Speaking to ETV's "Ringvaade," Siiri Kahro, a board member at the Estonian Association of the Hard of Hearing (EVL) shared how Kõku Keerutajad owes its start to the previous Dance Festival.

"I attended a performance of the Dance Festival, and my dream has always been to dance at the festival," she admitted.

Kahro shared her idea with EVL president Külliki Bode, who was on board with it immediately.

"We started talking to other people as well, asking, 'What do you think, should we go for the Dance Festival? Would it be worth it?'" Bode recalled. "The others liked the idea too."

Kõku Keerutajad was founded in October 2023. The troupe consists of hard of hearing and deaf dancers, including Estonian Sign Language (EVK) users, and hearing aid or implant users. Among its members are also a few hearing dancers, who consider dancing with Kõku an honor.

The majority of the troupe's members are from Tallinn and elsewhere in Harju County, but some even travel up from Tartu to practice.

"It's really cool that people are even coming from further away to dance," Bode noted. "And our teacher is actually from Saaremaa!"

Kõku Keerutajad is led by dance teacher Kersti Truuverk.

"There aren't many teachers who won't hesitate when it comes to teaching hard of hearing and deaf folks," the EVL chief said. "As it turns out, she even enjoys the challenge."

"Everyone looked me straight in the eye, and watched my lips carefully to understand how I was speaking," Truuverk said, recalling their first practice. "They sized me up too, trying to figure out who I was and whether I could pull it off. But hey look, we made it into the Dance Festival!

Bode said that hearing isn't limited only to your ears. "You feel the rhythm differently," she explained about the body. In situations where they can't ensure there is light and vibration, she continued, they follow those who can hear the music.

The association president mentioned that things will sometimes happen during dance practices that likely don't happen in dance classes with hearing people.

"It's actually happened that the music starts, and we see everyone dancing different dances," Bode admitted. "No one had understood what dance was coming up, and no one could follow the music, and it turns out that one person is dancing this dance, and another is dancing another one. So we start over, and clarify which dance is next."

Kõku's dance teacher emphasized that even if you are deaf or hard of hearing, your feet still have to dance the same way.

"When we had our auditions, I was allowed to tap the beat, and told I could stand up on the table and do whatever tricks — as long as they danced well," Truuverk said. "[The Dance Festival team] was very upbeat with us."

Changes of plans

This July, Kõku Keerutajad will perform in Jõelähtme folk dress. Even dressing the dancers has proven a challenge — seamstresses and crafters have been so busy in the leadup to the festival that Kahro, who founded the group, resorted to making skirts and aprons herself.

"Of course, the seamstress helped cut everything out and showed me which way to go with the patterns," she admitted. "I didn't even believe I could pull it off, but I was pleased with the final results."

Today, Kahro, who has also been chosen as the troupe's leader, watches Kõku's dance practices from the sidelines. She injured her leg right before the first Dance Festival audition, and after missing some practices as a result, her partner chose to drop out before the second audition.

"I'm quite happy the group made it to the festival, but I ended up out of it," Kahro said. "Things don't always go as you've dreamed. Right now, it's still tough to swallow that I've been left out. Of course, people have tried to comfort me, saying there will be more festivals and more dancing to come, but this was my festival. And it's really such a shame."

Kõku Keerutajad is still heading to the Dance Festival in Tallinn this summer, hopeful and refusing to give up — even during the famous Estonian wedding dance "Tuljak."

"Dancing is absolutely unbeatable," said Kõku Keerutajad dancer Edgar Liim. "Dancing is always a joy."

Time-honored tradition

Estonia's first Song Festival was held in Tartu in 1869. The first Dance Festival was held in 1934, and the first Youth Song and Dance Festival took place in 1962.

Estonia's all-ages and youth festivals have each typically taken place every five years, on a staggered schedule.

In November 2003, UNESCO added Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania's song and dance festival tradition to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The XXVIII Song and XXI Dance Festival, titled "Iseoma" ("Kinship"), will be held in Tallinn on July 3-6, 2025.

The XXI Dance Festival will include three performances at Kalev Stadium on July 3 and 4, and folk musicians will give a free concert at Tallinn's Freedom Square on Friday, July 4.

The Song and Dance Festival Parade and opening concert of the XXVIII Song Festival will take place on Saturday, July 5, with the main concert to follow on Sunday, July 6.

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