Photo: Nico Dicecco.
Pants
Solo dance-theatre (stand-up comedy with dance breaks) by veteran dance artists Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg. Can one reimagine gender from inside a middle-aged body while standing at the playground caught in the no “man’s” land between the “moms” and the “dads”? Pants takes a deep dive into the shallow end of the gender binary through raw comedy and dance that crawls inside our “packaging”. What happens to one’s flimsy identity when one’s offspring sheds the binary before recess? Profoundly personal story-telling is delivered through alarming comedy and movement that re-
veals the heart of the matter. Created in collaboration with Kate Franklin(co-choreographer), Josh Martin (creative collaboration), and Joanna Garfinkel (dramaturge)
Photo: Nico Dicecco.
Project Created by: Tara Cheyenne Performance
Key Artistic Collaborators:
Written, performed, and choreographed by Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg.
Movement Director and Creative Collaborator: Kate Franklin
Outside Eye and Creative Collaborator: Josh Martin
Dramaturg: Joanna Garfinkel
Creative Collaborators: Daisy Thompson, Caroline Liffmann, Justine A. Chambers, Cameron Mackenzie, Ted Littlemore, Zahra Shahab.
Lighting design: James Proudfoot
Costume Design: Justine A. Chambers and Alice Mansell
Thank you's and acknowledgements:
Thank you to Wendy D. Photography and Lydia Waldmann (additional photos), Donna Spencer and the Firehall Arts Centre, Marc Stewart, Jasper Friedenberg Stewart, Alen Dominguez, Nico Dicecco, Company 605, Rae Takei, Ryan Land, Fay Nass, JD Derbyshire, Artspring, and BC Movement Arts Society.
Performance type: This work is built for theatre
How do you define this work: Dance, Dance/Theatre, Standup comedy, Multidisciplinary
Length of performance: 60 minutes
Audience type: General Audience
General Technical Requirements:LIGHTING
TCP will provide:
Guidance and assistance for any LX re-focus required
LX operator
Presenter will provide:
House hang (with paperwork in advance)
Equipment to re-focus lights in the house hang (ladder, wrench)
Access to gel stock (ideally R26, R65, and some orange or other bold colours) or RGB fixtures that can approximate these colours
LX tech to program submasters, adjust colour of LED fixtures, and assist with any re-focus required
SOUND
TCP will provide:
Qlab 4 file bundled with all audio
Apple Computer with Qlab
Presenter will provide:
PA system with sound audible for onstage seating, LR Stereo configuration
3.5mm connection to PA system
STAGE
TCP will provide:
Additional vinyl tape if needed
Presenter will provide:
Vinyl tape
Dance floor (if available), left unrolled overnight to relax before installation morning
Dry mop and a clean towel (to clean dance floor and assist with installation)
Alternative Venues/Spaces/Outdoors: Alternative indoor venues are an exciting possibility for this work. Unfortunately, outdoor venues are likely not an option for this work at this time.
Required amount of time for tech set up: Approximately 6-8 hrs.
Number of Performers on tour (including choreographer): 1
Number of Support Staff on Tour: 2
Availabilities: 2025/26, 2026/27 Season
Tara Cheyenne Performance
Since 2007, TCP has been creating and performing kinetic theatrical expressions through exquisitely realized characters, crafted choreography, a healthy dose of comedy, and lashings of tragedy. Bridging the divide between dance and theatre, we are known for our humour, pathos, cultural relevance and have been described as “a gateway drug to dance”. TCP is a leader in community engagement, audience and artist development, offering workshops, discussions, and mentorship opportunities with each project. We have been presented in Vancouver by The Cultch, The Firehall, The Dance Centre, The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts among others, and have toured extensively throughout BC. Artistic Director Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg’s choreography is a staple of the Arts Club Theatre Company, Bard on the Beach, and the PuSH Festival. Tara also mentors in a variety of programs including the Riotous Youth, SFU Contemporary Dance, Modus Operandi, The Shoe Project and our own Startle Reflex residency program.
Performance History & Upcoming Performances
Pants Premiered January 2024 at the Firehall Arts Centre, Vancouver BC.
Upcoming Presentations include May/June 2025:
Prince George, BC
Port Hardy, BC
Port McNeill, BC
Sointula, BC
Project Details
Community Engagement
Post Show Talkbacks - An opportunity for audience members to chat and ask questions with Tara after the show. These are usually most successful with a moderator. This have been particularly popular with Body Parts as it can give audience members a further chance to reflect on their own body image anecdotes and experiences.
Extended creation workshops - These are tailored to your specific community and can lead to a presentation of co-created work alongside the presentation of Pants.
Outreach Activies
Cafecito - an hour long morning practice workshop to stimulate the creative juices! Meaning "little coffee" in spanish Cafecito introduces a 60 minute cycle of timed prompts including reading, writing, & moving to warm up our creativity physically and mentally.
Talking and Dancing - 60min - 90 min. Talking and Dancing workshops can be tailored to groups with previous movement experience or with no previous movement experience. Tara walks participants through creation with her unique style of oral and physical storytelling.