Rose Petal Education Foundation Inc

Support The Endurance Project: Providing Hope and Essentials to Tucson’s Homeless for Nearly 20 Years

For nearly two decades, the Endurance Project has been dedicated to serving those in need in Tucson, particularly during the holiday season. Since the mid-2000s, we have organized annual clothing giveaways to provide warmth and comfort to the homeless and underprivileged members of our community. In recent years, we’ve expanded our efforts to include the distribution of backpacks filled with essential items such as toiletries, soap, toothbrushes, socks, underwear, gloves, and hats. On Christmas Day, our volunteers personally deliver these backpacks to those living in parks and on the streets, ensuring they have the necessities to get through the harsh winter months.

We are excited to continue this mission in supporting the work the Salvation Army does on Christmas Day with a for a sleeping bags, clothing, and toys to giveaway at the Tucson Convention Center, while still conducting our traditional backpack distribution. But to sustain and grow these efforts, we need your help. As we go through the process of becoming an official non-profit organization, we are seeking seed money to cover incorporation costs and to open a bank with the minimum deposit to allow us to operate efficiently without incurring monthly charges.

**Your donation will directly support our mission**—from helping us establish a solid foundation as a non-profit to ensuring we can continue delivering these much-needed items to Tucson’s most vulnerable. Every dollar helps us make a difference, bringing hope, dignity, and comfort to those who need it most.

Please consider donating today to support the Endurance Project, and help us continue this tradition of compassion and care for another 20 years!

Please note: As The Endurance Project awaits 501(c)3 status from the IRS, donated funds will be managed by the Rose Petal Foundation, a 501(c)3 based in Tucson, AZ. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Please note: As Dancing in the Streets AZ renews its 501(c)3 status with the IRS, donated funds will be managed by the Rose Petal Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 based in Tucson, AZ. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Dancing in the Streets Arizona is launching it's Spring 2025 season of classes and performances! Your support today is crucial in fulfilling our mission to use the power of dance to break down cultural barriers and enrich the community’s artistic experience. Through the excitement and discipline of ballet, we strive to transform lives, guiding children in developing positive life skills that extend beyond the stage.

Support the Magic of Dance in South Tucson!

Dancing In The Streets AZ needs your support! We rely on generous donors like you to provide year-round access to high-quality dance training for children and families in our community. Our inclusive, non-profit ballet school is dedicated to making the performing arts accessible to everyone, regardless of financial circumstances.

From our annual Nutcracker Ballet to ongoing classes, community performances, and scholarship programs, your donation ensures that every student has the opportunity to shine.

Your Donation Makes a Difference:

✅ $50 – Provides a costume rental for a young dancer.

✅ $100 – Covers a pair of pointe shoes for a dedicated student.

✅ $250 – Sponsors a student’s participation in a performance.

✅ $500+ – Helps fund professional talent, live music, and theater costs.

Corporate Sponsorships Available! Message for more details.

Every dollar brings us closer to keeping the magic alive and ensuring that all children, regardless of financial situation, have the chance to dance.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today!

A Performance Opportunity for All

Our classes and productions provides students—many from under represented or underserved communities—a chance to experience the thrill of performing on stage. For many, it’s their first experience showcasing their talents before a live audience.

Building Confidence and Lifelong Skills

Ballet instills discipline, teamwork, and self-expression, teaching students skills that transcend dance and enrich their lives.

Creating Accessible Arts

We provide low-cost ballet lessons for traditional and non-traditional students, including at-risk youth and low-income families, ensuring they have the opportunity to experience this classic art form. Additionally, we create a welcoming, non-intimidating environment for new audience members to enjoy ballet productions, making the arts accessible and inclusive for all.

A Message from Our Founders (video link)

Dancing in the Streets Arizona (DITSAZ) is both a well-appointed ballet studio and a laboratory for success. DITSAZ was founded in 2008 by husband and wife team Soleste Lupu and Joseph Rodgers, who met in ballet school in Tucson, and with a modest sum of money received in celebration of their wedding. The DITSAZ studio is located in South Tucson, a one-square mile city surrounded by the City of Tucson that maintains a strong cultural heritage, but struggles with high crime rates and poverty. The mission of DITSAZ is to use the power of dance to transform lives using the excitement and discipline of ballet to guide children in developing positive life skills; and to break down cultural barriers and enrich the community’s artistic experience.

Dancing In The Streets AZ is a ballet organization dedicated to fostering creativity, cultural exchange, and community engagement through dance. Our mission is to promote and celebrate the transformative power of dance, providing accessible opportunities for artistic expression, education, and performance.

At the core of our organization’s work is the belief that dance has the ability to inspire, connect, and empower individuals and communities. We strive to create a vibrant and inclusive cultural environment where people from diverse backgrounds can come together to experience the joy and richness of dance. Our organization focuses on several key areas to fulfill our mission:

Performance: We curate and produce high-quality dance performances. These performances feature both professional dancers along side emerging artists, providing a platform for artistic expression and innovation, and an inspiration to our students.

Education: We offer dance education programs for people of all ages and skill levels. Our classes, workshops, and residencies are designed to provide accessible and inclusive opportunities for individuals to learn and explore various dance styles. We believe in the power of dance education to nurture creativity, develop physical fitness, and build self-confidence.

Community Engagement: We actively engage with the community by organizing events, festivals, and outreach programs that bring dance into public spaces and underserved areas. Through these initiatives, we aim to make dance accessible to a broader audience, promote cultural understanding, and foster community cohesion.

Collaboration: We value collaboration with other arts organizations, schools, community centers, and local artists. By working together, we aim to create synergistic partnerships that amplify our collective impact, promote cross-cultural exchange, and support the growth of the local dance community.

Through our diverse programming and initiatives, Dancing In The Streets AZ strives to enrich the cultural landscape of our region, inspire individuals to explore their artistic potential, and create meaningful connections within our community. We believe that by embracing the universal language of dance, we can promote empathy, celebrate diversity, and contribute to the overall well-being and vitality of our society.

The students take classes and perform in professional settings regardless of their income level, physical shape/size, or skill level. DITSAZ has served children with incarcerated parents, victims of abuse, those with serious physical and developmental disabilities, as well as non-traditional ballet students, such as overweight children or those with other physical limitations. Thirty-seven of our students were referred by the Juvenile Court to complete community service, many of whom continued on as students after their terms of service were completed. Regardless of background or how they became involved, these students have discovered they can do more than they ever thought—not just across the dance floor, but in the classroom, in their family, and in their community. DITSAZ has demonstrated that dance education provides at-risk youth, and all students, a vehicle to experience positive teamwork and discipline, develop friendships that challenge cultural barriers, and most, important, experience accomplishments that serve to broaden their sense of life possibilities. No one is ever turned away if they want to learn.

For more information, please visit our website Dancing in the Streets AZ.