The national cultural ensemble KIRMAS has existed under that name since 1985, but the ensemble’s history goes way back to the time when it operated under the wing of the Pärnu Metsakombinaadi Klubi and the instructor Ülle Jaeger. In Kirmas there is a folk dance groups, a folk music band and soloists. We have at the moment a main mixed group, woman's group and childrens folklore group. Through the decades Kirmas has performed with folklore programs, done folklore dance and singing performances and also set choreographies for the folk and stage dances. We have carried out events where the Estonian folk calendar holidays are introduced. Everything we have done pleases the eye and provides knowledge about our folklore culture, enriches our viewer’s fund of knowledge about folklore dance, music and songs. Important is that our dancers, soloists and musicians always enjoy their performances also themselves. On the emblem of Kirmas there is a big tree with roots – Kirmas has through the years followed the custom that the continuity will be ensured by inheriting the songs and dances from our previous generations to our children. On the emblem the bole represents us, the roots our ancestry and the leafage our descendants. All generations are connected by love to the folklore. Kirmas has participated in many international folklore festivals e.g. in Hungary, Germany, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, Finland, Latvia, Sweden, Belarus, Canada, Lithuania, Russia, Austria and Indonesia (in 2016), including the Europe’s biggest folk art festival Europeade and the international folklore festival Baltica. We also have participated in the All-Estonian Dance Festivals and in smaller dance and folklore events. In 2014 we participated in the big All-Estonian Dance Celebration.
