Tentacle Tribe Brings DIRT to The Cultch
Dance is a good date for people who dread small talk, because nobody expects you to say a word for the first hour. Montreal company Tentacle Tribe is at The Cultch's Historic Theatre from Wednesday, November 4 to Sunday, November 8, 2026 with DIRT, a 60-minute piece that mixes hip hop, breaking, popping, martial arts and contemporary dance with puppetry. Seats were on sale for every performance on November 2, from $35 to $64.
What you are seeing
Five dancers, choreography by co-founder Elon Höglund, an original score he also wrote, and puppets by Anna Höglund and Annika Arnell. The Cultch describes the result as a hypnotic, imaginative performance that defies categorization, and says the company returns to Vancouver after the success of its earlier show PRISM.
Is this for people who think contemporary dance is not for them? More than most. The street dance vocabulary gives you something familiar to hold on to, the puppets give you something strange to talk about afterward, and at 60 minutes with no intermission it ends before anyone starts checking the time.
Tickets and timing
Evening shows are Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30pm, with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. Wednesday is opening night, and the Thursday, November 5 show at 7:30pm has a talkback. Prices run from $35 in Section C to $59 in Section A and $64 in A+, so two of the cheapest seats come to $70.
The Historic Theatre is at 1895 Venables Street. There is no elevator to the balcony, so book the main floor if stairs are an issue. The box office answers at 604-251-1363, Monday to Saturday from noon to 4pm, and door sales open 90 minutes before each show.
How we would plan the night
A 7:30pm curtain and a one-hour show leave the back half of the evening free. We would pick Thursday if you like hearing how the illusions were built, or the Saturday matinee if you would rather linger over dinner afterward. Odd Society Spirits on Powell Street is close by for a tasting flight before a Thursday to Saturday show, and La Casa Gelato is a few minutes west on Venables if you want to settle the night by arguing over 238 flavours.
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