"an uncommonly deft combination of dance and verbal theater."
- Brian Seibert, The New York Times

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



Tohfe Beidas
Kristine Covillo (President)
Samar Haddad King
Ryan King (Treasurer)
Jessie Mandel
Sana Odeh
Zoe Rabinowitz (Secretary)
Nathan Trice
Dave Welty
17
Years
34
Cities
12
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
Last Ward
Gathering: {location}
Losing It
When fear is a raging bull
3 x 13 Film
When the Waves Have Come and Gone
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




FALL 2022
The Walk (with Little Amal) When fear is a raging bull (new production) October 1 @1PM Charging Bull Statue, New York, NY Tickets: Free and open to the public More information YSDT Artist Talk October 27 @ 4PM ET Arab American Family Support Center Free and open to the public Brooklyn, NY Losing It Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival- DCAF Rawabet Arts Space Theatre October 27 and 28 @8:30 PM GMT+1 Cairo, Egypt More information Pop up performance Brooklyn Museum- First Saturdays November 5, 7:30-8:30PM Brooklyn, NY Tickets: Free and open to the public More information Losing It A.M. Qattan Foundation November 26 @ 7PM GMT+2 Ramallah Tickets available at Garage and Mattal YSDT Repertory Masterclass The Ailey School December 9, 2022 New York, NYWINTER 2022/23
Losing It Tandem Scene December 15 & 16 @ 7:30PM GMT+1 Arras, France More information ISPA Congress Panel: Arts and Borders Kaye Playhouse January 23 @ 10:00-11:45 New York, NY Last Ward The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi February 10, 2023 @ 7:30PM Abu Dhabi, UAE More informationSPRING 2023
Losing It Oster Festival April 4 Hall in Tirol, Austria More information Losing It Nova Villa April 7 @2:30PM GMT+1 and Apil 8 at 11:00 AM GMT+1 Riems, France More information Gathering: New York (new creation) Dance Place Residency April 11-15, 2023 Washington D.C. More information Gathering: New York (new creation) CUNY Dance Initiative Residenc Snug Harbor Cultural Center April 16-30, 2023 Staten Island, NY More information“King's choreography is dynamic and athletic"
- Nancy Grossman, Broadway World
Gallery













“[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
