The Song and Dance Express brings in the Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration

The Song and Dance Express brings in the Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration

Latvian Institute

The Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration is fast approaching, with only two weeks remaining until the opening ceremonies, warm up events have started taking place all over Latvia – people singing and dancing in the streets, people appearing in national costumes is no strange occurrence at this time of the year.

This weekend, a singing and dancing Express train left the Riga central station, and, filled with choirs and dance groups, travelled over 200km to Gulbene and then back, stopping 12 times along the way for short concerts at train stations with local choirs and dance groups for the local people, thus bringing the celebration in with song and dance. Over 600 people took part on the train ride, with many more joining at the stations along the way.

This was a unique event, as normally people from all over Latvia gather in Riga for the song and Dance Celebrations, but this year Riga travelled out to the regions bringing in the celebration. The train is also symbolic, as traditionally, before good roads were built, conductors travelled to choir shows by train, and choirs competed for a chance to participate in the celebrations right there near the train stations.

By the end of the day, the entire programme of the closing concert of the Nationwide Song and Dance Celebration had been sung.