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IN THE ARCHIVES

The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret
Presents
Hard Times Hit Parade
2011
The Village Project
2010
The Listening Jar
2008
The Valley of Ashes
2007

HARD

TIMES

HIT

PARADE

2011

The Russian Hall 

"there was a freewheeling and inclusive sense of community"

-from Colin Thomas's review

A theatrical dance marathon set in a world reminiscent of 1930s. Reflecting the economic hardship of our present time, this full-length theatre production is chalk-a-block with swing dance, cabaret, live music, puppetry and surprise. Our audience experiences 6 months of dance marathon in one night! Dancing for their livelihoods, enthusiastic couples are worn down by the tribulations of the marathon, dropping off as time progresses to leave our resilient, star couples. Haunted by their own hallucinations, inner voices and deepest desires, the hidden worlds of the contestants come to life before our very eyes. Amidst this chaos in a competition they’re determined to conquer, our contestants are faced with further challenge when the City threatens to shut down the dance marathon – a losing situation for all involved, except the marathon producers, of course. Hard Times Hit Parade is a story of cooperation, determination and survival in hard times with art, music, and dance and togetherness as unifying, uplifting food for our spirits. 

NOMINATED:

INNOVATION AWARD AT THE

2012 JESSIE RICHARDSON AWARDS

 

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Photographs by Amanda Bullick and Mark Vonesh

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What the Critics Said

"Hard Times boasts one of the most original concepts I’ve seen in recent memory and the cast is stellar in every way"

 

BRETT OWEN, Plank Magazine

"One thing’s for sure: it’s sexy."

 

COLIN THOMAS, Georgia Straight

"A hell of a hoot"

 

PETER BIRNIE, Vancouver Sun

 

"It’s terrific fun"

 

JO LEDINGHAM, Vancouver Courier

 

Photographs by Jonathan Dy

HARDTIMES

 â€‹TheVillage 

Project

2010

The Ukranian Hall 

A theatrical dance marathon set in a world reminiscent of 1930s. Reflecting the economic hardship of our present time, this full-length theatre production is chalk-a-block with swing dance, cabaret, live music, puppetry and surprise. Our audience experiences 6 months of dance marathon in one night! Dancing for their livelihoods, enthusiastic couples are worn down by the tribulations of the marathon, dropping off as time progresses to leave our resilient, star couples. Haunted by their own hallucinations, inner voices and deepest desires, the hidden worlds of the contestants come to life before our very eyes. Amidst this chaos in a competition they’re determined to conquer, our contestants are faced with further challenge when the City threatens to shut down the dance marathon – a losing situation for all involved, except the marathon producers, of course. Hard Times Hit Parade is a story of cooperation, determination and survival in hard times with art, music, and dance and togetherness as unifying, uplifting food for our spirits. 

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Photographs by Robin Hunt

An Immersive Art Installation Bazaar, Performance Cabaret, Feast and Drink

VILLAGE
LISTENING

"Open the Lid of One of These Jars Just a Crack and the Sound Escapes...Gone, Forever"

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Photographs by Robin Hunt and Christache Ross.

The Listening Jar

VALLEY

The Valley Of Ashes

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Searchers and Seekers, Travellers and Dreamers, We are the Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret"

And with those words the Storyteller began the story of The Valley of Ashes. It was the story of a boy who lived on a mountainside with his grandmother, who's dying wish was to protect a sacred seed, and find the place where it may bloom. This mission sends the boy out on an incredible journey, where he meets miners who tap dance, where an entire village changes faces every full moon. the characters played by puppets and masks and shadows and the entire perfomance was an animated multi-media fable weaving storytelling, pantomime, music, video, shadow puppetry, giant puppetry, clown, dance.

 

Set the tradition of ending every show with a riotous dance party of release and revelry.

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Photographs by Oker Chen and Christache Ross.

And with those words the Storyteller began the story of The Valley of Ashes. It was the story of a boy who lived on a mountainside with his grandmother, who's dying wish was to protect a sacred seed, and find the place where it may bloom. This mission sends the boy out on an incredible journey, where he meets miners who tap dance, where an entire village changes faces every full moon. the characters played by puppets and masks and shadows and the entire perfomance was an animated multi-media fable weaving storytelling, pantomime, music, video, shadow puppetry, giant puppetry, clown, dance.

 

Set the tradition of ending every show with a riotous dance party of release and revelry.

And with those words the Storyteller began the story of The Valley of Ashes. It was the story of a boy who lived on a mountainside with his grandmother, who's dying wish was to protect a sacred seed, and find the place where it may bloom. This mission sends the boy out on an incredible journey, where he meets miners who tap dance, where an entire village changes faces every full moon. the characters played by puppets and masks and shadows and the entire perfomance was an animated multi-media fable weaving storytelling, pantomime, music, video, shadow puppetry, giant puppetry, clown, dance.

 

Set the tradition of ending every show with a riotous dance party of release and revelry.

And with those words the Storyteller began the story of The Valley of Ashes. It was the story of a boy who lived on a mountainside with his grandmother, who's dying wish was to protect a sacred seed, and find the place where it may bloom. This mission sends the boy out on an incredible journey, where he meets miners who tap dance, where an entire village changes faces every full moon. the characters played by puppets and masks and shadows and the entire perfomance was an animated multi-media fable weaving storytelling, pantomime, music, video, shadow puppetry, giant puppetry, clown, dance.

 

Set the tradition of ending every show with a riotous dance party of release and revelry.

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