Second- and third-graders from Pioneer Elementary School swayed back and forth and shook their hips as they practiced for their performance on a sunny Friday morning at California State University, Fresno.

The group, led by kindergarten teacher Lori Rossiter, was among more than 5,000 students from around the Central Valley that visited Fresno State on Thursday and Friday to perform memorized literature and poetry.

It was the Peach Blossom Festival -- the 50th year of a tradition targeted to expose children to oral interpretations and performance at CSUF. The festival was created to help children realize the importance of reading literature aloud and to give them an opportunity to visit a university campus.

Rossiter said the 33 students she brought to the festival, along with colleague Taylor Van Gronigen, had been practicing since January. Rossiter said that for some of the students, this would be their first venture onto a stage.

But the hip shaking hid any signs of nervousness as the students practiced and later performed before judges "The Animal Boogie," by Debbie Harter. Several of the performing students' parents followed their children to Fresno State, showing their support and videotaping.

Johanna Andrada, the mother of 7-year-old Pioneer performer Molly Andrada, said Friday was the first time performing on stage for her daughter.

"She wanted to do this," Andrada said of Molly as the students did a final rehearsal before their turn to go on stage. "It's very good for their self-confidence. She is really excited."

And as the Pioneer students performed, groups of students from Corcoran's Mark Twain School dotted the lawn around the university's Satellite Student Union.

One group of Mark Twain students stood under the shade of a nearby tree as they articulated descriptions of particularly poor cafeteria food that would stick to the ceiling and was suspected to contain human toes.

"How come teachers bring their lunch?" the students recited simultaneously, quoting "The Great School Lunch Rebellion," by David Greenberg. "You'll never see them buy it."

Susan Lantz, a longtime coach of the school's students that perform at the festival, reminded students to speak slowly and clearly. She said the school's performers had been practicing since January and had recently increased the frequency of their practices to every day.

Gabriela Cruz' students, fourth-graders at Mark Twain School, were also practicing hard right up until their turn to perform. The students even had some input on the choreography they did as they taught audience members a lengthy excuse for not having their homework that included anacondas, eagles and quicksand.

Cruz' students recited the popular festival choice, "The Remarkable Adventure," by Jack Prelutsky.

Other Kings County schools that had students perform at the festival included Delta View, Island Union School, Kings River-Hardwick, Mary Immaculate Queen, Parkview Middle, Pioneer Middle and Western Christian School.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2424.

(April 5, 2008)