In 2011, our founder and Executive Artistic Director, Beth Braun, a professional
dancer, choreographer, high school dance educator for over 20+ years, and a survivor of
domestic and sexual violence, created Esperanza Dance Project (EDP) after her 18 year-old
daughter disclosed that she had been sexually abused by her biological father for as long as
she could remember. Beth’s daughter had led a life filled with pain and shame. She had
suffered from chronic migraines, causing her to be out of school more than she was there,
anxiety disorder, depression, eating disorders, drug misuse, and suicidal ideation. Her
daughter did whatever she could to keep her abuse a secret while numbing her emotional
pain. 
EDP is a community-based organization that uses the transformative power
of dance to spread awareness, educate, and inspire conversations about childhood sexual
trauma while delivering a message of empowerment, hope, and healing. EDP integrates dance, music, and narrative into age-appropriate middle and high school performances that youth can relate to.
“House of Hope,” our high school performance piece, gives students an accessible way of understanding sexual violence as it relates to their everyday lives and identifies tools for students to use if they or someone they know experiences sexual assault. “ProjectRISE: Respect, Inspire, Support, Empower,” our middle school program, consists of its own age-appropriate, narrated performance piece that raises awareness about issues of concern, including trauma, mental health, bullying, healthy relationships, safe social media use, self-harm, body dysmorphia, and substance misuse.
Both programs are accompanied by our comprehensive curriculum and following all performances, our director and dancers facilitate a student-driven Question & Answer session. EDP has been successful in creating safe spaces where youth feel seen, heard, and have the opportunity to engage in authentic conversations about uncomfortable topics.