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The Esperanza Effect Newsletter: April 2019

#EsperanzaNews, Esperanza Effect Newsletter, Featured

Eva and the Esperanza Academy Dance Ensemble Find Hope and Opportunity Through the Arts

After 3:00 p.m. at Esperanza Academy most students have returned home after a long day of classes. The Esperanza Academy Dance Ensemble’s classroom, however, is just coming to life. Eva, one of the ensemble’s leaders, is dancing and working hard so she can turn her passion into a career in the arts. With your gift you support students like Eva, making arts education and opportunities available in our community.  

Eva says, “I am a soft-spoken girl but when I dance, I am the loudest one in the room.” Dancing has given Eva freedom; freedom to be true to herself and to dream big. Dance empowers students to gain confidence and acts as an outlet for their talents, amplifying their voices and self-expression.

The EA Dance Ensemble has become a “second family,” for students and their teacher, Ms. Tania Ramos-Oton.

By working together to manifest music in motion, the ensemble develops collaborative skills, builds self-confidence, and the understanding that they can succeed at anything they set out to accomplish.

Every gift to Esperanza’s arts education and culture programs is a show of support for students like Eva who aspire to achieve their dreams. One day, Eva hopes to give back to young people like herself by opening her own dance studio. She credits the EA Dance Ensemble for inspiring her to succeed. Eva describes what the ensemble means to her, saying, “We’re all as one and we feel together. Family. The dance ensemble is my family.”

We know that success is possible when we come together as one Esperanza family. You can next find the Esperanza Academy Dance Ensemble at their Spring Dance Concert at Teatro Esperanza. Consider making a gift and come see them on May 11, at 6 pm. Tickets are available for $5, and you may contact tramos@neacademy.net for more information.


Esperanza Arts Center Spotlight: Meet our new theater Production and Facilities Manager, Everett Robinson

Everett Robinson is one of the newest members of the Esperanza familia! He serves as the Production and Facilities Manager at Teatro Esperanza, Esperanza’s new theater in North Philadelphia. Bringing more than 10 years of experience in theater production and performance to Esperanza, Everett believes the Teatro Esperanza has tremendous potential to become the center for Latino arts & culture in Philadelphia.

Everett found himself creating performances as young as 13 years old and knew then that he wanted to be a performer. He began working in theater production after landing an internship in Hollywood, California with producer Dr. Ivan Gulas. He also performed for years as a professional wrestler.

The most enjoyable part of Everett’s job is when he manages a production at Teatro Esperanza. Everett says some of his “favorite days are the performances. I love putting the show all together.”

Everett believes it’s critical that the theater recruits artists and performances that reflect the Hispanic community in Hunting Park and understand how to best connect to the passions and interests of its residents.

Everett is excited for the theater’s future: Teatro Esperanza is fully equipped to be one of the first state of the art, “live to tape” community educational theaters in the nation. This means the theater would be able to host performances, while also broadcasting and taping those performances live. The ‘live to tape’ option creates opportunities for Teatro Esperanza and its artists to create demo packages, tapings, marketing, and expand jobs for everyone involved.

Teatro Esperanza’s next performance is a Ballet X and AMLA pop-up collaboration on May 3, 2019, which you can learn more about here.  We’re so happy to welcome Everett to the Teatro Esperanza team!


Esperanza Academy’s Chess Queens Defend their Title!

The Esperanza Academy Chess Queens took home a third-place trophy during their national chess competition in Chicago. That means they defended their title and ranking as the third best girls chess team in the nation! We’re so proud of the Chess Queens and want to thank you for helping make their trip and victory possible!

The Esperanza Academy chess team, led by chess coach Ms. Gabby Moshier, competed in the All Girls Renaissance Knights Chess Foundation Tournament in Chicago, IL on April 12-14. The girls placed in the top three, and only one point behind the second-place title takers.

As Ms. Moshier said after the Chess Queens’ win, “the incredible skill and talent that these girls played with is commendable.” Please congratulate the girls for defending their title. Thank you for following their path to success!


Esperanza Partner Spotlight

Esperanza makes a difference in the lives of so many because of the incredible support of our amazing partners. The Caroline Alexander Buck Foundation is one of our newest partners and has invested in Esperanza’s Artistas y Musicos Latinoamericanos (AMLA) school to help underserved youth in the city of Philadelphia. We were recently approved for a $10,000 grant that will help young AMLA students in the development, dissemination and understanding of Latin American music and culture in the Philadelphia region. Thank you again to the Caroline Alexander Buck Foundation!

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