by Joanna Plucinska and Stav Ziv
Samantha Jakus is a dancer. But instead of plies and pirouettes, she crashes into walls and dodges spinning metal contraptions. It’s the signature style of Streb Extreme Action Company, a dance company based out of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, of which Jakus is a member.
Elizabeth Streb founded the Streb Extreme Action Company in 1985. The company has toured around the world, performing both onstage and outdoors. At the most recent summer Olympics in London, Streb’s performances included a walk down the exterior of London’s 148-foot City Hall, a dance suspended on the spokes of the London Eye, and a three-tiered human fountain.
This spring, Streb is touring its show, “Forces,” which aims to explain “the story of action.” The tour will take them around the U.S., with the company returning for performances in Brooklyn in May and June.
