Holy Dance HD

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Our Story

What can you do as a refugee in terms of finding your way out in a new country or promoting your talent? A young refugee has a lot of difficulties integrating into a new area. Most youth who filed the war in Congo when they get to Uganda don't know where to start. My name is Esai Pilipili Co-founder of Holy Dance. I started dancing while I was still going to Old Kampala Primary School, but made a big transaction from dancing at Miracle Center to create a dance crew. After getting inspired by our story, you will also be able to understand the vision beside just dancing It was one day in the morning when I had just gotten to school. The teacher was reading out names for those who did not have yet paid their school fees. I knew it was time to go back home. I pitch myself “What if you just find somewhere else to be now.” I was stressed because it wasn’t the first day I got kicked out of school and my parents never have enough to cover my school fees. In that period I missed the registration to PLE, and I had to stay home. Besides dancing at church, I wasn’t doing anything else. I came to find out that I wasn’t the only one to spend the time in the street looking for some sort of part-time job that I never achieve. In November 2013 come up with something that may keep us busy and encourage us to find hope. When I first got to Uganda there wasn't much hope even in school. Most of the time we were bullied due to our refugee status. I remember other students never call our names instead they used to “refugees” to make us feel more strangers. Eventually, we started Holy Dance to showcase our talent and gain back respect. Not only that we were called names, but also some other, one in five was physically abused. I was physically abused multiple times facing the battle. The only way to fight back was to hide in contraction homes and practice dance. I remember us being kicked out fo places that we even had permission to set our practice at. It was easy for somebody else to give up. It was almost seven months of strong practice and I remember I was in the lobby at Miracle Center asking for dance auditions. We were accepted and finally, it was time to perform on a big stage. At that time it was five members in the group half of those that we started with. Most of us weren’t enrolled in school so we couldn't miss a day of practice. All I know is that we found our way to fit, promote peace, and interact with the citizens of Uganda through dance. It was those days when we started going out and in a short period, we reached a lot of people who were inspired. Mostly we were performing at local churches and local primary and secondary schools. We had hoped for something bigger so we never mind if they could pay us or just volunteer. Nobody ever believed in us in the beginning, but our actions tell the hall story. One of our oldest dancers is Didier Akili whose stage name is Cris Yc. He was also influenced by the idea of being part of something and he never took it for granted. “All I ever wanted was to stand in front of people and tell them that I have a talent,” Said Didier. While Joffre Blume was also one of our great leaders, later he had a resettlement opportunity to live in Sweden where it has been closed two years now. I left Uganda in December 2014 which was one-year teaching dance and leadership. Joffre Balume had also been a great leader over the years he spent in Uganda After me. I started a dance crew in my community here. It never was easy in the United States, a guy from African telling American kids to join him, but eventually, I did it and my young brother Jonas Pilipili. I remember one day I called the crew in Uganda and told them that we are international and it was only tears of joy running in our eyes. We had some progress in the U.S too. The community here was so blessed to have us around and also our showcases at universities. Like Cleveland State University was a big opening opportunity to learn how it's like to go to University in America. While dancing for community events, we get to tell our stories to local news reporters and the community. What I still see as a dream is when Holy Dance went to East Africa Got Talent representing the country of Uganda. It is hard to believe, but we did it. Even if we never feel welcome in the beginning, now we are proud to share the same cultures. We believe to fly even higher than that. East Africa Got Talent is one of the biggest opportunities we ever accomplished. In the meantime, we were also showcasing locally and won some competitions, but we still see all this as the beginning. Since I left there had been a big improvement in our crew. We partner with Uruma Children Foundation by also sharing dance routines with orphan children. I used to teach, but also after we were blessed to have a professional choreographer Pascal Luanda, Jaydee as his stage name, Stephen Kyalondawa, Dalva Beat as his stage name and Kasereka Vayahi who also go with JCK as his stage name. Which are also our active dancers in Uganda Including Didier Akili as the group leader in HD. Kampala Some of them we never meet, but we share ideas like brothers. In terms of solving problems, we all get in a group conversation and find a solution. Fundings for the crew is a big challenge, but we always solve it. While I’m still going to school whatever I get we share. When I graduate and start a career, I hope I will be able to fund even more. Our biggest goal is to travel the world showing the value of humanity no matter where you come from or the cause for you to be a refugee. Opening opportunities for young people so they don’t have to experience the struggles that we went through and inspire other people to keep loving and supporting one another. C.E.O

Esai Pilipili