Kirsi-Marja Vinberg How did the idea of making these pages begin?
For a long time already, I have been wondering how to further develop the teaching methods of SENIO line dancing. Training new instructors may not be the best way to help seniors find and pursue line dancing. Therefore, I went to meet Jorma Leitzinger, who has long been one of the leaders in the field of line dancing in Finland. He gave me a great idea: what if a website existed, where seniors could review the dances they learned during the course, and where the repetition would be presented comprehensively and clearly. We also discussed Jorma's idea that the audience for the website could be broader and also include regular line dancing. That way any new line dancer could get support for their hobby. This website therefore now includes many familiar dances for Finnish line dancers. The dances can be repeated, for example, before attending a line dancing event.
I would like to extend my thanks to the brave, hardworking and ingenious partners without whom these pages would not have been born.
Toivo (Topi) Pudas is my muse, with whom I have done all the practical work. Toivo has also filmed major part of the videos. Thank you for your artistic and genius work! Without your analytical mind combined with your artistic and creative ideas we would not have come this far in the process. You have encouraged me and supported our collaboration in every step of the way.
I met Topi about 30 years ago. We kept on running into each other at Kirka Babitsin gigs, where Sirpa and I used to go dancing. We danced to the stories of Kirka's songs. Earlier you were a reporter, then an IT specialist. We met again about a year ago after a long pause. You got excited about the project and wanted to join us and film the dance videos. When I understood how much experience you have in photography and videography (chess competitions), I was really happy that we reconnected.
Roger Renman, the principal of Kauniainen Adult Education Center: thank you for believing in this idea. Thank you for your kind attention during our numerous brief meetings, and of course for the use of the wonderful Petra dance hall during this project! https://www.kauniainen.fi/kulttuuri_ja_vapaa-aika/kansalaisopisto
Jorma Leitzinger, line dance instructor and instructor trainer: thank you for your help and your fantastic ideas and of course for your dance contribution to the website. Jorma's line dance "Kiva Rivitanssi" is very popular in Finland. A video of Kiva Rivitanssi can be found on this website taught by Jorma himself. Thank you for the performance of the dances. Jorma's own website, www.countrylines.fi, speaks for itself.
Pia Herlin, Raija Suhonen and I have a long dancing history together. We have danced together for twenty years in choreography competitions and in performance groups. Pia and I danced very challenging dances to the videos with only little practice. Thank you Pia. Raija and me started our long session of video filming in May. Thank you for your patience. It was a good start for us to get an idea of our project, for Topi as the videographer, for me as the director.
The stylish outfits of Vappu Pellinen and Hanni Tihinen further brightened up our smooth cooperation.
Thank you Kaarina Uuskivi, Sari Vilmi, Arja Ingberg, Alf Skogster and Pirjo Takala for your patience! We had to keep retaking the videos for various reasons: curtains falling, running out of camera battery, wrong button pressed, inadequate step sheet reading skills of Kirsi-Marja... Luckily we had a break room, where we enjoyed tea and coffee with nuts and strawberries!
Vuokko Varila-Kiverä and Elina Halttunen were well equipped (plaster shoe) and fully threw themselves into dancing to the videos! Thank you for your support.
We filmed also at Kärkölä house in Lohja. The place has given many unforgettable memories of moments of dancing and moments with people! We arrived to the house every day for a month. Topi and I hung curtains every morning. We drank coffee all the time, and also had chocolate in the fridge!
Anja Friari, dance instructor, Lavis instructor and Asahi instructor, traveled across Finland to come to Kärkölä house. It was especially nice to dance Anja's new dance Etelän yössä at the house's grand hall. Thank you Anja for the dances!
We did several dance videos and advertisement photos at Kärkölä house with Paula Carlson. Thank you for your collaboration. Paula has also translated step sheets and worked on formatting the step sheets on Aurinkorytmi pages to uniform the style.
The self defense videos were filmed in the second hall of the Kärkölä house. David Munoz Gonzalez (http://artzenter.fi/) scripted, and together with a group of actors they made wonderful, informative videos of self defense skills from the seniors' point of view. Thank you, David.
Thank you, Marja-Leena Syrjälä, secretary of Kärkölä community association (http://www.pusulankarkola.net/home ), for the great cooperation in many questions, and of course for allowing us to film videos in the beautiful Kärkölä house.
I have taught line dancing for about twenty years, and line dancing to seniors for fifteen years. I lead Pilates and Asahi classes, and as dance instructor also a couple dancing. I have choreographed several line dances, and have won a few prizes. SCT (currently SRO) selected me as the line dance instructor of the year 2007 (www.aurinkorytmi.com).
Rhythm, movement, music and joy are the hallmarks of dancing. It has been fantastic to dance to different choreographies at Kärkölä house, and even make a few new ones of my own. To mention one of them, look at the dance called Tu Sentimiento, which is 4 wall beginner tango line dance.
Dancing for the Dream website gave me a lot of support in selecting line dances when I started teaching line dancing to seniors. The Dancing for the Dream Corporation is a non-profit, charitable organization for the advancement of senior health. Line dancing at least three times a week has been shown to affect the age related health issues:
- Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Increases mobility without joint damage
- Increases balance control and centering
- Increases bone mass and muscle
- Aids in effort to lose weight
- Eases levels of depression
- Staves off early signs of Alzheimer's