BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Books in Motion celebrates 9 years of promoting literacy through dance with 50 free performances across Kern County this summer.
- Books in Motion marks 9 years serving Kern County communities
- 12 performance groups, including Creative Dance Academy
- 50 free shows at 20+ locations, including local libraries
- Promoting literacy through dance, crafts, and storytelling
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Books in Motion is back in action! This summer it’s better than ever — with more performances and books serving communities all across Kern County.
On Tuesday morning, the Board of Supervisors recognized July as Books in Motion Month. Books in Motion is a dance and literacy program that promotes reading through performance. 23ABC is a proud sponsor of this summer initiative.
Romy Hernandez, is a dancer with the Creative Dance Academy and she says, "I've never seen this happen before. You never see people take books and turn them into a dance. And every studio does it differently. Like we take the book and have people read it, and we have people read it and put it over our music."
Books in Motion celebrates nine years in Kern County. This year, there are 12 performance groups — one being Creative Dance Academy —
with shows at more than 20 locations, including Kern County Libraries. There will be 50 free performances this summer.
Genevieve Egana, is a librarian with the Kern County Library and she says, "We know that not everybody learns the same way, not everybody absorbs the same way. So for some kids, it’s easier to see it visually and to act it out. And so those are the kinds of learning that we try to encourage in the library in general — and Books in Motion really helps us in that effort."
Kern Dance Alliance says 1 in 4 third graders in Kern County either cannot read or are not reading at grade level. Books in Motion aims to change that by bringing stories to life.
Marcie Hronis, is the President for Kern Dance Alliance and she tells me, "They bring the book to life with dynamic costumes, beautiful choreography — and it is a wonderful experience. And then following reading of the book and the performance, children get to be included in arts and crafts, where the performers themselves help the students and the children with creating an arts and crafts that correlates with the book."
There will also be multilingual performances this year — including shows in Spanish, English, and American Sign Language.
So far, Books in Motion has reached nearly 15,000 children and given away close to 10,000 free books since 2016.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
