“This is a love letter to the movement that changed everything,”
~Joanna Haigood, Artistic Director
Zaccho Dance Theatre, in partnership with Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), proudly presents The Bronx Revolution and the Birth of Hip Hop, a multimedia performance experience where the legends of Hip Hop take the stage, raw and unfiltered.
For two nights only during Juneteenth weekend—June 20–21, 2025 in The Forum at YBCA—audiences will experience the music, movement, and stories that gave rise to one of the most influential art forms of our time.
Featuring Hip Hop pioneers Grandmaster Caz, Grandwizzard Theodore, MC SHA-ROCK, Grandmaster Melle Mel*, Graffiti Artist BG183, BGirl Rokafella, BBoy Kwikstep, and photography by Joe Conzo, Jr., The Bronx Revolution and the Birth of Hip Hop transports audiences to the streets of 1970s Bronx, where a cultural revolution was born. Through breakdancing, graffiti, live DJing, spoken word, and powerful storytelling, it’s an electrifying, one-of-a-kind experience—brought to life with the raw energy and bold spirit that have shaped culture over the last four decades. The visual world of the production is created by a dynamic design team: Video Creative Director John Ensor Parker, Video/Projection Designer Márton Dániel Gábor, and Video Technical Director Bryan Dodson.
In addition to the performance, the Friday, June 20th show will feature a post-show talkback with the Hip Hop legends moderated by Hip Hop Journalist Davey D, followed by a community cypher and after-party powered by our guest, DJ QBert.
Originally commissioned in 2013 by Dancing in the Streets and Casita Maria Center for Arts and Culture, the continued development of The Bronx Revolution and the Birth of Hip Hop has been made possible in part by The Kennedy Center’s Office Hours Residency Program at The REACH.
*Grandmaster Melle Mel contributes through a powerful pre-recorded video performance, created specifically for this work.
Accessibility for All: The Friday, June 20th show will include sign language interpreters, audio descriptions, and a haptic tour. The Live Audio Description and Haptic Access Tour is provided by Mylo Cardona of Gravity Access Services. The Haptic Access Tour for visually impaired audience members begins one hour before curtain.
Joanna Haigood - Artistic Director
Grandwizzard Theodore - DJ & Performing Artist
Grandmaster Caz - MC & Performing Artist
Joe Conzo Jr. - Source Photographer
MC Sha Rock - MC & Performing Artist
Grandmaster Melle Mel - MC & Performing Artist
BG 183 - Graffiti & Performing Artist
Ana “Rokafella” Garcia - BGirl & Performing Artist
Gabriel “Kwikstep” Dionisio - Choreographer/BBoy & Performing Artist
John Ensor Parker - Video Creative Director
Márton Dániel Gábor - Video/Projection Designer
Bryan Dobson - Video Technical Director
Gidnasty - BBoy/Guest Artist
BBoy Wicket - BBoy/Guest Artist
Jamaica Rodriguez - BGirl/Guest Artist
Mach3 - BBoy/Guest Artist
Esita “Flyya” Calhoun - BGirl/Guest Artist
Afiya "Fi." Williams - Project Manager
Delina Patrice Brooks - Community Engagement Specialist
The West Coast premiere of The Bronx Revolution and the Birth of Hip Hop is funded through the generous support from the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Fleishhacker Foundation, the Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation, and in partnership with Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
YBCA programs are made possible in part by Blue Shield of California, the City and County of San Francisco, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, James R. Lilienthal Trust, California Arts Council, Yerba Buena Partnership, Meridee Moore, Beard Family Foundation, Schwab Charitable Fund, Gaia Fund, David and Carla Crane Foundation, Andrew Skillman and Lydia Choy Charitable Fund, Amy and Hannah Eliot, Maria Kim, Tides Foundation, Wayee Chu and Ethan Beard, Amanda Minami, Klau Family Fund, Peter Rigano and Cody Hicks, Harvey and Leslie Wagner Foundation, Robert and Junko Kenmotsu, The San Francisco Foundation, and YBCA Members.
Follow @ybca and @zacchosf on social media for behind-the-scenes content, artist interviews, and event updates.
About Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Opened to the public in 1993, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) was founded as the cultural anchor of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens neighborhood. Our work spans the realms of contemporary art, performance, film, civic engagement, and public life. By centering artists as essential to social and cultural movement, YBCA is reimagining the role an arts institution can play in the communities it serves. For more information, visit ybca.org.
