Anna Raudkats

Anna Raudkats (born Johanna Natalie Elisabet Raudkats, 23 February 1886 – 12 April 1965) was an Estonian teacher and folk dance reviver. She wrote several books on Estonian folk dance, occasionally adding elements she had choreographed herself.

Early life and education Raudkats was born in Külitse village, near Tartu as the oldest child of a railway official and a manager of the dairy at the Piiskopi manor. She attended the Ropka Ministry School and went on to study at the private Alfred Grass Girls' Gymnasium, graduating in 1901. On receiving her diploma as a German language teacher in 1903, she began teaching in Viipuri and later taught in Saint Petersburg. In 1905, she returned to Estonia and attended courses to enable to her teach French. Passing her examination, she was hired in 1906 as the French and German teacher in the Pärnu Progymnasium, where she also taught games and dances, arranging performances for the children. During her schooling, she developed an interest in folk dance and though she initially turned down an offer to work with Oskar Kallas, one of the directors of the Estonian National Museum, in 1913, Raudkats wrote to him and agreed to help him catalogue dances. In 1913, she recorded 19 folk dances for Kallas and the following year, added 26 additional descriptions. In 1915 she graduated from the Gymnastics Institute, becoming one of Estonia's first teachers to receive a higher education in this field. Her first year at the school, her students performed in the School Olympiad held in Tallinn, taking 1st place. In 1946, the school won 3rd prize, which resulted in a library being built for the institution. In 1947, Raudkats simultaneously began teaching physical education courses for the Kuressaare Industrial and Technical School. In 1950, she retired from teaching and began working as the school librarian in Kuressaare until her retirement in 1957. She also documented the dance called "Kaerajaan" or Kaera-Jaan in her Eesti rahvatantsud. For a time, it was considered to be an original Estonian folk dance but was later found to be linked to the quadrille while the Tuljak, danced by courting couples, has Slavonic origins. Raudkats is recognized for creating dances which appear contemporary but are actually based on traditional sources.

Raudkats was Estonian general dance festival's honorary leader in the years 1939, 1955, 1960 and 1963.