Background to Elizabeth Steb

Streb was born and raised in Rochester, New York and, after graduating from the dance program of State University of New York at Brockport in 1972, she was interested in experimental works and worked and performed for many years with investigational groups including Molissa Fenley’s.

She also worked and performed with Margaret Jenkins in San Francisco for two years before relocating back to New York City In 1975, upon her arrival in New York City, Streb created her dance company STREB/ Ringside.

Streb received a 1996 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award. In 1997, she was awarded a fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (sometimes called a “Genius” grant), two New York Dance and Performance (Bessie) Awards, and grants from John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Mellon Foundation.

In 2003, Streb established SLAM (Streb Lab for Action Mechanics) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn which created a new outlet for the community where people could come and watch rehearsals and even participate in classes. She also published her documentary "Streb: Pop Action" showcasing some of the rehearsals and dances she has created at SLAM and giving insight into her life and career. In 2010, Streb's book, How to Become an Extreme Action Hero, was published by The Feminist Press.

Elizabeth Streb/Ringside, Elizabeth Streb, The New Yorker (December 22 and 29, 1997)

personal ideas: From this person, I learn more about Dancing and the new type of the modern dance, the ideas and the meaning of dancing nowadays.

I understand the serious production for each dance and the audience in different time period have different reflection with styles.

As we learn in class, with the development of dance, lots of amazing type of dance appears in the history, and also have the creation now, and it is more amazing. I really like Elizabeth Steb, and her style of dance.