Teachers

Amanda is an experienced dancer and teacher. She has competed actively and successfully in Street SM competitions, winning, among others, double SM gold in hip-hop small groups, silver and bronze in street dance formations and also placing in the finals in solos and duets. After her most active competition career, Amanda took a short break and then returned to VKTY to teach and coach. Amanda is a systematic and thorough teacher, whose classes have a good atmosphere of doing, without forgetting fun and humour.

Anna started dancing at the age of 13, before which she was a competitive team gymnast. So almost 25 years have passed since then, and over the years, dance has taken Anna from Vantaa to all over the world, including New York and Los Angeles. Anna has been coaching various groups since 2007, and she was one of the founders of most of the coaching groups that are still involved in VKTY’s activities, as well as the entire VKTY. Anna has been involved in the activities of the Ladies of Hip-Hop organization in New York and was the first dancer to bring the New Style Hustle style to Finland. Anna is known as an inspiring and precise teacher, and she enjoys seeing the joy and enthusiasm of her students in dancing. The dancers are the main reason she works as a coach. Currently, Anna works from the United States and coaches remotely.

Eme is VKTY’s own child! They have trained in several different ensembles at VKTY over the years and have also sought to learn from many workshops and dance trips. They are a highly motivated dancer and as a young teacher have already had the opportunity to try their hands at choreographing for competition groups. Eme has also been very successful in recent years in many Battles and Finnish Championship Choreography series with their own works. It is particularly important for Eme to implement the principles of a Safer space in dance classes.

“Eme’s classes have a wonderful, warm atmosphere that values each dancer’s individuality.”

Emma is originally from Seinäjoki and has found her way to Vantaa via Porvoo and to the VKTY teaching team. Emma’s main genres are hip hop and commercial. In addition to making hip hop choreographies, Emma is also interested in freestyle dancing. This is how Emma describes herself:

“In my classes, I want to ensure a safe environment for everyone to train, and I strive to maintain a positive, inspired and motivated mood!”

Janette has been dancing in VKTY’s coaching groups for almost ten years, after which she found her way strongly into hip-hop freestyle. In addition to hip-hop, she also has extensive experience in other street dance styles such as house, breaking and locking, which she studied, for example, last year at Åsa Folkhögskola in Sweden, where she completed the 5 Styles training program. Before that, she also studied a year-long training in Porvoo with the Akan dance line. Janette is an active participant in the street dance scene, and community and having fun are important to her. For Janette, it is important in teaching to highlight the history of street dance styles and, above all, to create a supportive and safe atmosphere for learning together!

Iiris started dancing at the age of 7 in Mynämäki Jazz and soon moved on to hip-hop classes. When she was in middle school, she started training in a contemporary dance group and the group toured a lot, performed at events and the Finnish Performing Arts Championships. The training palette also included show, acrobatics and ballet classes. Iiris completed the extensive curriculum of basic dance education in 2018. A great moment in Iiris’s dance career was the Finnish Championship bronze medal and 6th place in the World Championships final in 2019. Iiris moved to Helsinki after her studies and started at VKTY first as a dancer and later as a teacher. Iiris is very determined by nature and enthusiastic about everything new.

Inka Luotola is a dancer and dance teacher (BA) full of empathy and joy! Inka graduated as a dance teacher from Savonia in spring 2024 and her studies have included, among other things, exchange studies at the Stockholm University of Arts.

Inka has gained professional expertise by working as a professional dancer in Northern Savo, for example at Kuopio City Theatre, and by working in a local street dance association in many different roles, for example as vice-chairman for several seasons.

Inka describes herself as a calm thinker who, when excited, shares her own insights with others. It is important to Inka that as many people as possible experience insights in the classes, without forgetting the joy of dance and the power of working together. Inka meets each student as an individual and pushes them forward with a gentle, determined approach. In teaching, it is absolutely important to Inka that everyone feels safe coming to classes and that there is no discrimination in any form.

“The foundation of all my teaching is the idea that everyone can dance!”

Jesse is one of the most talented hip-hop dancers and hardest workers of his generation. Despite his young age, he already has a lot of experience in competitions and performances, as he started dancing at the age of 5. Jesse has, among other things, won the Finnish Hip-hop Solo Championship in 2023 and the Battle of the Year Nordic & Baltic competition in 2019. Jesse loves dancing with others and expressing himself through dance, and he says that dancing is like therapy for him.

Kiia Vineyard is a dancer/performer and event organizer in both the Finnish and Dutch Ballroom scenes. They started their journey in Ballroom in 2018 and are now part of the House of Vineyard, a progressive house (an international collective of respected voguing/ballroom dancers and performers). Kiia started with the runway category and have since expanded their repertoire to other categories, such as Vogue Femme and Sex Siren.

Kiia has launched “The Living Room FBS” event, through which they want to create a welcoming space where the Ballroom community can grow, connect with each other, gain more confidence in their own authentic expression and increase resilience.

Kiia teaches Vogue Basics classes. They teach in English but also speak Finnish.

Lilli is a versatile dance teacher and licensed psychologist. She is skilled in several different street dance styles and since 2011 she has competed successfully, coached several Finnish Championship medal-winning groups, organized dozens of dance events and performed in theaters, clubs, and as a background dancer.

Lilli has traveled all over the world to learn from the best in her field and she trains intensively and constantly tests her skills in competitions. Lilli received the FDO choreography scholarship in 2017 and the Saiffa Awards Cultural Influencer of the Year award in 2023 and 2024. For her, dance is about connecting with oneself, music, other people, history and the present. As a teacher, she strives for clarity and wants to challenge dancers on a mental and emotional level.

“…Lilli has such a wonderful pedagogical and thorough touch without compromising on fun. It’s wonderful when you don’t just imitate the movements, but actually learn them, even if it’s in small chunks.”

Dance has been a part of Miika’s life for as long as he can remember. Miika specializes in hip-hop and is eager to share his knowledge with other passionate learners. Miika is a social and active teacher who is interested in following their students’ development as dancers and people. In addition to training in freestyle, he also has a hunger for battling and Miika has won, among other things, the 2024 Finnish Championship Battle!

Milka is a 20-year-old dancer from Helsinki. She started dancing when she was 3 years old and has since then actively and versatilely trained in various styles, from street dance to contemporary dance. Milka has trained hip hop intensively for many years and has participated in numerous battle and street dance events. She has also had success in the Street SM competitions. In recent years, she has taught dance classes, coached competition groups and done independent artistic projects. Milka is currently studying to become a dance artist at the Theatre Academy. As a teacher, Milka is warm-hearted and strives to keep her classes in a good mood.

Neela started dancing when she was in kindergarten, and since then dance has been a part of her everyday life. Neela is a VKTY graduate and has been involved in various street dance competition groups for over 10 years! She has achieved success in competitions as a dancer in both smaller and larger groups at the Street IKM&SM competitions. Neela’s main dance style is hip-hop, where she has strong technique and freestyle skills. In recent years, she has also gained experience in teaching hip-hop, especially to children. It is important to Neela that dance classes have a relaxed and safe atmosphere, so that everyone can have positive experiences with dance!

Noora is a passionate and talented street dancer who has been successful in numerous Street IKM & SM competitions as both a dancer and choreographer. Noora’s main genre is hip hop, but over the years she has also danced other street dance genres (e.g. house and waacking) and contemporary dance.

Noora is originally from Kangasala, but she has recently moved to Helsinki to follow her path in dance. She has gained her skills by actively touring various dance events and workshops around Finland.

As a person and teacher, Noora is warm-hearted and understanding. In her classes, she maintains a positive and relaxed atmosphere and encourages and challenges her students to learn new things.

Olivia is a 21-year-old dancer from Jyväskylä. Olivia has been dancing a variety of dance styles for over ten years, from ballet to hip-hop. She has been involved in several competition and coaching groups and has been successful in the Finnish Championships. She has also been involved in various projects, both music videos and TV shows. As a dancer and teacher, Olivia wants to focus on each dancer finding their own style and developing it. The most important thing in dance for her is the community it forms, friends, artistic freedom and endless development. The laid-back nature of Jyväskylä is strongly reflected in Olivia’s classes, and dancing together is the core idea of ​​every class.

Pauliina started dancing at the age of 4 and has been dancing ever since. She has mainly focused on contemporary dance, ballet and jazz dance. Pauliina graduated as a dancer from the Turku Conservatory’s Dancer’s Training Program in 2015 and is currently studying to become a dance teacher at Savonia University of Applied Sciences, in addition to her work as a dancer and dance teacher. Pauliina is a sensitive thinker by nature, spiced with a fiery soul.

“The best thing about teaching is seeing the students’ insights and successes, as well as their passion for learning. In dance classes, we work together, reflecting, without forgetting to have fun!”

Roza Ahmad, also known internationally as The Nordic Mother Coco Lanvin, is an important part of the history of both the Finnish Ballroom scene, the Finnish street dance scene and VKTY. Roza has been involved in the Vantaa Street Dance Association as a coach in the early years of the association and has held numerous workshops over the years, for example at the VKTY Summer Camp. Now Roza has returned to coach the Rascalz adult coaching group.

Roosa has danced at VKTY since 2015 in various street dance formations, and has been successful in differend competitions in street dance and k-pop. Roosa has been dancing k-pop for some years now and she utilizes especially her strong hiphop technique in her k-pop choreographies. You may have seen her on the stage in UMK, for instance as a background dancer for Käärijä. In dance and teaching, having fun and expression are the most important things for her.

I am Suvi Pilvi, a 28-year-old street dancer from Helsinki, and a member of BYOS, a hiphop crew. I found dance properly as a grown up, and before that I gained a lot of experience from gymnastis both as an athlete and a coach. Within dance, my journey started intensively with hiphop and lately I’ve learned a lot about house dance too. House hooked me from the start with its versatility and technique that fuses many different dance styles. In my classes I try to create a communal and relaxed space where everyone can work on their technique and artistry, and enjoy self-expression!

Taija “B-Girl Taya” Hinkkanen is one of Finland’s first female pioneers of hip hop culture! Taija started dancing in the early 1990s with hip hop and in 1997 she started breaking, which became her main sport and passion. Taija is an original dancer of the internationally acclaimed and Finland’s most successful street dance group Flow Mo Crew. She has had a long career and has shared the message of authentic hip hop for over 20 years, judging, competing and teaching around the world. In 2013, she received the Spy Award in New York as the only European female dancer for inspiring the global dance scene, her work and dedication to hip hop culture. In addition to teaching dance, she works as a sports coach. Her favorite mottos are

“Always a student” and “Each one teach one”.

Tiina “Tintti” Karttunen is a dance teacher from Savo (BA). She started dancing in breakdance classes as a child and over the years has become familiar with several different street dance styles. Her strongest background is in hip hop, which she has been teaching for years. Promoting street dance culture is important to Tintti and she has worked in several different roles in a street dance association for years. Tintti is a person close to nature, for whom presence is important.

“I emphasize enjoying dance and music in my teaching! I strive to create a good, relaxed community spirit, where it is safe to learn together. When you enjoy what you are doing and throw yourself into it, you overcome yourself. In dance, I am particularly fascinated by the dialogue, expression and rhythm between the dancer and the music. In my classes, I strive to offer diverse content from different styles and music, as well as an appropriate amount of challenges and fun, always listening to the wishes of my dancers.”

Unna Terävä is a Helsinki-based creative, dancer, dance teacher, and choreographer. She has been actively involved in many kinds of projects and events as a dancer, judge, choreographer, director, and producer for over 10 years – lastly in Ibe’s Arena show.

Unna’s main styles are hip hop, house, and the Finnish street dance style siéva. Unna is especially passionate about creating and directing her own projects, and she has received multiple awards for her choreographies. In 2019 Unna founded her own studio, Grooves, that she ran for multiple years.

Unna is deeply interested in both freestyle and choreography. She constantly aims to improve as a dancer and teacher by studying various dance styles, sub-genres, and the cultures around them. She has participated in multiple training programs and camps, including the internationals Los Angeles based Motus The Company.

Unna is a street dancer originally from Jyväskylä, whose love especially for hiphop grew strong as a kid. She has trained in multiple different dance styles throughout her life, and lately performing arts and contemporary dance have found a permanent place in her life.

Unna has actively participated different dance events and performances. On top of dance, she has made graphic designs for many dance groups. 

In Unna’s classes, the focus is on having fun and finding your own style.

Ville is a Helsinki-based street dancer, who has been dancing various dance styles since he was a child, such as house, hip hop, breakdance, contemporary and show dance. Ville has been an active dance teacher and dancer in his hometown of Joensuu for several years and has helped build the local dance scene. He has also danced in Germany, where he was inspired by the local dance scene and found a burning passion for house dance.

“A wonderful community has been created in Ville’s house class over the past year and there is such a permissive atmosphere, everyone dares to freestyle, the toughest and most wonderful workouts of the week, Ville’s positivity is contagious, much more than a dance class!”