Born to Fly

Premiered May 11, 2015

Directed by

Catherine Gund

Born to Fly traces the evolution of choreographer and “extreme action architect“ Elizabeth Streb and her more than 30 years of movement philosophy.

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About the Documentary

As a choreographer of dance and performance art, Elizabeth Streb has consistently pushed the boundaries of her craft. Her work openly questions why dance can’t be explosive, action oriented, and extreme, yet just as captivating as ballet. Over the years she has worked to create a unique performance company that melds the physical with the sublime, and her troupe’s fearless performances in both public and private spaces challenge the notion of what the body can do.

Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity is the story of the groundbreaking choreographer sometimes called “the Evel Knievel of dance.” In over 30 years of practice, she has pioneered a movement form called “POPACTION,” which is couched in the exploration of human potential – both physical and emotional.

As seen in the film, Streb’s dancers become part acrobat, part gymnast, and part extreme thrill seeker as they walk on walls, dive through glass, and move so fast they seem to disappear and fly. Born to Fly culminates with Streb and her dancers preparing and presenting gravity-defying performances in London’s Cultural Olympiad leading up to the 2012 Olympics.

The Filmmaker

Catherine Gund is an Emmy-nominated producer, director, writer, and organizer. Her media work focuses on arts and culture, HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, the environment, and other social justice issues. Her films have screened around the world in festivals, theaters, museums, and schools; on PBS, Discovery’s Planet Green, and the Sundance Channel. Before Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity, Gund directed What’s on Your Plate?, a critically-acclaimed multimedia project about kids and food politics, featuring a documentary, book, and standards-based curriculum.
Gund’s previous works include Motherland Afghanistan (PBS broadcast); A Touch of Greatness (Best Documentary Award: Hamptons Film Festival, Ohio Film Festival, and Denver International Film Festival; PBS broadcast; Emmy nomination); and Hallelujah! Ron Athey: A Story of Deliverance. In 1996, she co-founded the Third Wave Foundation, which targets grants and programs to young women between 15 and 30, as well as Aubin Pictures, a non-profit media production company, which promotes cultural and social awareness and change. Gund lives with her four children in New York City.

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