Esperanza Dance Project

Empowering survivors of childhood sexual trauma by eradicating stigma and secrecy while inspiring hope for healing through our impactful dance performance, discussions, and advocacy.

Esperanza Dance Project (EDP) spreads awareness about childhood sexual trauma. EDP educates and supports survivors through powerful performances that integrate music, dance and spoken word. Our vision is that all high school students in Arizona learn to recognize warning signs associated with sexual trauma, feel comfortable discussing it openly and compassionately, become familiar with local resources for support, and start caring conversations.
Our main audience is young adults and we perform primarily in traditional high schools, charter schools, community colleges, universities, treatment centers, and conferences and community events. EDP integrates dance, music and spoken word into a powerful performance assembly entitled "House of Hope," which gives high school students an accessible way of understanding sexual trauma as it relates to their everyday lives.
Following each performance, the performers facilitate a meaningful Question & Answer session for conversations with the audience where we address questions and concerns directly. All staff, interns, board members and performers go through a training that has been adapted from SACASA's Advocate training, providing the tools for compassionate and effective advocacy. EDP believes that prevention can only happen when we eradicate stigma, support survivors, educate our community and open the doors to engage with authentic conversation.
Every student and teacher who attends a performance receives a comprehensive EDP Study Guide. These Guides were created in collaboration with local artists, educators, school counselors and professionals in the behavioral health field. They contain detailed information about the performance, statistics on childhood sexual abuse and sexual violence, journaling questions, and list community resources where survivors, friends and family members can find help and receive support.
EDP also fulfills its mission by holding a community presence and making space for personal and community healing. By committing to invest directly into our community, EDP is able to spread our message of hope and awareness on a broader scope. We are also creating lifelong advocates for the arts and social justice movements by providing direct opportunities for the dancers, interns, and volunteers involved in our project to impact their community and see what positive change looks like in an authentic and direct way.

Testimonials

THE CHOREOGRAPHY IS BRILLIANT. THE STUDENT NARRATION WAS A GREAT IDEA AND THE MUSIC WAS MOST APPROPRIATE. YOUR AUDIENCE REALLY RELATED TO THE PIECE... THE STUDY GUIDES PROVIDED VALUABLE INFORMATION."
-Joan Ashcraft, Ph.D., Tucson Unified School District Director of Fine and Performing Arts/Opening Minds through the Arts

"THE ESPERANZA EXPERIENCE IS PROFOUND FOR ALL STUDENTS: PERFORMERS AND AUDIENCES ALIKE. ALL INCREASE THEIR LEVEL OF COMPASSION FOR AND THEIR ABILITY TO SUPPORT THE EMPOWERMENT OF SURVIVORS AND COME AWAY WITH TOOLS FOR HELPING VICTIMS OWN THE FACT THAT IT WAS NOT THEIR FAULT."
-Kirsten Cook, MA, LPC, retired counselor, University High School

"THE AUDIENCE ASKED SUCH INSIGHTFUL QUESTIONS: 'HOW CAN WE BE ALLIES TO SOMEONE WHO HAS SUFFERED CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ASSAULT?' 'HOW DO WE TALK TO OUR FRIENDS ABOUT THIS?' 'WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE KNOW SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE SUICIDAL?' I WAS SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY THAT WE GOT PEOPLE TALKING, AND EVERYONE IN THE AUDITORIUM SEEMED TO BE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN WHAT WAS BEING DISCUSSED. I FELT VERY HUMBLED THAT DAY."
-Nic Varela, dancer

"IDENTITY AND PERSONAL BOUNDARIES, ABUSE AND HARASSMENT, ADDICTION AND TRANSFORMATION, HOPE AND HEALING WERE NOT GENERALLY TOPICS OF DISCUSSION OVERHEARD IN THE CAFETERIA AT LUNCH. ESPERANZA CHALLENGED AUDIENCE MEMBERS TO ENGAGE, NOT RUN AWAY FROM, THESE IMPORTANT TOPICS … THE ESPERANZA DANCE PROJECT BRINGS HONESTY, HUMAN CONNECTION AND A SENSE OF PURPOSE TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT A TIME WHEN THEY NEED IT THE MOST. MY EXPERIENCE WITH ESPERANZA WAS TRANSFORMATIVE - BUT I AM JUST ONE OF MANY WHO HAVE BEEN TOUCHED, STRETCHED AND MOVED BY THE ESPERANZA DANCE PROJECT."
-Allyson Yoder, alumna