Wonderbound Theater

Background

Contemporary dance company, Wonderbound, showed a courage uncharacteristic of not-for-profit performing arts institutions when it purchased a rehearsal and performance space to fulfill its artistic vision. Wonderbound transformed a 1923 airplane hangar in Denver, Colorado’s Northeast Park Hill neighborhood into a one-of-a-kind performance space, securing its future as an inimitable, non-traditional performing arts company creating dance works to live pop and rock music with multimedia technology. As the second largest dance company in Denver, Wonderbound has made a home for itself inside the massive, 16,000+ square-foot building, which houses the dance company’s offices, rehearsal space and theater, featuring 6,123-square-feet of continuous dance surface including an intimate audience chamber and integrated space for live music.

As a professional contemporary ballet company with 14–16 full-time dancers performing up to 36 shows annually, Wonderbound required a flooring system that could support the unique health and safety concerns of elite professional dancers throughout daily rehearsals, live performances and complex staging, all within a unified, flexible environment.

Project Highlights

Location: Denver, Colorado

Facility Size: 16,000+ SF

Flooring System: L-Evate™ Premium

Benefits: Enhanced force management, vibration control, uniform response and reduced dancer fatigue

Challenge

The renovation process began during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 era, when supply chain disruptions created significant challenges across the construction industry. Wonderbound initially specified a traditional dance flooring provider based overseas, widely considered the industry standard. However, after placing the order, the dance company was notified that delivery would be delayed by several months, well beyond the theater’s scheduled crucial opening night event.With construction nearing completion and a firm timeline for reopening, Wonderbound needed an immediate solution.At the same time, the project itself presented unique technical challenges. Over the years, the building had been added onto, and there was a significant difference in the building’s concrete slab depression at the expansion point. The theater’s design combined multiple functional areas including the stage, rehearsal space and audience chamber into one continuous footprint. Based on the advice of their previous flooring company, Wonderbound was asked to compromise its vision and agree to plans that called for separate flooring depths and systems in the different building sections.Beyond the aesthetic quality of one continuous floor, inconsistencies and lack of uniformity in a dance surface pose significant risks of serious injury for dancers and limited Wonderbound’s artistic possibilities in how the space could be used.

Solution

Wonderbound connected with Robbins and was referred to its regional Authorized Dealer partner Ponder Flooring, where President Abby Mitchell worked closely with Robbins’ Dance and Performing Arts team to develop a custom solution.

Robbins specified L-Evate™ Premium (formerly DanzAire®), a high-performance sprung floor system engineered to provide a consistent biomechanical experience for its dancers to include force management, uniform response and vibration control across the entire surface.

Unlike the original plan required by the previous flooring company, Robbins and Ponder Flooring were able to install a single, continuous floor system across the entire theater, eliminating transitions between performance and audience areas. This ensured that dancers would experience the same level of support and responsiveness regardless of where they moved within the space and embraced the full artistic potential of the entire space.

To accommodate the building’s structural conditions, including slab depressions and the integration of retractable seating, Ponder Flooring implemented a series of custom shimming and subfloor adjustments. Strategic solid blocking was also incorporated beneath seating areas to support heavy loads without compromising performance in surrounding spaces.

The result was a fully integrated system that balanced structural demands with the needs of professional dancers and the company’s full artistic vision.

Built for Performance

For dancers, the floor they perform on needs to work with them and their movement to become an extension of their bodies.

L-Evate Premium is designed around Robbins’ core performance principles of force management, uniformity and vibration control. These elements work together to reduce stress on joints, minimize fatigue and help prevent injury over time.

This level of performance was immediately noticeable to Wonderbound’s leadership.

Dawn Fay, President of Wonderbound and a former professional dancer with a world-class, 20-year career, had performed on stages around the world. Her experience made the difference clear.

“Having danced on floors across the U.S. and Europe, I was incredibly impressed. This floor is very kind to the body. I didn’t feel the same impact I had experienced in the past, and our dancers immediately responded to it.”

The system’s ability to absorb shock without over-rebound allows dancers to move naturally, supporting everything from jumps and lifts to intricate partnering work.

Speed, Flexibility and Execution

Beyond performance, timing was critical.

After first contact in early December, Robbins and Ponder Flooring mobilized quickly. Within weeks, wood materials milled and manufactured in the United States were prepared, delivered and installed, allowing Wonderbound to stay on track for its scheduled reopening.

The entire flooring system was completed before the arrival of the theater’s retractable seating, which had also been delayed due to global supply chain issues. This coordination ensured that installation could proceed without disruption.

Experience

Wonderbound officially opened its new theater on May 8, 2023, with a fully integrated performance space designed to support both artistic vision and physical performance.

Today, the theater serves as a hub for contemporary dance, live music and community engagement, hosting rehearsals, performances and collaborative productions throughout the year.

The continuous L-Evate Premium floor allows dancers to move freely across the entire space without adjusting to changes in surface response, supporting both performance quality and long-term health.

A New Perspective on Dance Flooring

For decades, the dance industry has relied on a narrow set of established flooring options. Wonderbound’s project demonstrates that high-performance alternatives not only exist but can deliver even greater results when paired with the right expertise and execution.

Through collaboration, engineering and a willingness to rethink traditional approaches, Robbins Dance and Performing Arts helped bring a complex vision to life. And in doing so, provided a foundation built not just for dancer health and performance, but for longevity.