REVIEWS+

STREB

How To Become an Extreme Action Hero
by Elizabeth Streb
STREB: How To Become an Extreme Action Hero. Feminist Pr., dist. by Consortium. 2010. 144p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-55861-656-1. pap. $18.95. DANCE
COPY ISBN
Streb's lifelong passion has been to experience and understand extreme movement. Drawn to intensely physical encounters as a child, she studied dance only to find that traditional theory, training, and performance raised more questions for her. With a dream to fly and the desire to feel "real moves," or moves that are irreducible and have no alternate meaning, Streb founded STREB Extreme Action Company in 1985 and developed PopAction, a new movement vocabulary. Her eclectic inspirations include Immanuel Kant, the circus, Harry Houdini, rodeo, Eadweard Muybridge, and Philippe Petit. For her original and brilliant approach to movement and the potentials of the human body, she was given a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation fellowship, among numerous other honors.
VERDICT Streb's dynamism infuses this memoir, and her ideas will likely challenge readers' assumptions on many fronts. Highly recommended for a wide range of movement artists-dancers, choreographers, theater professionals, circus performers, and athletes.
Reviewed by Joan Stahl, librarian, George Washington's Mount Vernon, VA , Aug 01, 2010
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?