yaa | ya (y+AH): to call or attract; often said before calling someone’s name to get their attention.
samar (‘sum’ + ‘are’): evening conversation, sleepless night, night of entertainment





14
Years
29
Cities
10
Countries
4
Continents
“Samar Haddad King deftly melds styles from hip-hop and ballet to social dance and acrobatics.”
- Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun Times


















“The YSDT dancers move like this often, tender yet aggressive; tenacious yet desperate. The body subverts itself, becoming both weapon and wound.”
- Cleo Abramian, Hyperallergic
Current works
3 x 13 Film
Last Ward
The Playground
Against a Hard Surface
bound
"Samar Haddad King’s propulsive choreography [is] equal parts rave stomping and sensuous writhing."
- Bob Verini, New York Stage Review
Programs
In-person
“The process the dancers went through creating Getting there, staying here was transforming. I watched Samar push the [Hubbard Street] second company both physically and emotionally. There was a visible growth of artistry.”
- Taryn Kaschock Russell, The Juilliard School





SPRING 2021
YSDT PLAY: IMPROVISATION/TECHNIQUE CLASS (English/Arabic)March 31, 2021 @ 11am EDT/ 18:00 Palestine (GMT+2)Led by Arzu Salman and Yousef Sbeih FREE/by donation
Live on Zoom/RSVP required YSDT PLAY: IMPROVISATION/TECHNIQUE CLASS for children (Arabic)March 31, 2021 @ 13:00 Palestine (GMT+2)
Led by Mohammed Smahneh In-Person Askadar (Nablus) YSDT PLAY: IMPROVISATION/TECHNIQUE CLASS for teens (Arabic)April 4, 2021 @ 13:00 Palestine (GMT+2)
Led by Mohammed SmahnehIn-Person Askadar (Nablus)
Samar Haddad King, guest lecturer for Dance and Culture @ UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA April 6, 2021 YSDT PLAY: IMPROVISATION/TECHNIQUE CLASS for teens (Arabic)April 11, 2021 @ 13:00 Palestine (GMT+2)
Led by Mohammed SmahnehIn-PersonAskadar (Nablus) YSDT PLAY: IMPROVISATION/TECHNIQUE CLASS (English/Arabic)April 14, 2021 @ 11am EDT/ 18:00 Palestine (GMT+2)
Led by Yukari Osaka and Samaa Wakeem FREE/by donation
Live on Zoom/RSVP required YSDT PLAY: IMPROVISATION/TECHNIQUE CLASS (English/Arabic)April 28, 2021 @ 11am EDT/ 18:00 Palestine (GMT+2)
Led by Mohammed Smahneh and Zoe Rabinowitz FREE/by donation
Live on Zoom/RSVP required YSDT Master Class: Against a Hard Surface (English) A FREE on-demand repertory master class led by founding company member Yukari Osaka featuring choreography from Against a Hard Surface. YSDT Master Class: Against a Hard Surface (Japanese) A FREE on-demand repertory master class led by founding company member Yukari Oskaka featuring choreography from Against a Hard Surface.
“King's choreography is dynamic and athletic"
- Nancy Grossman, Broadway World









“[YSDT] defines the space within which human relationships take place. They shape the landscape of expectation and hope.... What ensues is unique, free of easy classification, and beautiful."
- Sara J. Hart, Explore Dance


Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT (2019) Chaillot - théâtre national de la Danse, Paris, France (2018) Baryshnikov Arts Center, New York, NY (2018)Dance Initiative, Carbondale, CO (2018)Palestinian Museum, Bir Zeit, Palestine (2017) LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Queens, NY (2008/9 & 2010/11) Queens Museum, Queens, NY (2007) Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York, NY (2005/6)


“The combination of the dramatic subject matter and the technical ability and experience of [King's] dancers makes for an undeniable explosive combination.”
-Amanda Keller, idanz









