Pillerkaar, the Estonian folk-dance group from the Washington, D.C. area, entertained an enthusiastic crowd at the annual Scanfest at Budd Lake, Hackettstown, N.J. on Sunday, September  5, 2010.

Scanfest is an outdoor festival of the Nordic nations - Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and Estonia - which draws thousands of people on Labor Day weekend each year.  The festival offers a full day of ethnic music, dance, gift shopping at some 100 booths, and food tents serving pea soup to pizza.

The lines at the Swedish pancake tent were especially long, since they reminded everyone of their own pankoogid.  "Kodune," one Estonian senior visitor commented.  Pillarkaar, which traditionally has anchored the dancing here, came with seven performers: Karen Heilman, Jyri Erik Kork, Mauno Kork, Age Landra Robinson, Laila Oinas, Priit Vesilind, and Jeff Zelek, as well as director/choreographer Anu Oinas and her grandson Hagan, three years old, who was also in Estonian national dress.  The riveting dances included the comedic "Polka burlesk" and "Kosjalugu"; the coquettish "Meie Mari"; a fast paced "Vigala reindlander" and "Tule aga tule"; as well as the graceful Austrian waltz from Sound of Music, "Laendler".

Priit Vesilind