It was a few students in the STAND (Students Taking Action Now Darfur) club who originally suggested that Arcadia High School’s annual fall dance show become an anti-genocide benefit. Now in its fifth year, Dance for Darfur is one of the Phoenix, AZ, school’s most anticipated events. For this year’s concert on November 18 and 19, $5 admission for students and $6 for adults goes toward preventing genocide in Darfur. Five cans for the local food bank will also grant admission. The school’s goal is to raise $4,000 and 4,000 cans. “Teenagers are so into their own world,” says Denise Rapp, Arcadia’s dance teacher and organizer of the event. “Something like this helps them begin to
understand that helping others can enrich their lives.”

Every dance class at Arcadia performs, while advanced students have the chance to choreograph additional dances during class time or on their own. Rapp invites four local dance studios to each perform a piece, bringing the total number of dancers in the show to 200.

Photo: Arcadia students rehearse. (by Danny Cisneros, courtesy of Denise Rapp)