Hello,
As we enter into this season of reflection and of giving thanks, we at YSDT have plenty to be grateful for. In September we finished our fourth New York season at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Queens, NY. Staying afloat in this business is no small accomplishment- especially during these tough economic times- and we are happy to have the opportunity to continue to do the work that we love. And not only are we getting by, but we are growing, expanding and flourishing not only artistically but administratively as well. Please read on to find out about our latest exploits and upcoming adventures. You will also find in this newsletter the first in a series of articles featuring Arab artistis that we would like to share with you.
We know that it is largely due to your interest and support that we have come this far, and for this we offer you our sincerest thanks.
Warmly,
Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre
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| We've gone non-profit!
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Thanks to the generous help of international law firm King & Spalding, LLP which took on our case pro bono, our company Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre has recently become a 501c3 non profit organization! This long and involved process that can often take over a year to complete was acheived in just about six months thanks to the hard work of Kana A. Ellis and Amin Husain. With our new non-profit status, YSDT is eligible for larger grants from private foundations and public institutions, (which we hope will soon result in a larger operating budget) and all private donations can now be made directly to the company and are tax-deductible.
 To help head up our expanding organization we are
putting together a Board of Directors, and would like to welcome our
newest board member, author and Middle East scholar Rhoda Kanaaneh. Professor Kanaaneh is visiting scholar in the Middle Eastern and
Islamic Studies Department at New York University. She is the author of
the award-winning book Birthing the Nation: Strategies of Palestinian Women in Israel (2002) and Surrounded: Palestinian Soldiers in the Israeli Military (2008) and is co-editor of an anthology titled Blue ID: Palestinians in Israel Revisited (forthcoming 2009).You can learn more about our talented staff by visiting our website at www.yaasamardance.com and clicking on PEOPLE. |
| Artistic Director Abroad
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The wall defining the borders of the West Bank. Photo by Stephanie Sutherland
For the month of October, Artistic Director Samar Haddad King was abroad in the Middle East meeting with the US Embassy in Jordan and the US Consulate in Jerusalem, as well as with the directors of dance festivals in Amman, Jordan and Ramallah, West Bank where the company will be performing in the spring of 2010. YSDT's second international tour will be funded in part by the US Embassy in Amman, and will feature performances of their most recent production The Store, as well as a repertory program for children's shows to be performed in schools in and around Amman, Jordan.
 The wall between Israel and the West Bank. Photo by Zoe Rabinowitz
Aside from laying the logistical groundwork for next year's tour, Samar's travels led her accross borders, through checkpoints and between cultures; experiences that revealed to her both the entrenched inequality of the region as well as the random acts of kindness that can sometimes overreach the boundaries of culture, race and language.
These experiences also form the inspiration for a new piece entitled 25 Steps that explores the volatilty of human emotions and how interactions that would otherwise be mundane become loaded with confrontation in places of conflict.
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| Featured Artist of the month: ShiberHur
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ShiberHur (whose name translates to "within an inch of freedom") is a new Independent Palestinian
Theatre Company based in Haifa and dedicated to producing the very best
of contemporary and classical theatre for audiences across
Palestine and abroad. Founded in 2009 by internationally acclaimed actors Amir Nizar Zuabi, Amer Hlehel, Ali Sliman, Ashraf Hanna and Ruba Billal, ShiberHur is a constantly evolving ensemble of performers and collaborators whose
mission is to break new ground, broaden access to theatre, generate new
loyal audiences and foster a love for quality theatre in Palestine.
On her recent trip to the Middle East, Artistic Director Samar Haddad King saw ShiberHur's latest production of I am Yusuf and this is my brother performed at Al-Kasaba Theater in Ramallah, West Bank. A collaboration with the The Young Vic Theatre in London and playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi, this new drama in Arabic with English subtitles portrays different kinds of love in 1948 Palestine and the challenges presented by religion, culture and foreign occupation.
See the work of this amazing ensemble at the Young Vic Theatre in London, January 19th- February 6th, or visit their website:
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| Upcoming: look for YSDT in a city near you
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(And if you don't see us but would like to, contact the company about booking a performance in your area)
March 2010: Samar Haddad King to choreograph solo for sophmore students of the Ailey/Fordham BFA program in New York, NY.
March 2010: Samar Haddad King commisioned by the San Angelo Ballet in San Angelo, TX.
April/May 2010: YSDT tour to the Middle East. |
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www.yaasamardance.com
yaasamardance@gmail.com
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YSDT in the NEWS
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Dance Review: Hot-Off-the-Press Dance
Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre photo by Isabel Asha Penzlien
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Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre is a
hot-off-the press dance company with choreographer, Samar Haddad King,
creating dances about the pervading issues and conflicts of today's
world. King looks at the controversy that arises amongst groups with
varying belief systems and what happens when these systems collide.
According to Ms. King, her goal is to "collaborate with artists across
disciplines, cultural geographies, and physical borders with the intent
to forge stimulating and transformative experiences for both audience
and performer." The combination of the dramatic subject matter and the
technical ability and experience of her dancers makes for an undeniable
explosive combination.
Click here to read the full article |
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