Zaccho Dance Theatre

- 1777 Yosemite Ave #330, San Francisco, CA 94124

For over four decades, Zaccho Dance Theatre (ZDT) has been an innovative and essential fixture in the California arts landscape, deeply rooted in San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood—the city's African American Arts & Cultural District. Co-founded in 1980 by the visionary Executive Artistic Director Joanna Haigood, Zaccho is recognized as San Francisco’s longest-running African American-led dance company. The organization's mission goes beyond movement, seeking to advance aerial arts, site-specific work, and contemporary dance through groundbreaking performance, comprehensive arts education, and dedicated youth programming.

Zaccho's commitment to exploring history, culture, and place through movement-based storytelling inspires both human connection and social responsibility. The work of Joanna Haigood, the major architect of Zaccho's vision, often addresses cultural history, lived experience, and social justice themes, transforming architectural and natural environments—from grain terminals to historical landmarks—into spectacular stages. This dedication to innovation and community engagement has made Zaccho a vital part of the artistic fabric of California.

Furthermore, Zaccho is proud to explicitly identify as a Black-owned and women-owned organization. They foster an exceptionally inclusive environment, clearly operating as an LGBTQ+ friendly and Transgender safespace. This foundation of inclusivity and dedication to artistic excellence creates a "loving environment for students to flourish, learn, and create, surrounded by phenomenal artists and teachers," as described by a local patron.

Location and Accessibility

The Zaccho Studio, a key creative hub for artists and community members, is located in the historic Yosemite Place building in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco. This centralized location in a historically and culturally rich part of the city makes it easily reachable for artists and students across the Bay Area.

The primary address for the facility is:

1777 Yosemite Ave #330, San Francisco, CA 94124, USA

For California locals planning a visit, rehearsal, or class, the venue provides essential access and transit options:

• Transit Access: The studio is conveniently located just two blocks from the MUNI T Train Line (disembarking at Third Street and Williams Avenue) and is served by several MUNI bus routes.
• Parking: Guests benefit from readily available Free street parking on Yosemite Avenue, Mendell Street, and Armstrong Avenue, though visitors are advised to leave extra time for parking, as is common in San Francisco.
• Studio Access: The studio is located in an industrial building that provides easy access to loading docks and freight elevators for equipment load-in and load-out, crucial for production rentals.

Services Offered

Zaccho Dance Theatre operates as a multi-faceted arts organization, offering a wide array of programs and services to the Bay Area community:

• Aerial Arts & Dance Classes: Offering classes and workshops in various specialized forms:
  • Aerial Arts (e.g., on trapeze, ladders, and metal "windows")
  • Aerial Dance
  • Dance Theatre
  • Circus Art
• Arts Education Programs: Dedicated to nurturing the next generation of artists.
  • Youth Performing Arts Program (serving hundreds of youth annually)
  • Afterschool Program
  • School Classes (for various age groups)
• Performance & Residency:
  • Performing Arts Program (producing large-scale, site-specific work)
  • Residency and Fellowship Programs (providing subsidized studio space and mentorship for local artists)
• Rehearsal Studio Rental (In Renting): Offering one of San Francisco's largest and most versatile studio spaces (4,640 square feet with a 3,480 sq ft sprung floor) for:
  • Rehearsals and Workshops
  • Corporate Productions and Special Events
  • Photo and Video Shoots

Features / Highlights

The unique strengths of Zaccho Dance Theatre make it a stand-out arts organization in California, merging artistic innovation with profound social and community values:

• Pioneering Aerial & Site-Specific Dance: They are national leaders in advancing aerial arts and creating powerful, evocative performances that interact with architectural and natural environments, including the Biennial San Francisco Aerial Arts Festival.
• Dedicated Youth Development: The award-winning Youth Performing Arts Program has served nearly 7,000 youth, offering high-level training in a supportive environment, focusing on dance as a tool for personal growth and social analysis.
• Social Justice Focus: The company's work often integrates in-depth research into cultural and social histories, using movement to address themes of social justice, dignity, and belonging.
• Diverse and Inclusive Space: Officially identifies as Black-owned and women-owned, and maintains an explicit status as an LGBTQ+ friendly and Transgender safespace, fostering a truly welcoming atmosphere for all of California's diverse artistic community.
• Professional Studio Facility: Their Bayview studio is one of the largest in San Francisco, featuring a sprung dance floor, ample natural light, high ceilings (up to 21 ft), and essential rigging points for aerial work, making it a highly desirable rental space for major Bay Area productions.

Contact Information (Address, Phone)

Zaccho Dance Theatre welcomes inquiries regarding classes, performances, studio rentals, and community programs. For California artists and residents interested in their work, please use the contact details below:

Address: 1777 Yosemite Ave #330, San Francisco, CA 94124, USA

Phone: (415) 822-6744

What is Worth Choosing Zaccho Dance Theatre

For California artists, students, and community members, choosing to engage with Zaccho Dance Theatre means aligning with an organization of extraordinary artistic merit and deep civic commitment. It is worth choosing Zaccho because you are supporting a cornerstone of the San Francisco arts scene—the city's longest-running African American-led dance company—that is actively furthering social consciousness through art. The leadership, identifying as Black and women-owned, brings a powerful, unique voice to the global dance world.

Whether you are a professional choreographer needing a massive, fully-equipped rehearsal studio with rigging capabilities, a parent looking for a life-enriching Afterschool Program for your child, or an adult seeking the thrill of Aerial Dance, Zaccho provides a professional, loving, and safe environment. The studio is not just a rental space; it is a true creative sanctuary and a Transgender safespace. By choosing Zaccho, you invest in an institution that not only creates spectacular art that feels like "flying" but also works tirelessly to build a stronger, more connected, and more equitable community right here in the Bayview-Hunters Point heart of California.

Zaccho Dance Theatre

1777 Yosemite Ave #330, San Francisco, CA 94124, USA