Native American hoop dancer and Emmy Award–winning filmmaker, Eric Michael Hernandez, a proud member of the Lumbee Tribe, brings movement, film, music, and storytelling together in a high-energy event about identity, belonging, and the courage it takes to find and fully embrace who we are.

In hoop dancing, the hoop is the story, with movement, rhythm, and the circle coming together as a powerful form of storytelling. During this dynamic program, students will experience the athleticism and artistry of live hoop dancing, participate in an interactive program, and watch Eric’s Emmy Award-winning short film Courage (15 minutes). Based on Eric’s own life, the film follows a young Native American boy who reconnects with hoop dance through his uncle and discovers strength, resilience, and the courage to embrace his heritage. Through dance, film, and storytelling, Eric brings his own story off the screen and into the theater for students to learn from and reflect on their own traditions and identities.

At a time when young people are navigating a world increasingly shaped by social media, screens, and AI, this experience will create space for students to reflect on what grounds us: the relationships, cultures, communities, traditions, and experiences that help us understand who we are. Joyful, playful, and deeply personal, Eric ultimately turns the question back to students: “For me, it’s the hoop dance. What is it for you?”

Eric Michael Hernandez is a world champion Native American hoop dancer, award-winning filmmaker, and proud member of the Lumbee Tribe with more than 20 years of experience. Mentored by renowned hoop dancer Terry Goedel, Eric performed as a lead artist in Cirque du Soleil’s Totem, touring more than 17 countries. Through dance, filmmaking, and speaking, he works to challenge stereotypes and share contemporary Native American stories and ancestral knowledge. Eric is also the writer and director of the Emmy Award–winning short film Courage, inspired by his own experience learning hoop dance from his Uncle Terry and exploring culture, identity, and belonging through the tradition.