Bill T. Jones and Bjorn Amelan to Receive STREB's Action Maverick Award, 5/8

What is an Action Maverick? An original. A person that breaks the rules, re-interprets or establishes new parameters of their craft. A risk taker. A hero. Each year STREB honors the courage, strength, openness, and interdependence that both STREB and SLAM embody as we honor a fellow Action Maverick. This year's honorees are one of the most celebrated dancers/choreographers of the last century, Bill T. Jones and his enormously talented sculptor/designer partner, Bjorn Amelan. The evening is again hosted by wickedly funny satirist, Kate Clinton, with her customary sass and wit. Cynthia Mayeda serves as Honorary Chair. It begins at 7pm with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and a Silent Auction. Dinner and the Awards ceremony begins at 8pm, including a Live Auction and special performances by Indie String Quartet ETHEL and the STREB Extreme Action Company

Two-time Tony Award winning legendary choreographer, Bill T. Jones, has also received a MacArthur "Genius" grant among countless other honors and his vast and robust body of work incorporates risk in every breath. Mr. Jones choreographed and performed worldwide with his late partner, Arnie Zane, before forming the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in 1982. He has created more than 140 works for his company. In 2011, Mr. Jones was named Executive Artistic Director of New York Lives Arts. Sculptor and Set Designer, Bjorn G. Amelan began his collaboration with Bill T. Jones in 1993. He has designed sets for numerous works by Bill T. Jones, including: Green and Blue(1997) for the Lyon Opera Ballet; How! Do! We! Do! (1999) for Bill T. Jones and Jessye Norman, in conjunction with the Lincoln Center's Great Performers New Visions series; We Set Out Early... Visibility Was Poor (1997), among many others. He is the recipient of a 2001 "Bessie" for his designs of The Breathing Show and The Table Project. Bill T. Jones and Bjorn Amelan, partners in work and partners in life have crafted a loving, daring and imaginative alliance.

Funds raised from the Action Maverick Benefit support free and low cost SLAM programming, numerous community partnerships and creative collaborations that change lives. Each year at SLAM, 7,000 artists and students of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds push internal and external boundaries to create a unique and growing community through Extreme Action. Previous Action Maverick Award Recipients include Snøhetta, Bettina Drummond, Diana Nyad, Trisha Brown, Cheryl Stearns, Hugh Herr, Noe and Ivan Espana and Philippe Petit.