Zaccho’s anniversary Celebration & benefit:
45 & Forward Together
EVENT PROGRAM
Tuesday, November 11, 2025 |
Club Fugazi, SF
Tossie Long
Joanna Haigood
William Brewton Fowler Jr. of Zaccho Dance Theatre
Jeff Raz
Helen Wicks of Zaccho Dance Theatre
The Nose Parade
Diane Ferlatte
Tommy "Soulati" Shepherd
Marcus Shelby
Tiffany Austin
Dana Salzman
Martin Luther McCoy
Toni Cannon & Mia Fan
Saharla Vetsch
Joey The Tiger
Shannon Gray
Zaccho Dance Theatre
Artist bios
tossie long
Tossie Long is a San Francisco–born vocalist, actress, dancer, and cultural producer whose artistry spans music, theater, and community engagement. A GRAMMY-nominated singer with Alphabet Rockers, she has also recorded with TuNeYaRdS, Tumbleweed Wanderers, and others. Long is the founder of Red Clay Sound Haus and co-founder of Bakanal de Afrique, a biannual Afro-urban arts festival celebrating diasporic creativity and collective liberation through sound, movement, and storytelling.
ZACCHO DANCE THEATRE’S helen wicks
Helen Wicks is a San Francisco–based choreographer, aerialist, and educator creating circus-informed performance for intergenerational audiences. As Artistic Director of Helen Wicks Works, her creations have been commissioned by Z Space, Salesforce Tower, and Bay Area Discovery Museum. A former competitive gymnast and Bard College graduate, she has performed with Zaccho Dance Theatre and Flyaway Productions. Currently Arts Specialist at The Nueva School, Wicks integrates visual art, dance, and theater into her innovative teaching practice.
TOMMY SOULATI SHEPHERD
Tommy “Soulati” Shepherd is an award-winning actor, rapper, composer, and educator whose work integrates art, activism, and community engagement. Co-founder of the Grammy and Emmy-winning collective Alphabet Rockers and Bay Area ensemble Felonious, Tommy has composed and toured internationally with Marc Bamuthi Joseph. A recipient of the Isadora Duncan Award and the 2025 CBS Bay Area Icons Award, his multidisciplinary work amplifies joy, equity, and cultural storytelling across generations.
dana Salzman
Dana Salzman is an accomplished pianist, singer, composer, and producer whose genre-blending sound fuses jazz, funk, hip-hop, soul, Latin, and R&B. A master improviser and magnetic performer, she produces her own music, lyrics and arrangements, is a piano and voice teacher, and an ensemble director for the vocal group Voices of Reason from the East Bay Center for Performing Arts. Trained at the New School of Jazz (NY), Salzman has performed across the U.S. and Europe and collaborated with renowned artists including Pete Escovedo and Latoya London.
MIA FAN
Mia Fan is an emerging Bay Area circus artist whose passion, discipline, and artistry have quickly set her apart. A senior in high school in Concord, CA, she trains intensively at San Francisco’s Circus Center while balancing academics and performance. With roots in musical theater and gymnastics, Mia now specializes in aerial rope, flying trapeze, partner acrobatics, and Chinese pole. She has performed with People’s Circus Theater and The Flying Royals and is a proud member of Circus Bella.
shannon gray
Shannon Gray is an aerial dance artist, educator, and creative researcher whose work explores the relationship between embodiment, ecology, and the unseen world. For 17 years, she has performed and taught internationally through circus festivals, aerial dance companies, and social circus initiatives. Based in Bolinas, she directs two aerial programs and is developing The Sentience Project, an interdisciplinary exploration of injury, healing, and the body’s connection to the natural environment.
ZACCHO DANCE THEATRE’S William B. fowler jr
William Brewton Fowler Jr. is a Georgia-born dancer and emerging choreographer whose movement work is rooted in faith and storytelling. He has performed with Zaccho Dance Theatre, Gallim Dance, dawsondancesf, and The Foundry, among others, and featured in the Black Choreographers Festival. A 2024–2025 Black Futures Fellow with Zaccho and Isadora Duncan Award Recipient (2023-24), Fowler continues training under Joanna Haigood, expanding his aerial and contemporary dance practice.
The Nose parade
The Nose Parade—comprising Jamie Coventry, Natasha Kaluza, and Calvin Kai Ku—is a Bay Area–based clown ensemble dedicated to physical comedy and theatrical invention. Graduates of the Clown Conservatory at the San Francisco Circus Center, they have created original works for Circus Bella over the past five years. Their performances combine precise physicality, humor, and heart, engaging audiences of all ages and continuing the Bay Area’s long tradition of contemporary circus innovation.
MARCUS SHELBY
Marcus Anthony Shelby is a composer, bassist, bandleader, and educator whose music examines African American history, social justice, and collective resilience. He serves as Artistic Director of Healdsburg Jazz and Artist in Residence with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. Shelby’s major works include Harriet Tubman, Soul of the Movement, and Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio. His compositions have appeared in stage and film, including Anna Deavere Smith’s Notes from the Field and Pixar’s Soul.
MARTIN LUTHER MCCOY
Martin Luther McCoy is an acclaimed musician, actor, and producer from San Francisco, known for his fusion of soul, rock, and funk. A founding figure in the neo-soul movement, he has collaborated with The Roots and performed globally with SFJAZZ Collective and other ensembles. Also recognized for his role as “JoJo” in Across the Universe (2007), McCoy’s multifaceted career reflects his dedication to blending musical excellence, cultural storytelling, and social consciousness.
SAHARLA VETSCH
Saharla Vetsch (she/her) is a Somali American multidisciplinary artist based in the Bay Area. A graduate of the University of San Francisco with a degree in Performing Arts and Social Justice, she explores movement storytelling through vertical dance, drag, and spectacle. As her drag persona Major Hammy, Saharla channels the liberating power of dance to celebrate intersectional identities and foster community. She has performed with Zaccho Dance Theatre, Flyaway Productions, Detour Dance, and OX Performance Group.
jeff raz
Jeff Raz is an internationally acclaimed performer, director, and educator whose career spans Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo, the Pickle Family Circus, and MakeACircus. He has co-founded six arts organizations and authored four books exploring performance and human connection. For over a decade, Raz has worked globally as a communications and leadership consultant, integrating theatrical expertise into executive training while continuing to champion the social and transformative power of the arts.
Tiffany austin
Tiffany Austin is a celebrated vocalist and composer whose artistry bridges jazz, blues, and R&B. A graduate of UC Berkeley’s School of Law, she chose to pursue music after performing internationally across Europe, Asia, and the U.S. Her sound draws inspiration from Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nina Simone while infusing contemporary soul and swing. Recognized as a leading jazz voice in Northern California, Austin embodies precision, warmth, and deep emotional resonance.
DIANE FERLATTe
For nearly four decades, internationally acclaimed storyteller Diane Ferlatte has toured across six continents, illuminating the African American experience through narrative, song, and sign language. Her performances weave personal stories, folklore, and historical accounts, fostering cross-cultural understanding and connection. A recipient of the Zora Neale Hurston Award and a Grammy nominee, Ferlatte’s artistry continues to inspire audiences of all ages with humor, wisdom, and profound humanity.
JOEY the tiger
Joey “The Tiger” Moore is a distinguished aerialist and circus artist recognized for his strength, grace, and multidisciplinary artistry. Trained at the San Francisco Circus Center and in Montreal, he performs internationally on dance trapeze, aerial straps, and juggling cube. A resident artist with Peoples Circus Theatre, Moore also produces Spectrum, an annual circus fundraiser, and co-directs Circus Pop Ups. He teaches and performs throughout the Bay Area.
TONI cannon
Toni Cannon is a San Francisco–based circus artist and performer celebrated for his athletic precision and artistic depth. Beginning his circus training later in life, Cannon studied under master coaches Lu Yi and Ivan Vladimirov, specializing in Chinese Pole, Acrobatics, and Hand-to-Hand. He has performed with Circus Bella, Topsy Turvy Circus, and When the Rainbow Is Enuf. Through his solo and ensemble work, Cannon explores vulnerability, resilience, and self-expression through physical performance.
45th Anniversary BENEFIT Sponsors
Cappelli Wine
Charles B. Mitchell Vineyards
Dance Mission
Doyle Chiropractic
Kokko Wellness
LotusLand Yoga
MenHong Clinic
Miraflores Winery
Perry Creek Winery
Remy Creations, LLC
Teneral Cellars
The 5-Point Compass, LLC
WildFiya
Zaccho’s Board of Directors
Joanna Haigood, Director
Misha Hawk-Wyatt, Board President & Advisor
Delina Patrice Brooks, Co-Producer and Marketing & Communications Director
Afiya Williams, Co-Producer
Lizzy Spicuzza, Production & Stage Manager
Saharla Vetsch, Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator
Brechin Flournoy, Auction & Donations Manager
Maia Walker, Support Staff
Erik R. Lee, Support Staff
45TH ANNIVERSARY event team
Zaccho’s funders over the years
Distracted Globe Foundation
JKW Foundation
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Kimball Foundation
Joseph & Vera Long Foundation
The Cambell Foundation
Zellerbach Family Foundation
Fleishhacker Foundation
Phyllis Wattis Foundation
Budding Artist Foundation
Nicholson Family Foundation
Kenneth Rainin Foundation
Bill Graham Memorial Foundation
Terry Sendgraff Scholarship Fund
FOUNDATIONS
SF Human Rights Commission
SF Office of Economic Workforce Development
SF Arts Commission
SF Grants for the Arts
SF Department of Children Youth and their Families
CA Arts Council
National Endowment for the Arts
Walter and Elise Haas Foundation
Bayview Fund of the Tides Foundation
Potrero Nuevo Fund of the Tides Foundation
San Francisco Foundation
Surdna Foundation
Bloomberg
GOVERNMENT
Doris Duke Foundation
SF Voluntary Arts Contribution Fund
Bothin Foundation
Stulsaft Foundation
MAP Fund
Gerbode Foundation
Wells Fargo Foundation
Union Bank Foundation
SF Neighborhood Arts Collaborative
Marin Community Foundation
Cal Humanities
PHILANTHROPY
board of directors
BRAD COLEY, Board Secretary
Independent Filmmaker
NICOLE MCCLAIN, Board Member
Dir. Development, Midpen Media Center
JOANNA HAIGOOD, Artistic / Executive Director
Co-founder, Zaccho Dance Theatre
MISHA HAWK-WYATT, Board President
HR Vice President, Veteran’s Network Café
AMANDA MORAN, Board Treasurer
Foundations Admin & Grantwriter, Amazon Watch
SEAN CULLEN, Emeritus
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS: Villy Wang, CEO Bay Area Center for Arts & Technology (BAYCAT) | Aviva Davidson, Executive Director for Dancing in the Streets NYC | Wendy Parkman, Co-founder and Director of San Francisco Circus Center | Chris Wangro, Independent Producer
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THANK YOU
~ THANK YOU
Many thanks to David Dower and Club Fugazi for your generous support of this special occasion! Your entire team was vital to the success of our Anniversary Celebration & Benefit.
A heartfelt thank you to the volunteers who so thoughtfully and enthusiastically donated their time and energy to this event.
To the incredibly generous funders, campaign supporters, donors, sponsors, ambassadors, and ticket buyers, it is only because of you that Zaccho continues to envision, strategize and work towards in a brighter future for us all.
45 & Forward, Together. Always.
In Love, Art & Power,
Joanna Haigood & The Zaccho Team