ESPERANZA DANCE PROJECT
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Mission Statement
Esperanza Dance Project (EDP) empowers survivors of childhood sexual trauma by eradicating stigma and secrecy while inspiring hope for healing through our impactful dance performance, discussions, and advocacy. This mission statement was adopted in 2022 and was created while in the process of writing a strategic plan. Our original mission statement of eradicating stigma, secrecy and shame associated with childhood sexual violence was created in 2011 by Beth Braun, professional dancer, choreographer, dance educator, survivor and mother of a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. EDP spreads awareness, educates and supports survivors through powerful performances that integrate music, dance and spoken word. Additionally, we strive to offer a message of hope, strength and empowerment to our audiences, as well as provide tools for discussion, understanding and community conversation through our meaningful Question and Answer sessions that immediately follow all our performances.
About This Cause
At the age of 18, Beth Braun's daughter disclosed to a friend that she had been sexually abused by her biological father for as long as she could remember. At that point her pain was so great that she no longer wanted to live, and numerous questions about her life were finally answered. Beth’s daughter had led a life filled with pain, shame and suffering. She had suffered from chronic migraines starting at the age of 8 which caused her to be out of school more than she was there, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self harm and finally she turned to drugs. Braun’s daughter did whatever she could to not feel the emotional pain she felt and as close as she had always been to her mother, she kept her trauma a secret. Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault states that 1 in every 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will experience sexual assault before the age of 18. Once Beth got her daughter the help she needed, she began to learn about childhood sexual abuse. This led her to start noticing similarities in her students and the youth she was surrounded by on the high school campus where she worked. It was at this point that she began to understand the enormity of this issue that was plaguing our youth. Braun felt compelled to do something to help teenagers know they aren’t alone and it is possible to find help and support. Having over 50 years of dance experience, Beth understood the deep transformative powers that dance and art have. She set out to produce a multi-media performance project that could reach youth in a positive way. The goal was to start healthy conversations and tear down the walls children and teens often create for protection. Esperanza Dance Project performs in traditional high schools, charter schools, community colleges, colleges and universities, treatment centers, conferences and participates in community events. Although audiences of all ages are impacted by attending one of our events, our organization was created with youth as our target audience and every student, teacher, guidance counselor and school administrator who attends one of our performances receives a comprehensive EDP Study Guide. These Guides were created in collaboration with artists, educators, school counselors and professionals in the behavioral health field, and contain detailed information about the performance, statistics on childhood sexual trauma, journaling questions, suggestions regarding supporting survivors and community resources where survivors, friends and family members can find help and support. Esperanza Dance Project is made up of performers and non-performing interns between the ages of 14-29 of diverse backgrounds, artistic training, ethnicities, narratives, genders and sexual orientations. All of our performers and non-performing interns receive our Peer Advocacy Training, giving them the information, tools and skills they need to be effective and compassionate advocates to young people who might be in need of help and support. "The dance and poetic narrator brought me to tears. I thought I was alone all the time. Thank you for impacting lives in a positive way." - Anonymous Teenage High School Audience Member