Members of Brisbane's Estonian Women's Folk Dance Group "Folkroos" hold Estonia close to their heart.

"The trip is 40 hours long," said the members of "Folkroos," an Estonian women's folk dance group from Brisbane. "But when you have a family and a salted cucumber waiting for you at the airport, it's easier."

For most of the members of 'Folkroos,' this year's event will be their second dance festival, after already taking part in the celebration "My Love" in 2019.

Most members have come to Estonia for more than just the Song and Dance Festival and, having celebrated Midsummer here, will also stay afterwards to enjoy other summer events with their relatives. "We go out to visit a lot of loved ones, celebrate summer birthdays and attend as many concerts and cultural events as possible to soak up Estonian culture. The children are also fascinated by Estonian culture and were looking forward to the trip," one member told ERR.

Such an active community helps to keep tradition and the spirit of Estonianness strong in Australia. Major holidays, such as Christmas and Midsummer, are celebrated together, with hundreds of Estonians taking part. It's a good way to bond, and the children really enjoy playing with other Estonians.

"Because of the distance, we feel strongly connected to Estonia. Dancing is a great way to come together, get to know our culture and at the end of many years of work, express our devotion at the Dance Festival," another member of Folkroos said.

While previous experience is important, some members of the group only began dancing in Brisbane.

Nevertheless, "Folkroos" are happy with the coaching they have had ahead of the festival. "We've also been very lucky to have an instructor – Ingrid Hamer, who directs the performance of 'Tulemise tunne,' visits Australia often and has supported us so far."

Helsinki-based group "Ülelahedad" have come to the Dance Festival with two mixed groups and the family group "Lahepere." They arrive fresh from performing at the 2025 World Estonian Days ESTO Festival "Together," which recently took place Stockholm.

Their preparations have also been going very well, and like the Australians, many members of the group had their first experience of a Song and Dance Festival in 2019.

"We've been working hard. We train every week and have weekend camps at least once a month to prepare for the dance festival, where we can put the finishing touches to (the performance) in a particularly intensive way," one member of "Ülelahedad" told ERR.

The broad line-up proves that there are plenty of dance-loving Estonians in Finland and the number of people interested is only growing. Even though there is no serious homesickness and the venue is affectionately referred to as "Talsinki," expressing national culture in another country is still a matter of honor. Every opportunity to perform is seized in order to introduce Estonian dance skills and culture to the locals.

"Ülelahedad" are also delighted with their dance instructor. "Our former member Anneli Kääparin took it upon herself to go through the School of Folk Dance Leaders, gaining a strong knowledge of dance leadership. She now leads our groups brilliantly."

The 2025 Dance Festival gets underway on Thursday, July 3 at the Kalev Central Stadium in Tallinn. All the events during teh Song and Dance Festival can all be viewed live on ERR here.

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