EXTREME ACTION HEROES
The members of Elizabeth Streb’s company, STREB EXTREME ACTION, combine virtuosity and technical skill with openhearted popular appeal. Founded in New York City in 1985 by choreographer Elizabeth Streb, the company has traveled, artistically as well as geographically, from the heights of the experimental dance world to the cutting-edge of popular entertainment.
“If dancers are the athletes of God, Streb’s members are the gladiators. Flipping, tumbling, leaping marvels, they perform one arduous feat after another, putting their brawny bodies through punishing routines that leave their audiences grimacing and shielding their eyes.”
Claudia La Rocco, The New York Times
- Cassandre JosephCo-Artistic Director/Director of Corporate and Program Development
Cassandre Joseph (She/Her/Hers) was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Her investigation in movement began at the age of four with the sport of gymnastics. Over a span of twenty years as a competitive gymnast, she earned several state and regional titles. She graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in English Literature and studied journalism at Temple University’s graduate communications program. She joined STREB in 2007 as an instructor and company member. In September 2017, Cassandre Joseph was appointed Associate Artistic Director of STREB Extreme Action, and also oversees SLAM’s education program. As a performer, she has been seen ziplining across the Park Avenue Armory, scaling the walls of the Bergdorf building and dancing on the spokes of the London Eye. Cassandre has been the Creative Director of the STREB Kid Company since 2010 for which she has choreographed and self-produced three evening length works: Heroes (2015), Momentum (2016) and Navigation (2017). She is a strong believer in the transformative power of movement and is passionate about empowering young people to push boundaries and expand their notions of what is possible. When she is not seen in a rehearsal, teaching classes or creating action events at SLAM, she can be found training her daughter Nia to be a mini-action hero.
- Nailah CunninghamAction Hero
Nailah Cunningham (They/Them) was raised in the weird city of Portland, Oregon. At a young age, following in their sister’s steps, they began their movement training at a nonprofit arts school, Portland Metro Arts, where they trained in ballet and modern dance. In 2017 they chose to pursue movement as a career and moved to New York to start training on scholarship at The Ailey School. In 2019 Nailah was honored to perform at Lincoln Center with the company in Alvin Ailey’s Memoria before graduating in 2020. Throughout 2021 they worked with 98 Art Collective as their featured movement artist. Nailah joined STREB in March 2022. They are very excited to push their limits and learn to fly.
- D’Sherrick WilliamsAction Hero
Born and raised in Marshall, Texas, D’Sherrick (Dee) Williams (He/Him/His) spent his childhood spinning in colorguard and kicking in Karate. In 2022, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Dance from Northwestern State University. D’Sherick has studied various dance forms, including Hip-Hop, Modern, Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Partnering. D’Sherrick spent the summer of 2021 in Canada teaching dance at a camp for the arts. There, he furthered his pedagogic skills as well as his deep love for choreography and free, raw movement. D’Sherrick can be seen spending his free time skateboarding, playing one of his many instruments, or working as a fireman at his local fire station.
ANDREA LAISUREAction HeroAndrea Laisure (she/her) is from Long Island, NY where she competed in gymnastics and judo before starting dance in High School. She graduated from Muhlenberg College with majors in International Studies and Spanish with a concentration in Public Health. There, she found a passion for aerial arts. Having just completed a full time circus program at Aircraft Circus Academy in London, Andrea is excited to take her love of flipping, flying, and dancing to STREB this season!!
SARAH PEREZAction HeroSarah Perez is a dance artist from France where she earned gold medals at the France National Dance competitions. With her crew, she finished 2nd in France at the international hip-hop competition, one of the most prestigious competitions in the world, qualifying her for the world championship finals in Phoenix. Sarah recently graduated from the Peridance Certificate Program and has performed in videos for monotronic, Caural, Ryan serhant, Sabrina Lonis, and for brands Sony alpha and RSVLT.
Kai RizzutoAction HeroHomegrown in Brooklyn, New York, Kai Rizzuto (He/Him) started his movement journey at age 4 at the STREB Lab for Action Mechanics. He trained at SLAM for 12 years, where he became a founding member of the STREB Kid Company. In 2012, Kai began training in hip hop dance at The Beacon School, and eventually continued to SUNY Purchase where he majored in Mechanical Sound Engineering and Design and was named a student director of Sabotage Dance Team for three years. Kai is grateful to have found his way back to STREB in 2022 and is excited to be living a lifelong dream of performing with the STREB EXTREME ACTION company!
Jaylen TaylorAction HeroJaylen Taylor (He/Him/Friend) is from Canton, MS. He is a proud 2023 graduate of New York University Steinhardt’s Dance Education program, with a MA in Teaching Dance in the Professions: ABT Pedagogy. Mr. Taylor is a 2021 graduate of The Jackson State University where he received a Bachelors in Journalism and Media Studies with a concentration in Integrated Marketing. During his tenure at JSU he was a member of the JSU Cheer and Tumbling Squad, PRAM, Men of Excellence, Transfer Ambassador, Mr Debonair for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., also served as the president of the Delta Psi Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. and the Secretary for the NPHC. Mr. Taylor has performed in Italy and on world-renowned stages such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. At NYU he was a member of NYU’s Cheer Competition Team, a peer representative for SDEA at, and actively represented for the Steinhardt Dance Program.
Tré HuntAction HeroTré Hunt (He/Him) , 23, was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. He was always interested in the arts, dance especially. Since high school, he’s been a member of Montage Theatre of dance with Hinds Community College where he trained, a member of the Jackson State University cheer and tumbling squad, and a member of the Mississippi Raiders professional cheer team. He aspires to pursue a career in professional dance, choreography and creative direction in entertainment and music.
Nicky KhorAction HeroOriginally from Penang, Malaysia, Nicky Khor (He/Him) is an NYC-based comedian, actor, and now dancer. A life-long movement enthusiast, he began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2015, having recently expanded into gymnastics and PopAction as well. He is a professional role-player in both medical and legal simulations and can be seen performing weekly at Batsu! a Japanese-inspired improv show in New York’s East Village. Alumni of Whitman College, NTI Theatermakers, and the Apprentice Company at Horizon Theatre. Nicky is immensely grateful to learn from and fly with his fellow Action Heroes. Legend has it he’s the reason the Mona Lisa smiles.
To Book STREB EXTREME ACTION, Contact Booking Manager Anne McDougall: anne@streb.org
To Book Elizabeth Streb for Speaking Engagements, Contact Company Manager Summer Stanley: summer@streb.org
TIME MACHINE
Emerging from the pandemic with a newfound appreciation for their past, the STREB Extreme Action Company revisits their roots with a retrospective of Elizabeth Streb’s classic solos from the 70s and 80s, early equipment experimentations from the 90s, and extreme action opuses with the large scale “action machines” which the company has since become known for from the early 21st century. This historic look back not only provides a sense of grounding, and an instructional DNA for how Streb built to human flight, but it sows the company’s soil for new seeds of extreme action to germinate as they push boundaries into the future. Time Machine premiered at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2021.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Bring the Extreme Action to your next event.
For forty years, STREB has performed in theaters large and small, served as artists-in-residence at the world’s top art museums, and taken its work into the streets and sports stadiums. The company has also taken their signature extreme action to iconic locations including Grand Central Station, Coney Island’s fairground, the Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage, Madison Square Garden, the mall outside the Smithsonian Institution and more.
SPECIAL THANKS to all the former STREB Action Heroes whose contributions and movements live on in our hearts, bodies and minds, and continue to inform our actions:
Jason Jaworski, Alma Langley, Guadeloupe Martinez, Liam Clancy, Christine Knight, Adolpho Pati, Ned Malouf, Soldana Rivera, Mark Robison, Paula Gifford*, John Landes, Katrina Birchfield, Brain Levy, Gary Lutes, Jorge Collazo, Peter LaRose, Henry Beer, Jane Setteducatto, Nancy Alfaro, Daniel MacIntosh, Joseph Arias, Diann Sichell, Boris Willis, Michael Schwartz, Christine McQuade, Matthew Stromberg, Brandon O’Dell, Hope Clark*, Albert Elmore Jr., Christopher Batenhorst, Brian Brooks, Sheila Carreras Branson, Lisa Dalton, Eli McAfee, Nikita Maxwell, Weena Pauly, Chantel Deeble, Jonah Spear, Aaron Henderson, deeAnn Nelson, Terry Dean Bartlett*, Christine Chen, Yushemepree Spencer, Ami Ipapo, Kevin Lindsay, Sarah Donnelly, Chris Lee, Sarah Callan, John Kasten, Samantha Jakus, Justina Grayman, Leonardo Giron*, Matthew McEwan, Jamarious Stewart, Loganne Bond, Fabio Tavares*, Felix Hess, Marcus Smith, Chance Hill, Sophia Wade, Kairis Daniels, Brigitte Manga, Luciany Germán, Daniel Rysak*, Tyler DuBois, Justin Ross.
*Indicates 10+ year tenure