Mission Statement
Established in 1997, the Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble is a permanent collective of jazz musicians, modern dancers, and actors. Performers collaborate through an ensemble-based process to create politically-charged, original works. Strike Anywhere’s mission is to inspire empathy, creativity, and social awareness through provocative performance and innovative education. Its work is guided by the words of Bertolt Brecht, "Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it." SA performances always feature live music, physical theater and modern dance. The company applies structures and concepts from American jazz to their interdisciplinary improvisations to create performances that are engaging and alive. Strike Anywhere is the preeminent theatre company in the United States practicing Soundpainting, a universal sign-language developed by composer Walter Thompson for live composition with improvisers.
Description
Strike Anywhere tours extensively. Internationally SA has been presented at festivals and conferences in: Indonesia, France, Spain, Italy & England. The company has appeared at dozens of venues including: B.A.M., American Airlines Theater, P.S. 122, The Irondale Center, Theatre at St. Clements, Theater for the New City, Galapagos, and HERE Arts Center. National venues include: Long Center (TX), Stateside at the Paramount (TX), Goethe Institut (Washington DC), Theatre Building Chicago, Magdalena Festival (RI), KO Festival of Performance (MA), Catskill Festival of New Theatre (NY), Network of Ensemble Theatres Festival (HI, MA, ME, NC & CA) and the Fury Factory Festival (CA). Educational venues include: Bucknell University, Brown University, Penn State, Trinity College, Drew University, Hood College, Muhlenberg, N.Y.U., Pace, C.U.N.Y. and several S.U.N.Y. schools. Strike Anywhere's Artistic/Producing Director, Leese Walker, is the recipient of the 2011 BAX Arts Educator Award, the 2010 Arts Presenters Emerging Leaders Scholarship, and the prestigious 2004 APPEX Fellowship, a 6-week artistic exchange between 16 international artists in Bali, Indonesia. Strike Anywhere has been featured on Radio France, NPR, WBAI, German Public Radio and U.S., French and German television. SA is a proud member of the Network of Ensemble Theaters (N.E.T.), and the Alliance of Resident Theaters (A.R.T./NY)
