"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 (Secretary)
Sana Odeh
Zoe Rabinowitz
Nathan Trice
Dave Welty
18
Years
51
Cities
17
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
"Samar Haddad King’s propulsive choreography [is] equal parts rave stomping and sensuous writhing."
- Bob Verini, New York Stage Review
“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
Winter 2024
Gathering (new creation) work in progress (showing) January 12, 2024 @ 5pm ET The Shed - New York, NY To register, please contact [email protected] Gathering (new creation) work in progress (showing) January 16, 2024 @ 1pm ET The Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU - New York, NY To register, please contact [email protected] When we gather we (new creation) performance by youth at Dancewave January 27, 2024 @ 1pm ET Dancewave - Brooklyn, NY Tickets Losing It February 27 and 28 @ 8PM GMT + 8 Hong Kong Arts Festival - Hong Kong Tickets Untitled (new creation) March 2 @ 8PM and March 3 @ 4PM GMT + 8 Hong Kong Arts Festival - Hong Kong More informationSpring 2024
YSDT University Residency March 6 & 7 Middlebury College - Middlebury, VT Class Lecture March 21 University of Virginia - Charlottesville, VA Losing It April 4 and 5 @ 8pm GMT + 1 Kanal - Centre Pompidou in Brussels -Brussels, Belgium Tickets + more information Losing It April 19 @ 8pm GMT + 1 Supernova Festival -Rimini, Italy More information coming soonSummer 2024
Gathering (new creation) June 20-22, 2024 @ 7:30pm ET The Shed - New York, NY More information coming soon“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