AUSTRIANS SHARE CULTURE WITH CAPE STUDENTS

Each loud whoop or holler that came from the circle of brightly dressed dancing Austrians sent elementary students at May Greene School into gales of laughter.

"I just loved it when they screamed," said 12-year-old Jaaron Artis.

"It's incredible," said Marcus Johnson, 12. "I wish we had more stuff like this at school."

The 28-member Volkstanzgruppe Baden presented the music and dance of their native Austria to the students Wednesday morning. In the afternoon the troupe performed for children at Washington Elementary.

Several times throughout the hourlong performances the Austrian men and women invited children to dance with them and then guided them along.

They played, sang and danced to southern Austrian folk music, polkas and waltzes. Amidst familiar songs were landler songs, Austrian country songs and dance in slow rhythm and triple time.

They wore traditional clothing from Austria, and they were quick to remind you that it is not what they normally wear back home. Men wore lederhose, or knickers, gathered in just below the knee; vests and white frilly shirts.

The women wore blouses with wide, embellished girdles over them and laced up in the front; and full, brightly colored skirts and aprons.

The group is from Baden, a small town near Vienna. Vienna is the country's capital, which spawned such great musicians as Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart.

Wolfgang Drescher, co-leader of the troupe, said that they came because they wanted to see this country and bring an impression of their country to people here.

"We really just want to share culture," Drescher said. "We like to dance so we thought it would be good to dance here."

He said the troupe has traveled to Belgium, South Africa and Sweden to perform. Some of the members of the group have been together for more than 20 years.

"The people here are friendly and hospitable," Drescher said. "I like it here very much."

"It's a little bit different," said Julie Pierer-Kliment, who owns one of the largest music publishing companies in Europe.

"But it is, perhaps, just another way of living. But I like it here and plan to come back," she said.

Along with the differences, she said that there are some similarities between the two countries.

"Women work in Austria and kids are often alone," she said.

Dancing and singing isn't a profession for the Austrians. There is a teacher, engineers, housewives, a wine farmer, a math teacher and a principal, and others. And they get together to practice about once a week.

Dr. Robert Gifford, a music instructor at Southeast Missouri State University, and his wife, Ann Gifford, an education instructor, invited the group to perform here.

Robert Gifford said he thought exposing students to art from other cultures is good for them.

"The exposure to another culture through music, dance, language and the traditional costumes is a wonderful vehicle for increasing students' knowledge about life," Gifford said.

Research has shown that there is a correlation between academic scores and students' exposures to the arts, Gifford said.

The same part of the brain that is stimulated by math is also the part of the brain that a child uses when he or she is playing the piano.

"It helps the creative side of the child," Gifford said. "And it's a lot of fun."

Ann Gifford said having the troupe here has been wonderful, and the performances are a good way to stress the arts to teachers.