Miss Carson City teaches students how to move

FALLON - Miss Carson City Julianna Erdesz taught Churchill County students more about the arts last week as part of an outreach program.

The newly crowned queen spent the morning at E.C. Best Elementary School teaching a Broadway movement dance class to third-graders and the afternoon at Northside presenting creative movement to first-graders.

"This is part of my community service," said the 24-year-old Erdesz, who has a goal to introduce students to dance and movement in Carson City and in the Reno-Sparks area.

Erdesz said she wanted to conduct some sessions in Fallon and talk to high school students at lunch about the Miss America program and the scholarships it offers.

"This area hasn't selected a Miss Fallon in several years," Erdesz said.

Erdesz has an extensive background in the arts. She graduated from the ICDA Performing Arts High School in Reno in 2003 and then majored in musical theater at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Two years later she was accepted to the American Music and Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles and worked with professional Broadway performers, acting coaches and choreographers.

She graduated at the top of her class in 2007.

Her trip to Fallon was sponsored in part by the Churchill Arts Council, Nevada Arts Council and the Miss Carson City scholarship program.

Mitch Overlie, a first-grade teacher at Northside, said he doesn't have the opportunity or expertise to teach dance and creative movement.

"This is great for the kids," he said. "Dance and creative movement are good for the core muscles and balance. This is instruction they always don't get."

Likewise, music teacher Tina Koenig said creative movement is part of physical education and music.

"They get more comfortable moving in different ways," she said of her students.