Portland Ovations presents the precision choreography and daredevil athleticism of Elizabeth Streb's STREB Extreme Action Company on Wednesday, October 27th at Merrill Auditorium. This presentation, entitled Raw, is a compilation of a series of what Streb calls Action Events, and it begins at the family-friendly time of 7 p.m.
Known as the Evel Knievel of dance, and the originator of Pop Action choreography,
Elizabeth Streb has been on fire... literally. She favors black pleather over pink tutus, faux hawks over braids, and her Harley over pretty much anything else. Her award-winning work incorporates radical moves with names like skudges, pops, X-flips, rebounds, near collisions, sparkles, body slams and suicide dives. She's a pioneer with a unique vision inspired not only by traditional dance disciplines, but also by athletics, boxing, the rodeo, the circus and Hollywood stunt-work. Her dancers, STREB Extreme Action Company, are the action heroes of dance and bring to Portland a heart-stopping performance that is sure to amaze the whole family.
As for literally being on fire, Streb tells the story in her new book, How to Become an Extreme Action Hero. She writes about accidentally lighting herself on fire during a performance at a birthday party. The fire was intended to extinguish as she landed on it, but instead she ended up fully ablaze.
"Walking around New York City the next day, I felt like a hero," she states in the book. "I had gone further than taking a hook out of an eel's stomach. I had been on fire. I looked at complete strangers on the street and thought, you don't realize this, but yesterday I was on fire." She was not seriously injured during the incident.
As part of a continuing and expanding effort to enhance the community's experience with the performing arts, Ovations Offstage plans three additional events related to the presentation of STREB Extreme Action Company.
First, both student and professional dancers are invited to take part in a Masterclass at 11:30 a.m. on October 27th with members of the dance company. The class takes place at the Portland Arts & Technology High School. The focus of the Masterclass is
Elizabeth Streb's Pop Action style of movement. Dancers taking part acquire new skills by exploring the unique challenges of Streb's choreography. The method suits all body types, ages, and levels of experience. Interested dancers should contact Gretchen Berg, Community Outreach Coordinator, at 773.3150 or by email at gberg@portlandovations.org. There is a $25 fee per person to register.
Second, a free pre-performance lecture entitled Extreme Action: Points of Reference will take place in the Merrill Auditorium Rehears
Al Hall starting at 5:30 p.m. on October 27th. Paul Sarvis, Senior Lecturer in Dance Performance at Bowdoin College, discusses the work of artists like Streb who have staged extravagant displays of risk and effort and wrestled with the tension between vulnerability and mastery.
Third, members of STREB Extreme Action Company will remain for a few moments in Merrill Auditorium for a brief question and answer session with audience members, immediately after the performance. All audience members are welcome to stay and participate.
Portland Ovations' presentation of STREB Extreme Action Company is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
For tickets, contact PortTix, the Merrill Auditorium box office, in person at 20 Myrtle Street in Portland; or by phone at 207.842.0800. Tickets are also available online at www.portlandovations.org. Prices range from $27 to $38 for Ovations Members, $30 to $42 for the general public, and a very limited number of $20 student tickets remain available to any full-time college or grade school student.
For high resolution photos of STREB Extreme Action Company, visit the 'press' link on Ovations' website, www.portlandovations.org. More information about
Elizabeth Streb and STREB Extreme Action Company is available at www.streb.org.
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