Pirna's Thanksgiving Festival 2026: Many Goodbyes, Many New Memories
On Saturday, September 26, 2026, 50 dancers and musicians from Dresden and Prague rocked the stage at Pirna’s market square. The “Thea Maass” folklore dance ensemble of TU Dresden, together with the Prague folklore ensemble Rosénka: group “Hrozenka,” was once again invited to celebrate the thanksgiving festival in Pirna.
At 2:30 p.m., the dancers of the folklore dance ensemble opened the program with the “Dance of the Weavers.” This marked the beginning of a two-and-a-half-hour journey filled with color, music, and, of course, many dances.
The Prague group performed more dances this year than last year. Of course, classics like the “Pillow Dance” and the “Verbuňk” were also part of the program.
The audience also had a chance to show off their skills. Young and old alike were invited to join in on various social dances. The Dresden ensemble taught the audience dances such as the “Star Polka” and the “Happy Circle.” Meanwhile, the Prague ensemble taught us “Stone Bridge” and “Tunnel.”
This performance was also the last under the artistic direction of Maud Butter, who is stepping down as the ensemble’s artistic director after 21 years. At the same time, it marked a special farewell for three dancers: Eike, Lars, and Roman performed their final show in Pirna.
There were many goodbyes, but we also made many new memories. As always, the Pirna Thanksgiving Festival is one of the highlights for the folklore dance ensemble. Hopefully we’ll be able to participate again next year.
A big thank you to the organizers and volunteers who made this performance possible.
Pirna's Thanksgiving Festival 2026: Many Goodbyes, Many New Memories
