Chinese New Year in Denver

Tooting the year of the pig
More than 400 children sang Chinese songs in Mandarin and English and performed traditional Chinese dances to usher in the Year of the Pig.

"It's very important to maintain some link to your heritage," said Charleen Quinn of Broomfield, who watched her daughter Alaine, 5, perform.

Quinn has two adopted daughters from China and theirs is one of 7,000 Colorado families that have had Chinese children placed with them through Chinese Children Adoption International in Centennial...

During Saturday's Year of the Pig party at Mission Hills Church in Greenwood Village, 40 3-year-olds sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" in Mandarin and a group of 12-year-olds performed a traditional Chinese Lantern dance and other acts...

Katia Krupa, 13, performed the Lantern dance and welcomed the audience during a Chinese New Year greeting in which she donned a pig snout and ears made with pink paper.

"It makes me feel special," she said, "because it's the only day for me to perform in front of American and Chinese parents and meet people who are adopted and of the same culture."