In “Celestial Navigation,” Wonderbound marries ballet and sci-fi
Science fiction and contemporary ballet aren’t usually thought of as bedfellows, but then again, there is nothing usual about the thinking of Wonderbound, Denver’s well-established moderndance company.
And so here comes “Celestial Navigation,” a full-length production which opens Oct. 13, with three performances, at the Performing Arts Complex of the Pinnacle Charter School in Denver. A second pair of performances will be held Oct. 21 and 22 at the PACE Center in Parker.
“Celestial Navigation” is the story of a young woman using her hot-air balloon to travel the universe to rescue her husband, a theoretical physicist, who has been kidnapped by space pirates.
“We looked at Sci-Fi B movies as context for the show,” said Garrett Ammon, Wonderbound’s artistic director and choreographer.
The galactic motif was also inspired by Wounderbound’s musical collaborator Ian Cooke, who said he was trying to explore “the stars and the cosmos” in his new album “The Flight I Flew,” which provides the music for the dance.
Collaboration with Denver musicians has become a Wonderbound hallmark. The company has partnered with wellknown local bands such as Paper Bird and Flobots, usually with new music.
“There are so many incredible artists — artists willing to engage and collaborate,” Ammon said. “Six years ago, we made a commitment to doing live music.” That is a departure from most small dance companies that rely, at least in part, on recordings.
This is the third collaboration for Cooke and Wonderbound. “These collaborations have made me a better musician,” Cooke said.
The premiere of “Celestial Navigation” is timed to the release of Cooke’s album. Wonderbound did a similar twinning last season with Flobots. “It’s exciting,” Ammon said. “There is this palpable feeling in the theater that something new is coming into existence. It is exciting for the dancers, the musicians and the audience.”
Cooke’s band for the Wonderbound shows will include an
upright bass, drums, a Peruvian box drum called a cajón, a violin and Cooke on cello and piano.
“It is so cool to know there is going to be this strong visual component to the music,” he said. “When I perform, I need to sit down. Some musicians can jump around on the stage with their guitars. You can’t do that with a cello.”
What will be happening while Cooke’s band is playing? As the young woman searches for her husband, she must battle robots and space creatures. “It is a hero’s story with a heroine,” Ammon said. OK, this isn’t a balletic version of “Blade Runner 2049.”
“I watched a lot of ‘Barbarella’ clips,” Ammon said, referring to the 1968 Roger Vadim film starring Jane Fonda, which, for the record, was pretty bad, though the villain’s name did live on with the British new-wave band Duran Duran.
This is the challenge for Wonderbound. For a piece that entails not only music and dance, but a hammy story and an outerspace octopus with retractable arms made out of dryer tubing, they must not only navigate the universe, but around kitsch and camp.
“It is high risk for sure,” Ammon said. “But Wonderbound is willing to take risks . ... We are committed to it, and now we are going to make it happen.”
“Wonderbound is willing to take risks . ... We are committed to it, and now we are going to make it happen.”
Garrett Ammon, Wonderbound’s artistic director and choreographer