An immersive theatre work - we built a full scale replica of a dance hall from the 1930s inside the Russian Hall in East Vancouver. Centred around the world of the dance marathon, the piece wove audiences into an all encompassing world of music, dance, and the vagaries of life.
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
