President Spotlight: Meet Eleanor
This week, we’re highlighting the founder & chapter president of our newest Ballet & Books chapter in New York City! Eleanor, a junior studying Economics at Columbia University, shared why she wanted to start a chapter and what dance means to her.
Why did you want to start a Ballet & Books chapter?
I learned about Ballet & Books through my friend McKay, a member of the Vanderbilt University chapter. She loved serving as a mentor, and I found the mission of the organization inspiring and wanted to get involved.
What are your hopes for the chapter’s impact on your college community? The Morningside Heights community?
Especially because of our location in NYC, we have a robust dance community, with dancers from all backgrounds. I hope these students get to share their love of dance and their academic passion in a way that excites and inspires our mentees.
What do dance and literacy mean to you?
For me, dance has always been about community. I think dance, and especially ballet, is commonly conceived as a solo endeavour, but really it’s quite the opposite. Ballet teaches you how to sense even minute changes in other people, how to trust them, how to take on the group’s success as your own, often without speaking a word. Getting to combine these invaluable interpersonal skills with the verbal communication skills learned through literacy is an incredible opportunity for our mentees.
