1,000 Participate in Winter Dance Festival
Braving daytime temperatures that reached as low as -22 degrees Celsius, more than 1,000 dancers from across the nation gathered in Viljandi County over the February 2-4 weekend to take part in the 14th Winter Dance Festival.
The annual three-day event was attended by 76 dance groups, including a few from Latvia, ETV reported.
During the festival, dancers paid their respects to the late Ullo Toom, a noted folk dance promoter and teacher, who would have turned 110 in September. According to the organizers, the festival's repertoire was selected from Toom's book "Eesti rahvatantsud" ("Estonian Folk Dances"), written in 1953.
In addition to the outdoor activities, performers and audiences were also invited to participate in workshops that introduced the traditional folk dances of Russia and Latvia.
"I am extremely grateful to everyone who showed up," said Vaike Rajaste, chief organizer of the event. "It is unbelievable what Estonians are capable of. And everyone enjoyed it," she added.
Ingrid Teesalu
