The Easter Bunny and Its Very Special Mission in Kuckucksnest 06.04. - 10.04.2023

This year, the Easter Bunny had a very special mission: to put on a kilt and hide eggs for 23 passionate Scottish country dancers in the garden of Kuckucksnest.

On Thursday evening, the team came together on the dance floor, ready to celebrate the upcoming holiday and enjoy their shared love of dance. The evening featured 12 reels, jigs, and strathspeys, each filled with the energy and spirit of Easter.

From Friday morning until Sunday afternoon, the dance floor was under the magic spell of two people: our choreographer, Sue Porter, and our musician, Anselm Lingnau. Sue expertly integrated a versatile mixture of strathspeys, jigs, and reels, ensuring that we were able to showcase our skills and abilities. Many of us would confess later that we had never mastered such an impressive amount of dances (moreover, with a special touch) within one course.

Adding to the magic of the dance course was Anselm’s music. Each time Sue would ask him to say anything about this or that tune, Anselm would always provide us with an interesting background story. I personally fell absolutely in love with his plushy vest with a teddy bear pattern, which made Anselm feel so homey and cozy.

During our free time, we played board and card games, enjoying each other's sense of humor and camaraderie. The "Brändi Dog" game, in particular, turned out to be a so-called "waiting" game. We agreed to play it when one of the dancers might arrive late. It quickly became a source of amusement and entertainment for everybody involved.

But the fun did not stop there. In the middle of the night, a spontaneous dancing party for 8 people occurred, who were brave enough to master "Forty and Counting" and "Rob Roy” dances. Some of us were truly surprised to find out that we understood the concept of the dance better at midnight rather than during the day.

On Sunday morning, the Easter Bunny (aka Volker Wörtmann), as promised, put on a kilt and hid all the Easter eggs in the garden. The dancers had to find one in order to get an Easter breakfast. Egg hunting was truly joyful and added some spirit to the day.

The final dancing evening was a much-awaited event. The atmosphere was electric, with everyone dressed in their finest clothes and ready to show off their moves on the dance floor. Especially those 8 dancers who were courageous enough to master a reel "Pepita Dreamteam" devised by Martin McWilliam. The author himself was in the demonstration team. Personally for me, it was a very exciting moment because I had never been given the honor to be a part of the "demo-team" till then.

Overall, the Easter Scottish country dancing course in Kuckucksnest was a fantastic event that brought together people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate a shared love of Scottish culture and dance. From the delicious and healthy food to the lively music and dancing, it was a truly memorable experience that will stay with everyone until the next time we get together.

Yulia Nedogreeva