What is your role in organizing Sabatants?
I ensure that all the dance creativity gets at least once a bit square and goes through some tables, so that it can then unfurl freely on the dance floor and continue to live its own life. I manage to scrape finances together, make all the tech stuff terribly complicated, and once a year, I climb a ladder up to the ceiling.
Since what year have you been participating in Sabatants or been involved in the organizing?
From the beginning. In 2011 we started organizing, and by spring 2012, we were already dancing together.
What is your favorite dance?
All dances are good when they’re played so well that it makes you clack your heels on the floor. Lately, I’ve been really into Orlecha from Ukraine, but I really wish someone would learn to play Hungarian Stica!
Whose performance or which workshop are you most looking forward to at the festival this year?
The dances from Ruhnu, risen from the dead, are an exciting world to explore. I know Steffensson’s trio has prepared a lot for them, and I’m excited to see what comes out of it. And of course, Breton dances impress with both depth and breadth!
What is your most memorable moment from Sabatants?
By 2021, we had essentially postponed the festival three times, the whole world was still struggling with the pandemic, and public events were rediscovering their place in this world. Everything was somehow very strange. Then, finally, on the second night of the festival, with the Pakri Orchestra on stage, as we were just getting the Sjuturen column bridal march going and the second round of dancing was starting with Vilivalla polka – at that moment, seeing the dancfloor full of people joyfully hopping along to the polka, it dawned on me that both Sabatants and Pakri dances are alive again and everything is going well! Unfortunately, I couldn’t wipe my eyes because both hands were nailed to the instrument and the dancers’ feet.