The contemporary ballet leans into Western and sci-fi themes in a tragic tale featuring live, original music.

In a collaboration for the ages, Wonderbound creative dynamo Garrett Ammon teamed up with Gasoline Lollipop’s Clay Rose, Devotchka’s Tom Hagerman and guitar whiz Dave Devine to deliver Space Cowboys. It’s a wild intersection between ballet and indie-Western music with sci-fi and cowboy themes that adds up to a one-of-kind production that’s downright spectacular.

You’ve definitely never seen so many cowboy hats in a ballet performance before.

Ammon teamed with Rose in 2023’s Wicked Bayou, and here they up the ante with the addition of Devine. While Ammon’s choreography and overall creative vision is typically above and beyond, some Wonderbound productions can be light on narrative thread. That’s not the case here, with a compelling story about two sisters whose lives are turned upside-down when their parents are murdered. Although there’s no dialogue, dancers Logan Velasquez as Mary Rose and Rachael Dean as Martha Jane are convincing actors as well as skilled ballerinas as they strike out on separate paths on either side of the law.

Aidan O’Leary, who’s been with the company for several seasons, plays the titular character — a mysterious person on another planet who ends up being the common destination the two sisters are heading toward. O’Leary is tremendous as the Space Cowboy, using his great height to dominate when necessary but still able to engage in pas de deux that don’t overwhelm his partner. He even gets to dance in jeans and a duster!

The costumes designed by Sloan Crazybear and Wonderbound President Dawn Fay are tremendous across the board. As Martha Jane, Dean gets a brown bustier and leathery shorts as she travels a darker path than her sister. Bad guys may be all in black, but the variation in detail for ensemble members is exceptional.

Typical for Wonderbound, scenery is all on wheels and the ensemble handles much of the movement. Ammon designs the scenery himself, and the choreography of the set pieces is always one of the highlights as the elevated movement of the dance is paired with the practical approach to high-speed scenery relocation. In Space Cowboy, all of these structures have a barn-like appearance with a lot of slats that give Lighting Designer Pablo Santiago a broad palette to work with. Indeed, light and shadow are powerful elements in the production, and Santiago earns his stripes with striking designs that must keep up with the high-velocity dancing and scene changes.

Aidan O’Leary is the Space Cowboy, seen here with Logan Velasquez as Mary Rose. | Photo: Amanda Tipton Photography

A crack band

With all-original music composed by Rose, Hagerman and Devine, Space Cowboy leaps into a higher realm with the powerful dance component augmented by an impressive lineup of songs. Stylistically, the music caroms between Ennio Morricone, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and alt-country, with Rose growling many of the lyrics into a mono mic. Also on stage is female vocalist Erika Ryann, who helps offset the male energy with solo and backing vocals.

With Rose on rhythm guitar and Devine on lead, Hagerman wields a mean violin that adds a lot of folksy flair and melancholy to the songs. Scott Coulter on keys and harmonica and Shawn King on percussion and trumpet round out the topnotch band.

Space Cowboy is, at its heart, a tragedy that yet holds out a fair amount of hope. You could set the dance to canned music, and it’d still be a pretty great show. The contributions and performances of Rose, Hagerman, Devine and company catapult it to another level altogether. The only downside is that, like many Wonderbound shows, this one’s all but sold out. Check the website to see if any single tickets are left, and don’t miss it if that’s the case.

Logan Velasquez and the Priest, played by Nathan Mariano in ‘Space Cowboy’ from Wonderbound. | Photo: Amanda Tipton Photography

Wonderbound new season announced

Wonderbound announced its upcoming season last week:

Garrett Ammon’s Rock Ballets 

October 16-26

Queen. The Stones. Bowie. Three iconic Garrett Ammon creations featuring high octane dance and killer soundtracks.

Holidays at the Hideaway Hotel

December 11-21

A new Garrett Ammon black comedy about the holidays run amok. Think Wes Anderson meets the Cohen Brothers meets David Lynch. Featuring an eclectic soundtrack performed live by the legendary Erik Deutsch (The Black Crowes) and an all-star band, this production delivers a holiday experience like no other.

Garrett Ammon’s Decadent Desires

February 26-March 8

This original Garrett Ammon creation will plunge into a world of lavish temptation and audacious encounters of the roaring 20s. But indulgence and excess carry consequences. Featuring live music by the brilliant Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra (CJRO) reimagining the music of George Gershwin and other celebrated composers of the era.

Clay Rose & Garrett Ammon’s The Sandman – A Newfangled Western

May 7-17

With live music performed by the Gasoline Lollipops, this epic adventure chronicles the journey of characters ripped from the lyrics of the incomparable Clay Rose. The Sandman is a gritty saga of love, loss, and redemption.