Combining dance, athletics, rodeo, the circus and Hollywood-style stunt work into one amazing live performance, the “Extreme Action Heroes” of Streb are scheduled for a gravity-defying performance at 7:30 p.m. April 11 the Lied Center for Performing Arts.
Founded in 1985 by Elizabeth Streb, the Streb Extreme Action Co. tours extensively throughout the United States and internationally presenting performances and residencies and conducts year-round activity at its home studio/laboratory, the Streb Lab for Action Mechanics in Brooklyn, N.Y. The company is perhaps best known for its death-defying performances at the 2012 London Olympics.
“Streb is one of the most unique dance companies in the industry today,” said Bill Stephan, executive director of the Lied Center. “Their cutting-edge, dangerous talent will take your breath away.”
The company is committed to presenting its work in traditional and non-traditional venues and has been seen in public spaces throughout New York and across the country, such as Vanderbilt Hall in New York’s Grand Central Terminal, the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center in New York, in front of the Cyclone at Coney Island, on the mall outside the Smithsonian Institution, during a Minnesota Twins-New York Yankees game at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, in the anchorage under the Brooklyn Bridge, during intermission of the International Squash Tournament finals and at the State of Illinois Center in Chicago.
Streb dancers will also lead an extensive three-day residency with UNL students majoring in dance, computer science and engineering, and architecture. A group of students from each discipline are collaborating on a presentation centering on technology, science, design and movement. They will present their work to Streb dancers upon their arrival in Lincoln and under the expert guidance of Streb, will continue to develop the work until it is presented to the general public in the Lied’s Johnny Carson Theater at 6:30 p.m. April 11, prior to Streb’s main stage performance. The performance is open to Streb ticket holders on a first-come, first-served basis. The entrance to the Carson Theater is one-half block north of 11th and Q streets.
“The Lied Center and the University of Nebraska make every effort to connect our students with the many artistic masters that visit Lincoln,” Stephan said. “We were thrilled that Streb was able to devote so much time to our students. This is going to be such a unique and unforgettable performance for all of the students involved.”
The showcase will feature an exhibition of architectural designs created by UNL students, choreography developed by UNL dancers featuring found objects and props, and robots from UNL’s NIMBUS Lab. A video of students and faculty preparing for the collaboration can be seen at http://youtu.be/jQdWGPcpMWc.
“Part of my delight that Streb is coming for a residency with our dancers is the creative boost we are getting,” said Susan Levine Ourada, associate professor and area head of dance at UNL. “We’re making dance duets with large props and also collaborating with the computer engineers, both as homages to Streb and her work. These investigations push everyone’s creative edges and it’s gorgeous to watch the processes unfold. We can’t wait to see what Ms. Streb has to say about our efforts.”
This presentation is made possible in part with support from Liberty First Credit Union, the Nebraska Lottery, the MetLife Community Connections Fund of the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project and by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Major support for the National Dance Project is also provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Residency activities are funded, in part, by the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts and the Hixson-Lied endowment.
Tickets for the Streb performance, starting at $34 for adults and $17 for students, are available at http://www.liedcenter.org, at the Lied Center Box Office, 301 N. 12th St., or by phone at 402-472-4747.
