Kurrikoff-Herman stated that the training seminars for the XXI Dance Festival began on March 9 in Rakvere and Paikuse and continued on March 10 in the Capital and Sakala regions. Seminars will take place in Haapsalu and Tartu on March 16–17, and then move on to Võru and Rapla.

According to the dance editor, the training seminars are a very important part of the dance festival's educational process, as the preparation for the festival across Estonia begins with teaching the teachers. "This is a crucial moment because it is at these seminars that the artistic committee symbolically hands over their one-and-a-half years of work to our dance leads, who will then, with their groups, crochet together this grand tapestry, the dance festival," said Kurrikoff-Herman.

This time, the preparation for the dance festival is taking place across eight regions in Estonia: the Capital, Pärnumaa, the North Coast, the West Coast, the Central Floor, the Southeast, Sakala, and Tartu-Voore. Additionally, national categories such as mixed selection groups, women's groups, gymnastics groups and the Global category, which includes dance groups operating further afield from Estonia, will also gather at the seminars.

The first dance festival seminars will last until March 24. The second seminar and the "Teacher to Teacher" training for the dance festival will take place in August of this year in Viimsi, with the dance festival presentation concert on November 30 in Tallinn.

The XXVIII Song and XXI Dance Festival will take place from July 3 to 6, 2025, in Tallinn.

The artistic director of the Song Festival is Heli Jürgenson, the chief director of the Dance Festival is Helena-Mariana Reimann, and the general director of the Folk Music Festival is Helin Pihlap. The Song and Dance Festival is organized by the Estonian Song and Dance Festival Foundation.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!