Dance: In Wonderbound’s latest, Greek gods play matchmaker during The Depression

It’s the 1930s. There’s a depression. Things are grim. While history sent Franklin D. Roosevelt to the rescue, Wonderbound, Denver’s modern dance company, has decided to go with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.

In the company’s new production, “Aphrodite’s Switchboard,” the goddess and her sidekick, Hermes, the messenger of the gods, descend from Mount Olympus with the aim of bringing a little love into a drab, work-a-day-when-you-can-get-it world.

Aphrodite lands a job as a switchboard operator and starts making connections between people, some with unexpected and unintended results. Hermes gets a job as — what else? — a messenger.

Powering the full-length dance story is original music, written in a cabin outside Fairplay, by the Denver band Chimney Choir, a group known to blend electronic beats and folk harmonies often in dreamlike songs.

“The music has truly led the way with ‘Aphrodite’s Switchboard,’ giving us the opportunity to experiment with composition techniques and instrumentation,” said Kevin Larkin of Chimney Choir.

“Aphrodite’s Switchboard” will be performed at three Denver metro-area theaters between Feb. 9 and Feb. 24.

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If you go:

Wonderbound’s “Aphrodite’s Switchboard” will be performed at the Performing Arts Complex of the Pinnacle Charter School, 1001 W. 84 Avenue, Denver, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be bought online.

It will be performed at the PACE Center, Parker Arts, Culture & Events, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave., Parker, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be bought online.

It will be performed at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 East Iliff Ave., Denver Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be bought online.

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