INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SONG AND DANCE FESTIVAL "GAUDEAMUS" HELD IN TARTU

This year's Gaudeamus marks an important anniversary in several respects—it is the 15th Baltic Student Song and Dance Festival and at the same time the 50th anniversary of the first joint Baltic student festival held in Tartu.

During the three festival days Tartu saw a variety of exciting shows and performances—a magnificent opening ceremony in the Town Hall Square and on the River Emajõgi, a midnight torchlight procession, the opening of the Gaudeamus Commemorative Stone, concerts in St. John's Church and on the Toome Hill, a midnight folk dance party in the Town Hall Square, etc.

The event featured many international visitors appearing on a big stage erected in the Town Hall Square. At the same time, the city's central Rüütli Street effectively became a 'Gaudeamus Lane' filled with performing folk dancers and musicians. The public had the opportunity of participating in mass dancing of traditional Finno-Ugric folk dances and in singing games. In the Dance Studio organised in the city's Central Park, in addition to Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian performers, the festivities were rendered more colourful by a folk dance ensemble from the US and a brass band from Denmark.

The Festival reached its high point on Sunday morning with a big song and dance party held at the Tartu Choir Stage. The party preceded by a traditional pageant starting at the Toome Hill's Devil's and Angel Bridges with a boisterous singing contest and winding its way through the downtown area towards the Choir Stage. The patron of the Festival is Mr Arnold Rüütel, President of Estonia. Dance Granny Helju Mikkel stepped up as the honorary Festival Leader.

For a detailed programme of the Festival, see www.gaudeamus.ee.

Additional information: Mr Kulno Kungla, Head of the Gaudeamus 2006 Organising Committee, tel: +372 730 2402, +372 504 9658

Liina Jürgen
Senior Specialist for Public Relations, UT Public Relations and Information Office,
tel. +372 737 5509, +372 527 6922