Atlanta Ballet's Healthy Living Day This Sunday - Free Dance Classes, Performances and Activities for Entire Family

Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance Education will host its third annual Healthy Living Day on Sunday, Sept. 7 from noon – 6 p.m. at its Michael C. Carlos Dance Centre in West Midtown Atlanta.

The event is a part of the Centre’s initiative to promote healthy, sustainable lifestyles through physical activity and a balanced, nutritious diet. The event will also support the effort to eradicate childhood obesity in the U.S. and is in recognition of September as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.

Festivities are free and open to the public and will include dance classes for children and adults (e.g. ballet, salsa, African, jazz and yoga); nutrition seminars and food demonstrations; individual consultations with nutrition experts; and performances by local dance companies, including Atlanta Ballet’s Wabi Sabi, Zoetic and Moving in the Spirit.

Organizations, such as the Atlanta Braves, Atlanta Hawks, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life and Cigna Health, will be hand on as well with additional games and activities for the entire family.

Healthy Living Day will also highlight Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance Nutrition, which launched in 2010 and is the first of its kind for any dance company in the U.S. The Centre for Dance Nutrition is headed by registered dietitian (and former Atlanta Ballet dancer) Emily Cook Harrison.

For the festivities, Harrison has put together a day of interactive workshops that will show families a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be expensive, but affordable, accessible, and fun.

“Although nutrition and healthy eating are crucial to the lives of dancers, the principles we teach are applicable for everyone. Many of our students may not go on to pursue professional dance careers, but a healthy, active lifestyle is necessary for whatever path they choose,” said Harrison.

Parents and kids can partake in classes such as “Feeding a Healthy Family: Real Life Nutrition for Busy Families,” which will include food demonstrations of healthy recipes, and “Food Allergies, Intolerances & Picky Eating.” Harrison will also be on hand throughout the day with other registered dietitians providing individual consultations.

“Atlanta Ballet recognizes the serious threat obesity poses to the health of America’s children and the importance of decreasing its prevalence, not only in Georgia, but across the entire United States,” said Harrison. “Through programs like Healthy Living Day, we are confident that we can play a significant role in remedying this problem. We want the message to resonate with all families, no matter their circumstance or socio-economic background.”

During the past four decades, obesity rates have soared among all age groups, increasing more than fourfold among children ages 6 to 11. According to a 2010 study released by the Center for Disease Control, more than 12 million children and teenagers (16.9%) ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight, a statistic that health and medical experts consider an epidemic. In Georgia, one in five children is overweight.

Atlanta Ballet is one of hundreds of organizations, advocates and families nationwide planning events and activities to build awareness of childhood obesity and ways to combat it in observance of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. September 2010 was the first National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, established by presidential and congressional proclamations and adopted locally by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.

Atlanta Ballet’s Healthy Living Day will be held from noon – 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7 at the Michael C. Carlos Dance Centre - 1695 Marietta Blvd., NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 in West Midtown Atlanta.

For more information, including a full schedule of events, visit www.centre.atlantaballet.com or call 404-873-5811.