Recommended for ages 12+. A brush with Destiny can change your life, especially when it takes the form of the Oakland-based youth performance arts program of the same name. Their study of dance, theater, spoken word, and martial arts is rooted in self-empowerment and the promotion of nonviolence, in a neighborhood where violence, absent parents, and drugs are part of the daily landscape, and in a culture in which racism, homophobia, and sexism are acknowledged but rarely addressed. A brilliant and diverse group of teenagers, the Destiny company achieves the seemingly impossible-with enthusiasm, soul, and honesty that inspire and uplift.