Video Gardnerville Elementary celebrates Chinese New Year

Sonia Xian Na Carlson and students at Gardnerville Elementary School celebrated the Year of the Rat at the school on Friday.

Carlson teaches Chinese music, dance and traditions to students, which culminated in Friday's Chinese New Year performance.

In her 20 years in the states, Carlson has performed about 40 times.

Carlson, 50, has lived in Carson Valley for 10 years. The dancers appearing with her during the Chinese New Year festivities are her students, some who are new and others who have been with her for as long as four years. Students get well-rounded lessons that include writing, singing, dancing, poetry and culture of China. Classes are taught in Gardnerville through the Carson Valley Chinese Cultural Group and the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. For more information on classes, call 782-8067.

Research, costumes and presentations by the Carson Valley Cultural Group have been funded through grants over the years. In January, $750 was awarded to Carlson through a Nevada Arts Council Arts in Education grant, which she used, in part, to fund the Chinese New Year performance this year. The project was also funded through grants from a state agency and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.