August 15, 2025
Quant team performing at prestigious dance festival
In July, a team of Quant Estonia colleagues joined the Estonian Song and Dance Festival! What started about one and a half years ago, when one of them made a light-hearted joke about performing at this prestigious event, has now become a reality. Transforming a group of complete non-dancers into a folk-dance troupe qualified for performing at this UNESCO-listed festival, this Quant team has shown true dedication, making all of us at Quant proud!
Under the leadership of Evelyn Mägi, Digital Product Owner, the Quant colleagues took the stage during the 2025 edition of the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration. Here is their own story about the event – an inspiring one showing that working at Quant is not only about maintenance and machines, but also about friendship, dedication, and the courage to try something completely new!
Sunburnt Noses, Soaring Spirits: Our Journey at the XXI Estonian Dance Festival “Iseoma”
There are festivals, and then there’s the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration – a heart-swelling, foot-stomping, soul-stirring gathering of a nation. This summer, our folk-dance group had the honor of taking part in the XXI Dance Festival “Iseoma”, and we’re still riding the high (and limping just a little).
A story about us
This year’s festival wasn’t just about steps and music – it was about being human, being Estonian, and being together. “Iseoma” (loosely meaning our own) told the story of what is truly ours; our people, our quirks, our dialects, our traditions, our laughter, and our love. As the festival’s message said: yes, we are few, and our land is small, but we are wonderfully, colorfully different – and that’s exactly why we must hold each other close. Respect each other. Forgive, when needed. Celebrate one another. Because only together can our culture, and our freedom, live on.
And what better metaphor than a family reunion to describe what this festival felt like? From the first invitation, through the busy preparations, to the shared joy on the dance field – this was a dance party that brought together everything we hold dear. A true celebration of home.
From 1869 to today
The Estonian Song and Dance Celebration has deep roots – the first Song Festival was held in 1869, and the Dance Festival tradition began in 1934. It’s a unique, UNESCO-listed cultural phenomenon that takes place every five years and brings together thousands of performers from across Estonia and the Estonian diaspora.
This year, in 2025, the celebration saw more than 41,000 performers, including a bit more than 10,000 dancers, come together in Tallinn to keep this tradition alive. And we were lucky enough to be among them.
The hard work behind the magic
While the public performances lasted only two days, the real work started four days before. That’s when we packed our bags (and our backup bandages), waved goodbye to our normal lives, and stepped into a whirlwind of 10–12 hours of practice each day.
The weather, ever the drama queen, gave us everything it had; sunshine that turned noses red, wind that tried to steal our skirts, and a couple of “refreshing” downpours. Feet were sore, blisters were blooming, and sunscreen was never quite enough. But the spirit? Unshaken.
Daily routines included hearty soup lunches, much-needed ice creams, and plenty of group hugs. Somehow, the exhaustion only made the experience sweeter.
Dancing as one
Imagine nearly 1,000 women, all in motion – not just dancing, but painting pictures with their steps. From above, we created stunning formations, symbols, and stories across the stadium floor. It was emotional to be a part of something so massive, so intricate, and so meaningful.
There were tears, there were laughs, and there were moments when we looked at each other – sunburnt, sweaty, smiling – and thought: This is the best kind of crazy.
Our group only grew stronger through it all. Sharing the challenge, the joy, the occasional costume crisis – it bonded us in a way nothing else could.
The grand finale (and the muddy march)
After the final performance, one might think we’d collapse into bed. Not us. The afterparty saw us dancing until early morning, swapping stories, singing songs, and toasting the success of a festival that will live in our hearts forever.
And then – because Estonian endurance has no limits – we woke up, shook off the tiredness (kind of), and lined up for the traditional march to the Song Festival Grounds. It was pouring rain. We waited for hours in it before our turn to walk 5 kilometers in soaked shoes and clinging skirts. And you know what? We laughed the whole way. Because it wasn’t just a march – it was a pilgrimage. A celebration of everything we are and everything we cherish.
Until the next reunion
The Dance Festival “Iseoma” reminded us that even though we may all be different – just like our dances, songs, instruments, and dialects – when we come together, something extraordinary happens.
We’re already dreaming about the next one. Until then, we hold on to the memory of that week: of the music, the movement, the friendships, and the feeling of being part of something much bigger than ourselves.
Because this dance party?
This one was truly our own.
