At the California Masonic Memorial Temple, a Community Treasure
For 64 years, the California Masonic Memorial Temple in San Francisco has been the home of the Masons of California. But it’s so much more.
ZAHID PEOPLES
By Ian A. Stewart
California Freemason: You’re a professional dancer and sports-team hype man. How did you get your start?
Zahid Peoples: I’ve been dancing since high school, and I kept at it while I was in college studying for law school. I did a few corporate events and bar mitzvahs, that sort of thing, and then one day I saw a listing looking for dancers for the 49ers. It said it wouldn’t pay very much or very often, but it’s great exposure. I’m the kind of person who sees the vastness of an opportunity. So I took the job and danced for the 49ers, and eventually that led me to work with the Golden State Warriors, Oakland A’s, and San Francisco Giants.
CFM: Your job is to get people excited and have fun. Are you able to bring that into your life outside of sports?
ZP: It’s a lot like Masonry. It’s this band of brothers. We’re all working toward a common goal, and that’s elevating the experiences people have. That’s why I’m an artist. I love creating entertainment, especially for someone to be able to go, “Wow.”
CFM: Who are some of the acts you’ve performed with?
ZP: I’ve break-danced with Run-DMC. I danced onstage with P-Lo at Outside Lands. I’ve performed with the Foo Fighters, Gwen Stefani, E-40, Weezer. And then for Super Bowl 50, I was an on-field performer for Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, and Coldplay. That was the most incredible experience.
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CFM: How did you get interested in Freemasonry?
ZP: My grandfather on my mother’s side was a Mason. I didn’t know much about it, but it was always in the back of my mind. Then, in 2019, I was touring with a Disney Junior show called Choo Choo Soul. I met a guy there who’d brought his kids to the show, and he was a Prince Hall Mason. And I thought, I’d like to get into this. So I read through 15 hours of Freemasonry for Dummies and thought, I resonate with all of this.
CFM: Have you ever been roped into performing at your lodge, Martinez № 41?
ZP: [Laughs] No one ever has to rope me into dancing! I end up performing out of pure reaction. So yeah, last New Year’s Eve party, I did a little lead-follow where I call out the moves and do a couple eight counts. That’s just what I do. Someone told me that night my dancing is infectious. To me, that’s perfect.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOS:
Martin Klimek
Zahid Peoples
More from this issue:
In Freemasons’ Hall, What’s Old is New Again
At Freemasons’ Hall, inside the Grand Lodge of California temple in San Francisco, the past and future of Masonic lodge rooms collide.
Emile Norman’s Endomosaic: A Window of Wonder
Artist Emile Norman never became a household name. But his massive artwork remains a treasure of California Freemasonry in San Francisco.