"Gathering," a performance by the Yaa Samar! Dance Theater.

Gathering – Participatory Performance

Conceived by the Palestinian-American choreographer Samar Haddad King and the Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre that she directs, in co-production with Au Contraire Productions, Gathering is both a stage production and collective experience. Each performance is unique, shaped by the region that hosts it and by the local artists who participate in it.

The public is invited to stop being mere spectators and instead witnesses or participants in a collective effort, at the heart of a narrative driven by music, dance and words.

In it, Samar Haddad King tells the story of a besieged village and a woman’s struggle to piece together her fragmented memories. On stage, a mountain of oranges, a ladder, and wild dances and bodies in motion come together to form a poignant tableau.

Seven international artists (Palestine, Japan, Taiwan, Turkey, United States) join six local performers to create a work that transcends borders and disciplines.

Note: Co-produced and presented as part of a collaboration among the eight national theaters of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. With support fromONDA and the Ministry of Culture—DRAC Nouvelle-Aquitaine, as part of the “Mieux produire – Mieux diffuser” initiative.