HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Jake Smith and Jacob Boggs demonstrate the Lohan form. HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Head instructor Glenn Bullock overlooks drummers Ekaterina Venola and Natasha Venola. HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Shaolin performers display their talents as a group. HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Costumed Shaolin students perform the Lion Dance, believed to have been performed 2,000 years ago in China. Advertisement

Some kids love to go to school while others wish the weekend would hurry up and rescue them from second period math or another pesky spelling test.

But Wednesday afternoon all the students at Mt. Charleston Elementary School seemed genuinely thrilled to attend afternoon assemblies featuring dancers from Vagabond Shaolin Kung-fu Studio.

The cadence of beating drums accompanied trained dancers of all ages who demonstrated traditional line dances from Southern China.

The program, with its colorful costumes and compelling rhythms, was also given at Floyd and Manse Elementary schools last week and business venues this week as a way of teaching youngsters how the Chinese New Year, which fell on Jan. 26, is celebrated.

Lead dancer Glenn Bullock, who heads the studio, was trained by instructors who learned their art studying under masters from China.

"The littlest kids went crazy for the dancing," said Bullock, recalling the assembly programs. "They loved it. I have never had a better reception.

"We explained a little about the origin of the Lion Dance and gave the kids a little history about how the dance came into being. A Chinese emperor had a dream that he was being attacked by evil spirits and was saved by a lion," said Bullock.

"There are no lions in China, so when artists drew images of his dream, they used a combination of a dragon, phoenix and fu-dog, and those animal elements can be seen in our costumes."

Bullock said the dance is believed to be at least 2,000 years old.

"These public programs are good for my students, too. It's good training, although it's a lot of pressure," said Bullock. "You really get to test your skills doing it in front of people. It adds tension and gives you a kind of real-life situation."

Dancers participating in the assembly programs were Randy and Cathy Carlson, Rion Daegorn, Ekaterina and Natasha Venola, Curt Hyde, Shyanne Lin, Jill and Jake Smith, Diane, Sierra and Evan Thompson, Jacob Boggs and Jacob Whitehead.

Bullock opened his studio two years ago inside Donna's Studio of Dance, at 401 Frontage Road and has about 30 active students learning Shaolin Kung-fu and other styles, such as Wing Chung and Lion Dancing.

He offers adult and children's classes.