The twang and pluck of a banjo and the swirling hands of an illusionist are not typical to ballet. But as the former Ballet Nouveau Colorado continues its transformation into , the atypical deepens their commitment to collaboration 鈥� both on and off the dance floor.
Wonderbound鈥檚 latest dance, A Gothic Folktale is its most unique collaboration to date.
Imagine a time and place where superstition, myth and magic are real and believable. That鈥檚 precisely where takes you. Getting there wasn鈥檛 a direct route though for the dance鈥檚 creators.
鈥淪o we鈥檙e not necessarily telling a narrative story in the tradition of Swan Lake or Sleeping Beauty but all that technique underlies it and it becomes a more emotional journey, a more physiological journey rather than a direct narrative,鈥� said , Wonderbound鈥檚 artistic director.
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Wonderbound鈥檚 associate artistic director regards the dance, which runs Oct. 18-27, as a 鈥渕ongo collaboration.鈥� In addition to the company鈥檚 11 dancers, Fay and Ammon also enlisted an illusionist and a musician to craft the ballet.
is one of those recruits. The singer-songwriter-musician created 16 new songs for the ballet which he performs live onstage with his band.
鈥淚 was really excited to do a full-length ballet and to be able to really dive in and I just knew that I was going to evolve a lot as an artist,鈥� Manley said.
The traditional folk sound of Manley鈥檚 music sets A Gothic Folktale a part from this time and place. As do the dancer鈥檚 characters, loosely based on Tarot Cards, that are a part of a vaudeville show. That throw-back feel is echoed by the Vaudeville style of illusionist
A career mentalist and a magician, Phylex said he preferred to keep specifics about his planned illusions tucked inside his vest pocket.
But he did disclose this: 鈥淢y greatest trick is turning adults into children.鈥�
鈥淛ust taking people away from their daily lives and putting them somewhere else even for just a moment,鈥� Phylex said.
That desire to transport people, or at least to offer an altered perspective, is something Wonderbound can relate to. Ammon explained that new perspectives drove
鈥淒ance comes from community,鈥� said Ammon. 鈥淚t comes from coming together to celebrate, to mourn, to rise up, it is something that is meant to be shared.鈥�
For its new home, Wonderbound selected an unconventional dance space 鈥� a former car garage 鈥� surrounded by three homeless missions in Denver on Park Avenue West. On a warm day the garage doors are opened.
That way, passersby can watch the dancers for free.
鈥淥ften people will applaud after we鈥檝e completed a section of something unexpectedly and that鈥檚 really wonderful for us to have that interaction when that鈥檚 usually only experienced on the stage,鈥� said Ammon.
This approach sets Wonderbound apart from its ballet colleagues. That鈥檚 because the choreographic development of ballet, as well as some other dance forms, tends to happen behind closed doors.
That openness can be a challenge, according to Ammon 鈥� from people yelling to loud vehicles rumbling through the neighborhood - but one that he is willing to work with.
鈥淲hat we鈥檝e discovered is by kind of opening our reality to the community it鈥檚 actually been a deeply respectful sharing,鈥� said Ammon. 鈥淏y having all these souls, all these human beings around you that are all actively living life adds to the possibility of what we are doing, so we wouldn鈥檛 trade that for the world.鈥�
It鈥檚 in those moments Wonderbound鈥檚 collaborative spirit extends beyond the dance floor and into the community, regardless of its next performance.
Arts District is a collaboration of KUNC, Rocky Mountain PBS, and KUVO.
