What is your role in organizing Sabatants?
I’m looking for performers for Sabatants and communicating with them, so I’m the program manager. This year, though, I’m somewhat on maternity leave, but still contributing. Also, I handle a bit of everything else, just like we all do.
Since what year have you been participating in Sabatants or been involved in the organizing?
From the beginning.
What is your favorite dance?
There used to be Suboota, then labajalg, but now I’m really into well-played polka, it makes me incredibly happy.
Whose performance or which workshop are you most looking forward to at the festival this year?
I’m eagerly awaiting a surge of Estonian-Swedish culture, but also very much looking forward to Breton musicians. They are so skilled in their tradition that it will surely inspire us here to learn more about and love our culture even more.
What is your most memorable moment from Sabatants?
The first experience and still one of the brightest was that huge meeting before organizing the first festival, which Jaan and I held together, just the two of us. I think we talked for at least four hours straight and managed to arrange what still seems like a necessary festival. Another, one of the latest but also very vivid experiences was at the last festival when the young mandolin virtuoso Randmar Tuulemäe danced a lively polka in both directions with great joy (Kadri Lepasson had taught and instilled a love for dance in the whole group at the Eller School). It was absolutely stunning and heartwarming to see that dancing is becoming even better and better.