DIVERSIONS

HOT TICKET



Who says one person can’t make a difference? Michael Werikhe, a factory worker in Kenya, became so concerned about the plight of the endangered black rhino that he adopted the cause as his own. In 1985 Werikhe started walking and talking about the tragedy; he’s now walking across North America and arrives in Dallas on May 18. The Dallas Zoo is planning several events to celebrate his walk; call 670-6826 for more info.

NADJA’S THEME

MUSIC Violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, who performs with the Fort Worth Symphony May 18 and 19, hit a stone wall at age 19 when her teacher at the Julliard School, Dorothy DeLay, told her to prepare a Prokofiev violin concerto in one week. “I laughed,” says Salerno-Sonnenberg, at 30 a risen star in the firmament of violin virtuosos. But DeLay, considered by many experts to be the best violin teacher in the world, wasn’t kidding. The gifted Salerno-Sonnenberg had not practiced in months. It was do or die, andshe knew it. “At that point I decided to enterthe Naumberg competition. From thatmoment on I practiced 12 to 13 hours a day. Iexpected to make the finals. In fact, I won.”Now, with a major recording contract and asmany engagements as she wants, whatchallenges remain? “To hone my skills, andalso interpret. I never play the way I want toplay. The better you get, the more trainedyour ears are.” -Scott MacClelland

Southern Exposure



GETAWAY Welcome the golden days of summer at Hilton Head Island, where ferociously Southern manners merely enhance nature’s glorious setting. Go this month to beat the crowds to the 12 miles of wide, sugar sand beaches on South Carolina’s Atlantic coast. Choose the 45-minute drive from Savannah Airport, rather than the commuter airline; otherwise you miss the high-pitched cathedrals of trees over two-lane roads and the Prince of Tides mystic marshes. Check into the gracious Westin, (800) 228-3000, with sterling golf and tennis facilities and impeccable country French cuisine, or lease a villa or condo.

Rent a bike or horse, or simply hoof it to discover Hilton Head. You’ll see alligators napping beside inland ponds, but no buildings taller than the pine trees. You’ll stumble onto tiny Civil War cemeteries beside posh real estate developments, called “plantations” here. You’ll find a delightful art gallery, Red Piano, where the owner’s friendly Dalmatians greet arrivals, and fishing/ sightseeing boats at Harbour Town emblazoned with signs reading “Dolphins Guaranteed/$12 Hour.” Partake of the recreation possibilities, so you’ll have room for the island food: burlap-steamed oysters, she-crab soup redolent with sherry, or Frogmore stew (sausage, potatoes, corn cobs, and green beans). For more info, call the Chamber of Commerce, (803) 785-3673. -Derro Evans

Reeling Into Spring



DANCE Caper into another era at the North Texas Traditional Dance Society’s spring extravaganza at D’Art May 3 and 4. Everybody dances with everyone else in hoedown reels you haven’t seen since Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

A Friday dance party progresses to Saturday workshops in English country dance and “contra” dance. “Country dance” done in long lines with couples facing, began in Renaissance France and spread to England and then to North America, where it acquired the slightly garbled name “contra” and spawned such native gambols as the Virginia reel. “At least that’s what we think happened,” says local contra dance aficionado Carl Dreher.

Training sessions for aspiring dance musicians and callers complete the bill at the Dallas festival. The shindig climaxes with a Big Dance, Saturday night. At D’Art, 2917Swiss Ave. Dance party Friday, May 3, 8p.m., $5. Workshops Saturday, May 4,9-5, $30 (includes dance admissions). BigDance, Saturday, May 4, 8 p.m., $10. Forinfo call 320-3683. -Julie Ryan

Rock Collecting



TRENDS For centuries man has been collecting rocks, attaching special significance to crystals, stones, and gems-turquoise for friendship and loyalty, topaz for peace and tranquility, carnelian for concentration, garnet for imagination, jade for courage and wisdom, crystals for spiritual comfort and anything else that ails you. But what if you just like the way they look? As a design element, there is nothing more beautiful than a bowl of natural polished stones on a table in your home. Or a bevy of shiny beauties casually arranged on a mantle or used as a bed for a candle.

Forget metaphysics, its okay for the skeptics among us to accept rocks at face value, collecting them for their beauty, much as you would pick a pebble from a path.

Richard Brown has been collecting stones for years. His collection includes thousands of different antique glass and plastic stones, rhinestones, even vintage stones- “There’s so many, I wouldn’t even bother counting them,” he says. As the proprietor of Richard’s Findings, rocks and trinkets (he also deals in milagros and antique cameos) are his business. If someone has a stone missing from jewelry dating from the Forties, Fifties, or Sixties, chances are he has the stone. Or if you want to jewel up a jacket, mosaic a fireplace, or simply add to your personal collection, he’s the man to call. Brown’s got rounds, squares, ovals, rectangles, triangles, baguettes, and marquises. And for every shape, there’s every color imaginable. Probably more amazing than his selection are his prices. Stones are priced by the piece, ranging from a nickel to $8 for a mint condition stone. Glass cameos are 15 cents to $8. Rhinestones are anywhere from one penny to one dollar, and his brass trinkets and baubles are $37.50 per pound. To get a better look at Richard’s Findings, call 6991805 and leave a message. Either he or his wife Ann will call you back. Or you can drive out to Canton on the first weekend of the month and find him there.

Other good places to buy stones in the Metroplex: Flight of the Phoenix, 1034 Carrier Parkway in Grand Prairie, 642-6363; The Rock Barrel, 13650 Floyd Road, 231-4809; Constellation, 2829 W. Northwest Hwy., 352-4847; The Museum Rock Shop, 9923 Hwy. 80 West in Fort Worth, (817) 244-1035.

Or, take a road trip to Blue Springs,Arkansas, and mine your own crystals.Coleman’s Crystal Mine is a six-hourdrive from Dallas, and is a fun rock-hunting expedition for the whole family.Shop hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Minehours: 8 a.m. to dusk (about 8 p.m.),seven days a week. For more information,call (501) 984-5328. -Layne Morgan