ZACCHO Dance Theatre

Co-presented by Zaccho Dance Theatre and Dancers Group, “The People’s Palace” was a FREE site-specific installation performance set inside San Francisco’s iconic City Hall.

Premiered on May 9, 10, 12, 2024, “The People's Palace” was an artistic intervention with City Hall’s Beaux-Arts Roman and Greek iconography. Aerialists and performers interacted with the architecture and large scale projections, transforming these symbols into new, more inclusive narratives that more accurately reflect San Francisco's diverse and dynamic cultures and community. Through performance, music, storytelling, and immersive technologies, “The People's Palace” invited the audience to actively engage these new narratives, to see themselves within the broader context of the city, and to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives.

Thank you so much for attending this performance! Your generous post-show donations will directly support the creative work of the collaborators.

“The People’s Palace” was created by some of San Francisco's most established and celebrated performing artists and designers.

Directed and choreographed by Joanna Haigood, this work was developed in collaboration with composer Marcus Shelby, visual artist Mildred Howard, scenic designer Sean Riley, rigging designer David Freitag, lighting designer Krissy Kenny, projection designer Aron Altmark, indigenous culture bearers Gregg Castro and Jonathan Cordero, and performing artists Veronica Blair, Ciarra D’Onofrio, William Brewton Fowler Jr, Nina Sawant, Saharla Vetsch, Tristan Ching Hartman, Jocelyn Reyes, and The Skywatchers Ensemble.

You can still learn more about these collaborators and the performance installation on Zaccho Dance Theatre’s website!

45 Years of Excellence in Artistry, Impact & Leadership

Zaccho Dance Theatre (ZDT) has led the advancement of aerial arts and site-specific dance, creating rich, resonant performances that honor history, place and culture.

Established in 1980 by Joanna Haigood, ZDT has engaged communities, empowered youth, and nurtured artists through its award-winning programming.

Our Legacy of Impact:

1980:

Zaccho Dance Theatre is founded by Joanna Haigood, creating over 50 evening-length works, engaging over 35 artists and 5,000-7,000 audience members, annually.

1989:

Zaccho Studio opens in San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point (BVHP) district; a vibrant, spacious, creative hub for performances, rehearsals, community gatherings and events.

1990:

Zaccho's Youth Performing Arts Program (YPAP) is established, providing world-class arts education to 115–165 students annually—empowering over 6,800 youth to date in Bayview-Hunters Point and surrounding neighborhoods.

2010:

Zaccho launches its Artist in Residency (AiR) Program, expanding in 2021 to include the Hip Hop Artist Residency & Training (HART) Program* and the Black Futures Fellowship Program. AiR Programs offer studio space, mentorship, production support and critical resources to local artists, serving 62 resident artists to date.

*HART is co-sponsored by PUSH Dance Company.

2014:

Zaccho launches the San Francisco Aerial Arts Festival, a biennial event that has showcased 330 artists across six festivals to date.

Our Team:

Zaccho is a close-knit team of 18 working artists, each committed to excellence and the preservation of the arts, and whose livelihood is deeply connected to Zaccho's success.

The Challenges We Face:

While our programs are vital to the community, Zaccho, like many arts organizations, is facing an uncertain funding environment:

*Delays and rescinded approved funds

*Cuts in critical government funding

*Closure of major funding institutions

With Your Generosity, Our Legacy Will Continue:

*Youth will continue to have access to world-class arts educational programming for FREE.

*Artists will continue to have access to the studio space, resources, and mentorship needed to thrive.

*Staff will continue their dedicated work to preserve and advance the field they love.

So Let's Raise $45,000 in our 45th year!

We are fully aware that-

A Healthy Arts Community = A Healthy Society!

And together, we can ensure that Zaccho Dance Theatre continues to thrive as a creative, cultural beacon for the youth, artists, and community of San Francisco and beyond!

SUGGESTED DONATIONS:

(All donations are tax-deductible)

$45 – ENGAGE

450 donations of $45 will carry us halfway to our goal! If Zaccho has ever trained, inspired, or uplifted you—this is your moment to help us continue to thrive!

$50–$450 – UPLIFT

Your support powers workshops, rehearsals, and the creative development of resident artists at Zaccho Studio—giving them the time, space, and resources to dream boldly and develop new work!

$500–$1,450 – FUEL

Your generosity helps sustain our world-class Youth Performing Arts Program (YPAP), serving 115–165 youth annually throughout San Francisco’s Bayview–Hunters Point and surrounding communities!

$1,500–$4,500 – AMPLIFY

This tier will help amplify the artistic work of artists at various points in their career - young, emerging, mid-career and advanced. Your generosity will help produce YPAP's end of year performance, Zaccho Dance Theatre's upcoming performance, and the work-in-progress showings of our 12 resident artists!

$5,000+ – SUSTAIN

This tier is transformational, helping to secure the future of Zaccho, including our dedicated staff, our professional studio, and the continuance of our legacy as a proud pillar in San Francisco's aerial arts and dance community!

NOTE: The first 45 donors of any amount will be automatically entered into a drawing for 2 VIP Tickets to our upcoming show at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in June, 2025 (details forthcoming)!

THANK YOU for helping to ensure our legacy continues!

~Joanna Haigood, Executive Artistic Director & The Zaccho Team

Zaccho Dance Theatre

1777 Yosemite Ave, Studio 330

San Francisco, CA 94124

Website: www.zaccho.org