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Twenty-four dreams come true

Updated: 13 minutes ago

Update # 253

Nou Pois Äläud performs with almost 11,000 other dancers, at Tantsupidu


Visitors to construction site in hard hats
Nou Pois Äläud Tantsupidu dancers between performances Photo: Peeter Põldre

A shared dream of 24 women from three continents came true this summer: to dance at Estonia’s 21st dance festival (Tantsupidu) “Iseoma”.


Estonian Arts Centre, the charity associated with KESKUS, started its ‘Nou Pois Äläud’ women’s weekend folkdance retreat in 2022 and a double cohort of the required 12 dancers emerged from that retreat, “NPÄ-T”.  NPÄ-T was accepted to Tantsupidu in March of this year (read more about that here).


When the rehearsals' series began last September, each dancer agreed to invest their personal resources of time and finances not just for rehearsals, but also for the week-long commitment in Estonia, to dance together with almost 11,000 other dancers.


“We each learn our own specific steps and movements, and combine with the group in our own rehearsal context, but it simply boggles the mind to contemplate the work involved with the choreography of each person, each group, into the extraordinary beauty of the designs and spirit of the resulting dances on that field,” says Eva Ensmann an NPÄ-T dancer who travelled from Kentucky USA to rehearsals in Toronto, “what pure joy to experience it all come together, for each and every dance with hundreds or thousands of others on the field.”

Schematic for the final configuration of the dance created for Estonian groups from abroad, the schematic realized in performance with 916 additional women's groups' dancers forming guillemets on either side, and from rehearsal, the 517 dancers from abroad.


Rehearsals for the intensive series of performances meant three 12-hour rehearsal days in Estonia, followed by two days of performances.  But for NPÄ-T, rehearsals started even earlier in Tallinn, since coming together from three continents meant that 3 months had lapsed since all 24 dancers last rehearsed together.


To catch up, the group agreed to tack on two full practice days before the main 3 days of rehearsals started.  Thanks to Estonian Business School, a donor to the KESKUS capital campaign, for providing space:


“A very special part of this experience was to share it with my daughter,” said Lydia Van der Veen, “in fact, we had three mother-daughter duos among our 24 dancers, and dancer ages ranged from 14-60!”


Lydia’s daughter, 21-yr-old Laura Nipernado, agreed, saying “I’ve danced rahvatants (folk dance) pretty much all my life but the preparation for Tantsupidu was next level.  The inter-generational aspect was a bonus, we’ve laughed, bonded, cried, helped each other over this past year, we’ve become very tight-knit.  Plus, doing this not just together with my mother, but also together with some of my good friends from Jõekääru Estonian summer camp (Laura, pictured at left together with summer camp friends Liisbet Valter-Kalm and Eva Lotta Lindma), made it even more worth it to travel from Ottawa to rehearsal.  Would I do this again? - an unequivocal YES!”


NPÄ-T made media coverage in Estonia’s television, radio and print media, including: Estonian Public Broadcaster (ERR) clip here, Postimees article here.


Marika Järvet travelled to Toronto for weekend intensive rehearsals from Estonia to whip the group into shape.  Marika leads the Women’s Dance Festival (Naiste Tantsupidu, next one in 2027), and was amazed by the dedication of the group, saying “in Estonia, dancers just have to walk down the street to get to rehearsal.  Some NPÄ dancers drive 800km or fly 24 hours and 3 flights to get to rehearsal, it’s heartening to be in the thick of this dedication!”






Ellen Valter, who started Estonian Arts Centre’s NPÄ women’s dance retreat, and the subject of a longer Postimees article also regarding the KESKUS project, below, said “that others had the same dream is a deeply rewarding part of the Nou Pois Äläud initiative.”




Every dancer's family bought in to the absences that the rehearsal and performance commitment demanded of dancers, whether this was their own children, or relatives in Estonia that dancers were meeting for the first time. The priority was Tantsupidu. Family and friends were the pit crews for each dancer and all gathered at Estonian NPÄ-T dancer Merle Liisu Lindma's generous Tallinn home after one rehearsal day, to swap stories over pancakes and bubbly:


Women in folk costume and rain jackets with Estonian and Canadian flags
Caitlin Bishop (centre)

The last word is to NPÄ-T dancer Caitlin Bishop: “To visit Estonia for the first time, perform in Tantsupidu with my Nou Pois Äläud dance sisters, and spend time with family was a truly unforgettable experience. The memories I’ve made will stay with me forever — they’ve filled my heart in ways I can’t quite describe.”


Next up is Nou Pois Äläud-IV running September 12-14 2025 at Jõekääru, Ontario. All women welcome, regardless of prior rahvatants experience - book it! We’ll dance for fun and for those who wish, rehearse for the KESKUS opening festivities in a year’s time and start work on Naiste Tantsupidu for 2027.  NPÄ registration is open, more info and to register: www.tantsulaager.fun.


Some more photos:

Photos by various - the good ones by Peeter Põldre!

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Please join the growing list of KESKUS capital campaign donors to help bring KESKUS to completion. KESKUS leadership donors are recognized here.


There are many ways to make a contribution to KESKUS. 

  • To donate, click here, or call +1.647.250.7136 or email donations@estoniancentre.ca. Donations may be made as a family gift, or in honour of an individual or family. All donations are issued a tax receipt, in Canada via Estonian Arts Centre, US tax receipts via Myriad USA and Estonian tax receipts via Eesti Rahvuskultuuri Fond. Donations by credit card may be made here.

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