Nathalie Norr is not hard to miss when she's working. She's the one in the bright costumes: a Chinese dragon one day, a candy cane the next. Norr, once the owner of a dance studio, has taken her show on the road to reach young children with a message of dance, culture and fun.

Nine years ago she started Move & Groove, an interactive dance presentation for children ages 4 to 12. She performs at schools, libraries and malls from Bucks County to the Jersey Shore. She times her programs to the season, performing Chinese dragon dance in January for the Chinese new year, Irish dance in March - and, with Christmas approaching, scenes from The Nutcracker.

It's her favorite and allows her to show off her collection of nutcrackers - each a working instrument. They range in size from four inches to more than four feet. "I don't buy clothes or jewelry," said Norr, who lives in Upper Dublin, Montgomery County. "I'm always looking for the next nutcracker."

But it's the dancing that really charges Norr. "Movement is such a natural thing for children and I like to combine it with information from other cultures." So you'll find her in African garb with drums one day and a long Chinese-red gown on another.

With all her shows, she gets her youthful audience on their feet. "It's educational for children too young to sit through an entire ballet," said Norr. "But they learn about it, and they get to try out some steps of their own."

And here's another message: "Dance is not a girly thing," Norr said. "Dance is for boys too. Sometimes parents say they don't want their boys to dance. But it's movement, it's healthy, it's everything they need if they're going to excel in sports."

Norr says she can always tell whether a child in her audience has had exposure to music or dance lessons. "They catch on to what I'm saying quicker; they are eager to try," she said. "The little ones are counting out steps and keeping time. They are much more ready to learn."

Sometimes the kids can be hard to motivate. "So many children are used to sitting in front of a television or a computer screen," she said. "They sit there waiting for me to entertain them; they don't want to do it themselves."

Norr is sure that her message of movement, fun and learning about other cultures will have a long-term effect on children.

"Children must grow up aware of different cultures; if they are familiar with other people's traditions, they won't seem so foreign," she said. "And they've learned while having fun. What could be better?"