Eastern culture visits small Western town

It's not easy to hold on to a Chinese folding hat on a breezy day in Silver City Park.

Every time the students loosened their grips on the thin caps Wednesday, they flew away or attracted the attention of a town dog named Sasha who wanted to play.

The eight-week Chinese-education program, taught by Sonia Carlson who lives in Gardnerville, was made available through a Nevada Arts Council Folk Art grant. Five weeks into the program, Carlson has shared songs, games and calligraphy with the 6- to 13-year-olds participating in the class.

The hat-lifting breeze detracted from the attention required for the sashays and lifts and swirls of the Chinese hat dance. Corinna Obermayr, 11, gripping her hat to her head, laughed.

"I have to hold on with two hands," she said.

Students have learned several dances from Carlson, including the folding-hat, the umbrella, the fan and the sword. The latter is the favorite of 13-year-old Mike Lindsay.

"One of the things we did was jumped and stabbed (during the sword dance)," he said. "(Sonia) brought two real swords. The rest of the others were wood or plastic."

Things to do in Silver City for youth are scarce, he said. He spends a lot of time on his bike during the summer. Sometimes he comes to the grassy park, one of the few splotches of green in Silver City. Without Silver City resident Quest Lakes, though, he said, there would be a lot less to do.

He signed up for the Chinese-education class at the insistence of Lakes.

"Quest tries to get every one out to do these things," he said.

He can count the youth who live in Silver City on his fingers. All he does is look around at the houses and name the children who live there " he figures 11 to 12 in all.

Carlson's program balances the outdoor-feel of Silver City with an academic tinge " not surprising for an area said to boast a high number of college graduates. Corinna said she wasn't forced to take the class, but signed up for it by choice.

"I'm pretty interested in the Chinese people and the things they do," she said.

- Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.