Wonderbound troupe offers new creation at PACE Center

Wonderbound is a dance company under the direction of Garrett Ammon and Dawn Fay—11 dancers who are known for unusual movement and collaboration with other artists in the community, as new works are created. The most recent creation is Gone West, with 11 new poems by Michael J. Henry, director of the Lighthouse Writers Workshop, and 10 new songs written by Denver musician Ian Cooke, a cellist with a popular band, which will accompany the dancers.

Ammon writes of the “collection of beautifully flawed humans” brought to life in Henry’s poetry, while Cooke said, “My inspiration for Gone West comes from the relationships humans have with each other and the earth. I think periodic exposure to raw unfiltered nature gives us clarity and helps us sort out our issues…Nature can be harsh, but even when it causes traumatic events, it helps us evolve…telling this story together through dance, poetry and music is one of the best, most human ways to do so.”

The performance is described as a Western journey that is a cross between Shakespeare’s The Tempest and a KOA Campground. Contemporary ballet draws on many sources, both new and traditional, to offer yet another way of telling stories to an audience. These are exceptional dancers.

If You Go: 

Gone West will be performed April 4-6 at the Performing Arts Complex at Pinnacle Charter School, 1001 W. 84th Ave., Federal Heights. Performances: 7:30 p.m. April 4, 5; 2 p.m. April 6. Tickets: 303-292-4700. On April 12 at 7:30 p.m. and April 13 at 2 p.m., “Gone West” will be presented at the PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave., Parker. Tickets: $22-$47, 303-805-6800, wonderbound.com.