brought his dancers into the studio for a 6 week intensive discovery process, where ideas and vision was being shaped by directors and dancers alike. “The secret is not to hold anything precious, you have to do that in a collaborative setting when you are working with others. Its important not to hold on too tightly to one idea you think is the greatest,” says Ammon.

Wonderbound has big plans for their upcoming season – collaborations are planned with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Curious Theatre and a rock opera-esque performance with music from Queen will surely be a spectacle worth seeing. But back in Boomtown, the dancers have made their way into the seedy underbelly of the growing business of the illusive “green rubber duck” with all the trappings of modern city living playing out on stage. The dancers graceful numbers in the second act allow the viewer to escape into an unconscious reverie on the storylines playing out in our city today. 

Ultimately, Boomtown reveals the power of art, when used as a mirror to reflect back to a society what we all know and feel but can’t quite put our finger on. Boomtown does a terrific job of putting a finger on that special Denver thing. Boomtown will be playing an encore presentation on June 20 & 21 at the Arvada Center Main Stage on 6901 Wadsworth Blvd.  

*Photos by Amanda Tipton

By Emily Przekwas