“The Israeli contemporary choreographers Saar Harari and Lee Sher moved to New York two years ago and promptly made a name for themselves” The New Yorker

LeeSaar the Company, a gutsy, brainy modern-dance troupe founded seven years ago in Tel Aviv. The NY Times

Lee Sher: From the age of seven she performed at the Israeli first channel on T.V.

At the age of 15 she got accepted to the high school of arts in Tel Aviv, at the age of 18 she joined the army. In the army she served at the parachuter’s unit. At the age of 23 she got accepted to the three years acting studio in Tel Aviv by the management of Nissan Native. During the school production Lee played leading roles and graduate with success.

Lee participated (2 seasons) in The Drama Series “Dream of My Youth on Channel Three in Israel.

She got the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships with excellence between the years 1998-2000.

In 2000 she established LeeSaar The Company with the choreographer Saar Harari. The Company received a scholarship from the Art Gallery of Mosman - Sydney in Australia were she wrote, directed and performed the play” Ester”.

The play had been chosen to open the spring season of the City Hall Theater in Tel Aviv with a two years run at the City Hall and at the Tzavata theater. Lee had participated in the workshop of the choreographer Yasmeen Godder. She also took part in intensive workshop with the French master Philip gollyea. In January 2004 Lee moved to NYC with LeeSaar the Company and received the American green card for the Extraordinary Achievement in the Performing Arts. In NYC she performed in The Flea Theater, Joyce SoHo, The Puffin room, The Theater For The New City, 92-Y, and Performance Space 122. In September 2005 Columbia university invited LeeSaar the company to present the piece “Ester” at the Lerner Hall Theater.

Lee works as a Physical  Director on Broadway, Lately on the “Miracle worker”

Saar Harari: Saar was born on a farm in Israel to an artistic family and danced in the professional dance school of Bat Dor in Tel Aviv until the age of 18. At that age, he joined the army and was accepted to the special forces, where he served for six years as a combat commending officer.

At the age of 24, he left the army and was accepted to the Liat Dror, Nir Ben-gal Company as a leading dancer, performing in Europe, Israel and the U.S. After two years, he left the company to create his first work as an independent choreographer for a dance festival at Suzann Dalal Center in Tel Aviv. In the following year, he performed with the Noa Dar dance group in Tel Aviv, Europe and Japan.

In 2000, he established LeeSaar The Company with the actress and playwright Lee Sher. The company received a scholarship from the art gallery of Mosman-Sydney, Australia for the work “Ester” which they created in Sydney Australia.”Ester” was performed for two years in the City Hall theater Of Tel Aviv. In February 2004, Saar moved to NYC with LeeSaar the Company and received an American green card for extraordinary achievement in the art of dance.

Dancers:

Jye-Hwei Lin: JyeHwei was born in the year of pig in Taiwan. Her parents sent her to dance classes according to a doctor’s suggestion as a way to correct “the hyperextension of her knees.” Since then, dancing had always been a pleasure thing for her. Dance was never considered as a career until she enrolled in the dance division in Tso-ying high school at the age of 15. During her time in Tso-Ying, she received professional training in various dance courses and was able to work with different choreographers around the world.

After high school, JyeHwei chose to move to the States and to pursue the bachelor degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she was awarded scholarship for 4 years. Through her time in Illinois, she cried through the phrase of not-understand-a-word, she fought her way to search the difference between an artist and a student, she sweated both inside and outside of the studio. She had the privilege to be in the works of world-renowned artists such as Mark Morris, Lar Lubovitch, Chamecki Lerner, and Merce Cunningham. The diversity courses in the department challenged and inspired JyeHwei’s way of moving and thinking. JyeHwei had also presented a solo work “Come to Nothing” and her thesis “One Step Back; Two Steps Forward” at the Krannert Arts Performing Center.

Upon graduation, she moved to New York in the summer of 2006. JyeHwei was fortunate to study and perform with Stephen Petronio dance Company in New York and California.

In April, 2007, she joined LeeSaar the Company. In 2008, JyeHwei presented her own work “Jula” with Hsin-Yi at Judson Memorial Church, NYC.  JyeHwei received her O1 Visa for extraordinary ability in the arts in June 2008

Hsin-Yi Hsiang :Hsin-Yi Hsiang (Kaohsiung, Taiwan) began her extensive dance training and received her high school diploma from Tsoying Senior High School and soon relocated to the United States where she received her bachelor of fine arts in dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in 2007. During her time at UIUC, she performed in works created by Merce Cunningham, Mark Morris, David Parker & The Bang Group, Sara Hook, Cynthia Oliver, Renee Wadleigh, Linda Lehovec, and Rebecca Nettl-Fiol.

Since moving to New York City in 2007, she has performed with Paul Singh and Kimberly Young and was selected to perform with the Mark Morris Dance Group in their 2007 season of “The Hard Nut”.

Hsin-Yi Joined LeeSaar The Company in Fall 2007. Hsin-Yi received her O1 Visa for extraordinary ability in the arts in September  2008

Hyerin Lee

Was born and raised in Seoul, Korea. She received her Bachelor and Master degree in dance from the Korea National University of Arts.

in 2007 She joined LDP dance company where she toured internationally. in 2008 she did a project with Gilles Jobin in Switzerland and then joined LeeSaar The Company and moved to NYC.

Candice Schnurr

Grew up in Houston, TX and received her early training at the Houston Ballet Academy and from Priscilla Nathan-Murphy. She attended the High School for Performing and Visual Arts and graduated cum laude from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase College. She has danced in the works of Kyle Abraham, Kayvon Pourazar, Meghan Williams, Daniel Charon, and Kevin Wynn. She was a member of Wil Swanson/DANCEWORKS from 2003-2005, Ellis Wood Dance from 2005-2007.

She is excited to present her own work for the inaugural season of BAX’s Upstart Festival in April.

She joined LeeSaar The Company in Fall 2008