Symara Sarai, a Portland, Oregon native currently residing in Brooklyn, has immersed herself in interdisciplinary and choreographic studies globally with deep recognition. Named Dance Magazines’ 2025 “Top 25 to Watch,” a 2023 Bessie Winner for Breakout Choreographer/2025 Bessie nominee for Outstanding Performer, and a recipient of the Dai Ailian Foundation Scholarship based in Trinidad and Tobago, the New York Times stated that she is known to be a courageously committed performer and maker. The Dai Ailian Foundation scholarship led her to Beijing, China where she spent two years gaining an associate degree in modern choreography at the Beijing Dance Academy. Sarai is a 2019 graduate of SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Dance Program. She is currently a featured artist in Greater New York and was recently a BOFFO 2025 commissioned artist, a 24-26 Movement Research Artist in Residence and a 24-26 Abrons Arts Center Performance AIRspace Resident. In the past she notably did Mercury Store, Gibney 6.2 Work Up, Gallim’s 2022 Moving Artist’s Residency, BAX’s Fall 2022 Space Grant Program, Center for Performance Research’s 2022 AIR Program, New York Live Arts Fresh Tracks 23/24 and Bearnstow’s Resident Artist program. Their work as a performer and maker has been reviewed and featured in the NY Times, The Brooklyn Rail, Culture Bot, Dance Enthusiast, Fjord, as well as promoted through Forbes. She has had multiple film works commissioned by Berlin-based choreographer Christoph Winkler. They have presented work at New York Live Arts, The Clarice at UMD, The LGBT Center in NY, Joes Pub, Judson Church, BAAD, Kestrels, and other venues throughout the United States, China, and Germany. She was an Urban Bush Women company member for 3 years and has also notably worked with Jasmine Hearn, Ogemdi Ude, Pioneers Go East Collective, Kevin Wynn, Joanna Kotze, Nattie Trogdon + Hollis Bartlett, and Slowdanger, among others.