With graceful movements to music from instruments of her native land, Yanlai Wu opened a door to the Far East for second-graders at Wexford Elementary School.

Jasmine Dynasty, a traditional Chinese music and dance ensemble, performed at the Pine-Richland school as part of a study unit presented by Gateway to the Arts.

For weeks leading up to the April 20 performance, about 60 second-graders read Chinese stories, made dragons and flags, wrote poems in haiku, studied a map and the topography of China, and spelled words such as wok, rice and Beijing, said second-grade teacher Lisa Olson.

"It was all tied in," she said. "It was reading, writing, spelling, math and social studies."

Without the background, the youngsters would not have appreciated the performance, said Katie Zawrotniak, outreach apprentice with Gateway to the Arts, a nonprofit that sponsors performing and visual arts programs in schools.

"If the kids had no preparation, you'd get children throwing spitballs. It would be hard for the kids to understand it," Ms. Zawrotniak explained.

The teachers prepared, too. Ms. Olson said she and two colleagues attended a weeklong institute with Gateway to the Arts over the summer to learn how to incorporate information on Chinese customs into their regular curriculum.

Jasmine Dynasty consists of Ms. Wu and three musicians, all of whom have other jobs. They wear Chinese costumes and play traditional instruments for their performances.

Ms. Wu and Baohui "Bobby" Chen were born in China. Ms. Wu operates a local dance studio.

Mr. Chen, a businessman, plays several woodwind instruments, including a dizi, which resembles a flute. He has recorded nine albums and has performed throughout the northeastern United States.

Mimi Jong is an Indonesian-born architect who plays the erhu, a Chinese instrument that resembles a banjo but is played like a cello.

Colin O'Donohoe, a graduate student who plays several percussion instruments, is not Chinese but has always been interested in world music and joined a similar Chinese music ensemble while living in Phoenix. He has formed a Chinese orchestra in Pittsburgh, which held its first public concert last Sunday.

Jasmine Dynasty's program at Wexford Elementary consisted of seven pieces of music and two dances. Some were meditative, such as "Desert," featuring Mr. Chen on a small woodwind instrument called a guxun, which made a sound like wind blowing across a desert. Their finale was "Bamiyan's Spring," which featured a long solo by Mr. O'Donohoe on a doumbek, a small drum with both steel-drum and bongo-like qualities. It's his favorite instrument and is used in Western China, North Africa and the Middle East, he said.

In her first dance, Ms. Wu used pink and white ribbon-like scarves. In her second, she used a green fan and yellow handkerchief.

After the presentation, the children asked the performers questions, including when they started performing, how long they practice and where they get their costumes.

Gateway to the Arts, a 49-year-old organization based in Regent Square, chooses a different art form each year. Next year, the organization will focus on flamenco music and dance and a Spanish theme, Ms. Zawrotniak said.

"The kids just have these wonderful experiences and they just pull so much out of it," she said.