Ballet & Books and Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health to Host Live Panel

NEW YORK - Oct. 14, 2024 - PRLog -- Ballet & Books (https://www.balletandbooks.org/), a national nonprofit committed to bridging the literacy gap through the hybrid storytelling of dance and reading, today announced they are partnering with Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health (https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/) to host a live panel on Friday, October 18th. The panel will feature thought leaders and experts from across the arts and the public health, medicine, and law sectors to shed light on the powerful impact and potential of dance on lifelong health outcomes and its role in promoting health equity worldwide.

Ballet & Books aims to close the literacy gap with the specific approach of combining storytelling through dance and reading. With about 40% of students nationwide (National Literacy Institute) unable to read at a basic level, this literacy gap represents a public health crisis in the United States, which Ballet & Books is committed to addressing.Through cost-free programming, the organization partners with universities and college mentors to enhance literacy rates by integrating the art of dance with a structured reading curriculum in local communities. Even more unique, Ballet & Books is run entirely by young professionals and college students.

The panel will be moderated by Talia Bailes, Founder and Executive Director of Ballet & Books as well as current medical student at University of Michigan Medical School, and Heather Butts, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The panelists will include:

• Leyla Fayyaz: Co-Founder and Film Producer, Life in Motion Pictures
• Sindy Folgar: Program Director, Misty Copeland Foundation BE BOLD
• Dr. Olajide Williams, M.D., M.S.: Professor of Neurology, Vice Dean of Community Health, Neurologist at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and Founder and Board Chair, Hip Hop Public Health
• Marcia Sells, J.D.: Former Metropolitan Opera, Chief Diversity Officer; Former Harvard Law Dean; Columbia Law School, Lecturer in Law
• Lori Rose Benson: Hip Hop Public Health, Executive Director and CEO

Attendees can register for the event here (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-panel-dance-as-a-means-...), which will take place on Friday, October 18th at 2:00PM in the Riverview Lounge at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and will last roughly 120 minutes.

About Ballet & Books:
Ballet & Books is a national nonprofit committed to bridging the literacy gap through the hybrid storytelling of dance and reading. The organization offers free programming led by college students at universities across the United States. These students collaborate with local community partners to provide free dance and literacy activities for children aged 3 to 9 in their communities. The organization has developed an innovative curriculum with weekly lesson plans to strengthen literacy skills, build confidence, and incite a passion for learning amongst both mentors and mentees. Since its founding, the organization has helped over 900 children and student leaders. To learn more about Ballet & Books, visit balletandbooks.org.