[Richmond, Virginia]—Latin Ballet of Virginia is pleased to announce it has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $15,000. This grant will support Everybody Reads! a youth program that promotes literacy, historical understanding, and cultural knowledge by exploring works of literature through the medium of dance.

In total, the NEA will award 958 Grants for Arts Projects awards totaling more than $27.1 million that were announced as part of its first round of fiscal year 2024 grants.

“The NEA is delighted to announce this grant to Latin Ballet of Virginia, which is helping contribute to the strength and well-being of the arts sector and local community,” said National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “We are pleased to be able to support this community and help create an environment where all people have the opportunity to live artful lives.”

Latin Ballet Executive Director Zaira Pulido explains that “Everybody Reads! will directly reach around 2,000 underrepresented youth and their families at schools, libraries, and community centers in both urban and rural areas of Central Virginia.”

A special feature of the project is the participation of celebrated Virginia writers Meg Medina, Kathryn Starke, Julia Torres, John Bryan, and Victor Torres. According to Latin Ballet’s founder and Artistic Director Emerita Ana Ines King, “they will collaborate with our artists in lecture demonstrations, performances, and residencies.”

For more information about Latin Ballet, please see: https://www.latinballet.com

For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.