CriticalDance Forum

More Elizabeth STREB at M.I.T. ->

"Visiting action figure sets students in motion

Sarah H. Wright, News Office
October 25, 2004

Elizabeth Streb, dancer, choreographer and all-round action artist, shared her research on extreme movement, music and mindful mayhem with the MIT community during a three-day visit Oct. 18 through 21. "

more-> http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/streb.html

Great articles. Thanks for posting!

Here's a link to a story on the recent injury to deeAnn Nelson:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/arts/dance/02stre.html

Ms. Nelson has a great attitude. I hope her recovery goes well with no complications.

I have to wonder where -- if anywhere -- the line should be drawn. Is there a point where we cross from artistic innovation to irresponsibility?

Considereing how long the company has been doing this and that this is their first really serious injury, I think they are being pretty responsible already. Streb is known for it's daredevel violence, to water it down because of the injury to one dancer would not be in the company's artistic interest.

Streb's Stunners, Bartlett's Flotations in New Show
By Philip W. Sandstrom
Copyright 2007 Philip W. Sandstrom

My other favorite on the program is Bartlett's "Extreme Gravity/Cascade," in which the performers perch upon a narrow truss-like beam and are pulled up toward the ceiling by powerful winch motors. They slowly ascend toward the roof, lying on their bellies. Tension increases as the dancers are elevated many feet above the stage. Just as the truss seems too high for a comfortable escape, the eight dancers, one by one, flop off their perch belly first, slamming onto the padded stage below. With only one dancer left on the truss, it finally stops its ascent near the ceiling, about 20 feet above the mat. Just to put things in perspective, an eight-foot drop can kill you if you land improperly, e.g. on your head. Bartlett, as that last man, belly-flops off the beam, his 20-foot descent seeming to take forever; another gasp was in order.
more-> http://www.danceinsider.com/f2007/f0606_1.html

It is true, there is inherent danger in STREB. The inside joke for the company motto is "Safety Third"... the odd thing is she got hurt doing a rather "undangerous" move compared to what could happen in some of the other pieces.

Accidents happen. Tina Le Blanc blew out her knee a few weeks ago in Don Quixote doing something completely mundane, not a "trick" at all. I sprained my ankle the first time walking down stairs. The best rock climber in the world in the 1990's was killed in a car crash. Evan when you plan you can get injured. It just happens.

Anyway, my best healing vibes go out to Ms. Nelson. I hope she is able to keep dancing.

She's doing amazingly.
Walks around, laughs alot. the surgery was a complete success.

www.deeAnnNelson.com for updates on her recovery, place to leave her comments, address to send her a card etc.

Great news, epist. Thanks for the updates and the link. Good luck with your upcoming performances.

Body: The Buzz, 7-5: Gratitude
Streb Fires Bartlett
By Paul Ben-Itzak
Copyright 2007 The Dance Insider

"How Elizabeth Streb says Thanks"

"On June 19, Terry Dean Bartlett says, the very day the STREB associate director and 10-year company veteran sent out a press release announcing a benefit concert he had organized for a Streb dancer who fractured her spine while performing in a Streb concert -- Dances for deeAnn: A Benefit for a Broken Back -- Elizabeth Streb fired him..."

for complete article, click->
http://www.danceinsider.com/chevalier/c070507.html

Oddly, we find that Ms. Streb was not in attendance at the benefit, and when asked about Bartlett´s organizing of the benefit, for Ms. Nelson, in the June 2nd NY Times article regarding Ms. Nelson´s injury, Streb responded: "We're a little upset about that. (referring to the benefit)... It wasn't really something the company had organized."

hmmm...

"A Troupe Known for Daredevil Choreography Copes With a Casualty
June 2, 2007, Saturday
By DANIEL J. WAKIN (NYT);
Performers in the dance company Streb Extreme Action fling themselves against plexiglass or sail off a trampoline and land facedown on a mat. They yank themselves around on ropes and dodge swinging cinder blocks. Some shows are subtitled “Slam,” and a company motto is “Dance, Danger, Action!”

Such high-octane movement risks serious injury, and two weeks ago it happened. The Streb dancer deeAnn Nelson, 28, landed hard on her back during a performance of a work called “Surface” and crushed a vertebra. She underwent surgery and now has a metal rod permanently embedded in her back, ending her career with the company but not, she hopes, in dance.

more-> http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/02/arts/ ... 85&ei=5070

Hmmm, this really does not reflect well on Ms. Streb, does it. I had not thought her so petty.

This provides amplification of the axiom, "No good deed shall go unpunished."

...Which brings up the question, "Why not?"