Danish gymnasts will put on exhibitions

A group of Danish gymnasts will perform for students in Colusa and Arbuckle starting Monday — and will put on a show for the general public as well.

"I think they have visited us three or four times ... over the last 12 years," Colusa High School Vice Principal Mike West said.

The group is housed with various host families and holds clinics and performances for the schools.

The public show is at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Colusa High.

"Gymnastics is part of the everyday life over there. So a lot of what they do for us is what they do every day of their lives," West said. "And it is just a fun time, and it is a little bit of international diplomacy for the students."

West said the 36 gymnasts range from 18 to 28 years old. They also travel with coaches and others — a total of 43.

"For some of them, it is the first time they have been out of the country, or even on a plane," West said.

And it can be a culture shock for the gymnasts, who come from a nation in which the tax rate is 50 percent, but national services, such as medical care, are free.

"They don't pay for anything over there," West said.

West said there are families in Colusa who have ties to Denmark and have helped with the program, and many of the same families have opened their homes to the gymnasts in the past.

"We have 12 to 15 families who put them up for a night and give them a meal," West said.