CINCINNATI — Sandra Bradley pulls out her phone and leans forward. She’s sitting in the basement of a library in Walnut Hills when a smile spreads across her face.
In a room down the hall, her 6-year-old daughter sits against the wall. The child begs to come to ballet class even when she’s not feeling well. She reads a book while other kids run across the room, jumping over small dots on the ground.
Bradley told me they tried another ballet class first. But it was too complicated.
Rond de jambe. Arabesque. Port de bras.
“It’s like another language,” Bradley said.
Then, they tried this one — a free program at the Walnut Hills library that provides kids with shoes, leotards and books.
“She loved it,” Bradley said. “Oh my God, I’m going to start crying.”
This is the fifth week of an eight-week class, which culminates in a performance at Northern Kentucky University. Bradley shows me pictures from the most recent one. She's still smiling.
“I’m just proud. I’m proud and I’m happy,” Bradley said. “My daughter got to experience something I wouldn’t have been able to provide otherwise.”
Watch: Ballet and books inspire readers at Cincinnati library:
The idea came to founder Taila Bailes when she was an intern at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. She worked with a doctor studying how young children learn.
“I truly believe dance can be used as a form of health equity,” Bailes said. “I thought, what if I combine dance and literacy?"
That curiosity turned into Ballet and Books, a program now offered at some libraries around the country — including this one in Cincinnati.
In Ohio, about one in three children don't read proficiently by third grade, according to data from the Ohio Department of Education.
“The library here picks out different dance books for our kids every week, books that allow the kids to see themselves in the story,” Bailes said. “Different backgrounds, different types of dances, different ethnicities, different abilities. And that’s really the goal.”
The classes are split into two parts, with 45 minutes devoted to dance and 45 minutes devoted to literacy. Rosemary Scarpelli, a student at the University of Cincinnati's College‑Conservatory of Music, leads one class.
“These kids have such good energy," Scarpelli said. "And it’s wonderful to share something I love so much with the next generation.”
The time spent on literacy activities includes reading and writing exercises. Sitting at a table in the hallway, another college student reads a story involving dirty ballet shoes. Next to her, a 6-year-old tries to spell kangaroo.
I asked her if she likes this class. She quickly said yes. And when I asked her what her favorite part was, she answered just as fast.
"Reading."
If you’re interested in learning more about Ballet and Books, you can click on this link.
