Katja Köngäs
Dance teacher, Principal, Artistic Director
+358 40 5162 704
Master of Arts (University of Arts Helsinki) and Dance teacher (Turku University of Applied Sciences)
Katja is the founder and artistic director of Hurja Piruetti. She has over 20 years of experience of working with children, youth and adults, as well as with people with disabilities.
“For me the most important thing about teaching is to bring out that spark for dance, expression and diversity of art. Familiarising myself with different art forms and using that knowledge to compose new is an organic way of working for me. Processing through the body, indulging in dance together, without forgetting some pirouettes...”
Katja teaches in finnish, swedish and english.
At Hurja Piruetti Katja teaches
contemporary dance, show, classes for the adults, 60+ classes, education of people with disabilities and international relations
Shanti Grönholm
Dansinstructor, Choreographer, Dancer, Admin
+358 400 175664
Master of philosophy, pedagogue (Åbo Akademi University 2022), Bachlor of human studies (Åbo Akademi University 2020)
Shanti started dancing by the age of 11 and has since competed with groups both in Finland and internationally. She herself started dancing in Hurja Piruetti. In addition, she have also danced for “iPOP” in Los Angeles. Shanti just gratueted from Åbo Akademi University with and Masters in human science and teaching. Shanti also studies to become an engeenier.
Shanti works as a danceinstructor at Hurja Piruetti and as an admin. She has always wanted to work with children and youth and does so both during the day and evening.
Shanti teaches in swedish, finnish and english
At Hurja Piruetti Shanti teaches:
Children's creative dance classes, Commercial, Ladies, Show och Femme Street, Street and School Projects
Ulla Koho
Dance teacher, Student Advisor
+358 44 5677 811
Dance teacher (BA)/ Turku University of Applied Sciences 2000, Master of arts (MA), Dance teacher / University of arts Helsinki 2007
Joy of dancing and doing together are the most important things for me when it comes to teaching classes. A dance class can be a break from the everyday life or a wonderful training session in good compnay. It can also be an explorative journey into bodily expression, or strict technical finetuning. In my classes technical training as well as expression, joy and letting go with the means of dance walk hand-in-hand.
Ulla teaches in finnsih, swedish and english.
At Hurja Piruetti Ulla teaches
SE-group, Contemporary dance, Ballet, Dancemix and Creative children’s classes. In addition, Ulla works as the student advisor and is responsible for mentoring the final projects of dancers graduating from the advanced dance studies of Basic education in arts.
Sathis Hettithantri
Dance teacher, choreographer, dancer
Sathis Hettithanthri is a versatile streetdance teacher and choreographer from Sri Lanka who has been working in Finland for more than 20 years. Sathis has worked at Hurja Piruetti for more than 10 years and has piloted several competition groups, choreographed productions and been responsible for teaching hip hop, locking, popping and dance hall reggae styles, as well as contemporary dance-based production work. His classes have an inspiring and outgoing mood and Sathis ’teaching style is positive and encouraging.
Together with Katja Köngäs, Rector of the Dance College, and Shanti Grönholm, Project Manager, Sathis has implemented a dance student exchange project between Finland and Sri Lanka and the ABC`d = Arts between cultures and dance project 2019-2022 in cooperation with Derana TV and Hurja Piruetti.
Sathis teaches in English and Finnish
At Hurja Piruetti Sathis teaches
hiphop, locking, street competition crews, dancehall reggae, performing arts. street, production classes
Alex Högström
Acrobatics teacher
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Alex has 15 years of experience of working with children in kindergartens, after school clubs, and in schools as a class and substitute teacher. He has been awarded the title of a capoeira teacher by Master Marrom, and has taught capoeira for over 10 years, working with different age groups from children to adults. Acrobatics – an essential part of capoeira – Alex has been teaching for a couple of years.
Alex teaches in finnsih, swedish and english.
At Hurja Piruetti Alex teaches
Acrobatic
Jenny Romberg
Dance teacher
+358 46 5546 049
Nurse (BA)
Jenny is a mum-of-four, whose interest for dance started as a 3-year-old in Ethel Gustaffson’s ballet school. In 1995 she went on to study dance in VNF. Jenny has been part of the Young Culture Ambassadors group performing internationally, as well as participated as a choreographer in different projects. Through hobbies in sports and her work in the health care in the last 15 years, she has worked with people of all the different ages. Jenny is a qualified masseuse and a practical nurse, which led to a nurse’s degree in 2016. To give all her students the chance realise their dreams is where her passion lies, as well as in the interest to combine dance and health care as she sees it is important that the patient is seen as a whole.
Jenny teaches in swedish, finnish and english.
At Hurja Piruetti Jenny teaches
Creativ children's classes, Contemporary dance, Project groups
Janni Johansson
Circusteacher
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Circus teacher (BA)
Janni has worked as a circus teacher since 2006. She graduated from the Lahti Training Center with a Salpaus circus line (SaSak). During his career, he has also performed juggling as his main sport both in Finland and abroad. He has a wide range of teaching experience from youth circuses all over Finland and from circus clubs, and has also directed special groups in the social circus. He currently teaches in Karjaa and the metropolitan area.
Janni teaches in finnish, swedish and english.
At Hurja Piruetti Janni teaches
Circus
Reettaleena Rauhala
Dance teacher
I started taking dance classes at the age of five in Helsingin tanssiopisto, though most of my memories with dance begin with Hurja Piruetti where I joined classes at the age of seven. Over the course of fourteen years, I attended a range of classes, every possible style offered. In 2016, I graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (London, UK) with a Bachelor of Honours in Contemporary Dance. I have since been teaching and doing projects in Finland as well as abroad. I strongly identify as both a dance artist and a pedagogue, and I am also increasingly interested in (dance) research. Versatility and the possibilities it holds are fascinating to me, and they are what gets me inspired time and again. Currently studying for MA studies in Dance Pedagogy at the University of Arts in Helsinki.
At Hurja Piruetti Reettaleena teaches
Creative Children Dance, Contemporary dance and Show dance
Hanna Välimäki
Dancer, Dance teacher
+358440405201
Dance teacher (BA)
I started dancing at the age of three and eventually became a professional dancer when I graduated as a dance teacher from Turku University of Applied Sciences in the spring of 2023. During my studies, I was also able to expand my knowledge during a student exchange at Stockholms konstnärliga högskola in Stockholm. For me, dance is all about musicality, expression, and community, and I try to incorporate these elements in every dance class. As a dance teacher, it is important to me that my dance classes have a safe and open atmosphere where every student is taken into consideration.
At Hurja Piruetti Hanna teaches
Ballet, showjazz and children's classes.
Nea Henriksson
Dancer, dance teacher student
Dance has been a big part of my life since I was a child. My dance hobby started in a balletschool in Fiskars and continued in Hurja Piruetti until my professional studies. I graduated as a professional dancer from Tampere conservatoire in 2022. Right now, I’m studying in Turku university of applied sciences to become a danceteacer.
I’m interested in working with children and young people. I want to inspire young dancers to move and create art. I hope that everyone gets to express oneself through dance and to enjoy making art in dance class.
At Hurja Piruetti Nea teaches
Children’s dance, Ballet advanced, Point shoe class, Show, Jumps & Turns advance
Janna Westerlund
Parental leave 2023-2024
Dance teacher, Dancer, Choreographer, Admin
+358 44 7480155
Dance teacher (BA), Turku University of Applied Sciences 2015
I started dancing ballet when I was seven. After high school I continued dancing at Västra Nylands Folkhögskola in Karjaa. I did my bachelor studies is Turku University of applied Sciences and partly in Dans och Cirkushögskola in Stockholm and in Isafjörður in Iceland.
Janna teaches in finnish, swedish and english.
At Hurja Piruetti Janna teaches
Show, Ballet, SE-groups and School Projects
Paula Viitanen
Parental leave 2023-2024
Dance teacher
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Danceteacher (BA)
Paula grew up dancing in Hurja Piruetti, and is currently undertaking degree studies to become a dance teacher. She has been part of Hurja Piruetti’s Young Culture Ambassadors –group for several years, and participated in various international projects during her years as an ambassador. Paula teaches children’s classes and contemporary dance, as well as street styles.
Paula teaches in finnish, english and swedish.
Classes
School Projects, Ballet, Creative children classes, Contemporary dance, Heels and Hip-Hop