May 9, May 10 and May 12, 8-10:30pm each day
Co-producers Zaccho Dance Theatre and Dancers' Group present the world premiere of "The People's Palace," a performance installation inside San Francisco's City Hall, choreographed and directed by Joanna Haigood. Aerialists and performers will interact among the Beaux-Arts Roman and Greek iconography and 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. "The People's Palace" invites audiences to actively engage these new narratives, to see themselves within the broader context of the City, and to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives.
"In this time when we're dismantling sculptures that represent our harmful histories, we're called to examine what the images in City Hall represent and what we can establish in their place. What types of interventions can better represent our community at large?" asks Zaccho Artistic Director Haigood.
Known as the People's Palace, San Francisco City Hall, designed by architect Arthur Brown, Jr., is the seat of government for the City and County of San Francisco. Destroyed in the Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906 and rebuilt in time for the start of the World's Fair of 1915 in the Beaux Arts style popular at the time, the building features gilt exterior detailing, a sweeping grand staircase, and a massive 307 foot high dome, which is a full 42 feet taller than the dome of the nation's capital.
Dancers' Group Executive Director and Co-Producer Wayne Hazzard says, "'The People's Palace' is four years in the making. It's a live performance in a historic building with so many different details to consider and hold differently than presenting in a black box theater. Joanna Haigood's genius is her deep and thoughtful investigations in architectural space and time that reveal wonderment for those viewing the special creations."
Free