Elizabeth Streb’s dance company Streb, famous for its athletic, gymnastic, and sometimes dangerous performances — one dancer broke her back last year — has a new show, “Slam Show X,” until Dec. 16 at her Williamsburg studio, where audiences young and old can snack on popcorn and watch slackjawed as dancers perform gravity-defying, crowd-pleasing pieces titled “Ricochet,” “Tip” (pictured), and “Crash.” strebusa.org

Bob Eckstein, humor writer and cartoonist for Spy (at one time) and The New Yorker, presents a slide show Tues., Dec. 18 at Greenpoint’s Word bookstore of his latest obsession: Snowmen, whose evolution from the 14th century to present day he details in his surprisingly sordid book, The History of the Snowman. On view will be pornographic images of Frosty and a Nazi propaganda snowman cartoon — “one of the fun little things,” said Eckstein, which make his slide show suitable only for mature audiences. We’re sure it will be informative and hilarious, particularly after some sips of complimentary spiked hot cocoa. wordbrooklyn.wordpress.com

In the same vein of demented holiday cheer, the Sprinkle Brigade is exhibiting its street photography through Dec. 23 at W-burg’s Riviera Gallery, in which dog poo figures prominently, or subtly as is the case here (click for a better view, or here for a full slideshow).

Music-wise, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists perform their power punk tonight with Kristeen Young at the Music Hall of Williamsburg at 9pm ($20; musichallofwilliamsburg.com). Experimental guitarist Marc Ribot collaborates with a video artist at Gowanus’s Issue Project Room tomorrow at 8pm ($10; issueprojectroom.org). And on Saturday, the trippy indie outfit Panda Band (not Panda Bear!) plays Luna Lounge at 10:30 ($8; lunalounge.com).

The following shows come to BAM next year, but don’t put off buying tickets. Seats for the Feb. 22 National show are sold out through row U (per Ditmas Park Blog), and our favorite freak folk harpist Joanna Newsom (pictured) will be playing with members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic on Feb. 1. Those tickets go on sale to Friends of BAM Dec. 17, and the public Jan. 2. bam.org

Buying a Friends of BAM membership (a $75 donation to BAM) is actually a great gift idea, something we went easy on this week. We weren’t anticipating that the The Brooklyn Sampler would sell out in four hours on Saturday — an incredible success thanks to readers like you who bought local. (We’ll do this again for those who missed out!) For late and last minute gifts, Design*Sponge (scroll down for it), DDDB.net, and Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn created extensive gift guides.

We’ll resume next week with ideas, particularly for the guys, but there are two sales of note on our updated DIY Gift Guide: Fort Greene’s Ai.Lov.Iu holiday art sale, featuring locally made artwork priced at $100 by photographer Jeff Amram, designer Elodie Blanchard, and more. And at 3rd Ward’s holiday craft fair in East Williamsburg this Saturday, artisans like lamp designers will be showing off their skills.

Happy Hanukkah!

Streb photo by Richard Termine.