Zaccho Dance Theatre To Celebrate 45 Years of Daring Performances

When award-winning dancer and choreographer Joanna Haigood co-founded Zaccho Dance Theatre 45 years ago, she leaned into site-specific work using unique locations and creative choreography to move people, literally and figuratively.

By suspending dancers in air, dressing artists in eye-catching costumes and utilizing storytelling to illustrate the human spirit, she wanted to push audiences to reimagine our collective environment and reconsider how we interact with the world around us.

Now, nearly a half-century later, she has choreographed performances at government buildings, defunct grain silos and public parks. She’s created pieces criticizing the death penalty, and others celebrating San Francisco’s diversity.

Most importantly, she says, she’s helped pave the way for the next gene