Shakiri, Artistic Director

Goldie and Izzie Award winner Shakiri has been a performer and choreographer in the San Francisco Bay Area for over thirty years. Shakiri is a member of the internationally acclaimed Zaccho Dance Theater Company and has performed with them throughout the United States and abroad since 1988. She has written, directed, and choreographed several dance and theater pieces for her company Shakiri/Rootworker. Known for confronting controversial issues, her work has toured in Black Choreographer's and been listed on the "Best Ten" of the year by the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Shakiri is recognized for her role as Nutcracker in the highly acclaimed and long-running, "Revolutionary Nutcracker Sweetie." She trained with and was a member of Ed Mock's dance company.

Shakiri is currently working on a dance/theater piece titled DEAR LOIS inspired by letters written to her mother during WWII and has recently begun exhibiting paintings at the Kuumba Art Gallery in Sacramento. As an arts educator, Shakiri takes tremendous pride in having introduced several hundred children to the world of dance and theater.