Polydance ry

New year, new name, same passion. 🔥 We are thrilled to announce that starting this 2026, Polijazz is officially becoming Polydance! We made the name change to better reflect who we are today. Aside from the usual prefix "poly/poli" found in many organizations in Otaniemi, we were inspired by the Greek prefix “poly-” (meaning many). Our new name represents our mission: building a diverse community of dancers and instructors exploring a different street and contemporary styles. More styles. More movement. One community. 🗓 Stay tuned: Our Spring Course schedule drops very soon! #Polydance2026 #DanceCommunity #Breaking #ContemporaryDance

Feel the rhythm with West African Dance! 🥁🔥 Our Spring Pop-up series continues with a high-energy session led by Pauliina Diallo. Experience the joy of grounded movement, live drums, and full-body energy in a relaxed, welcoming environment. No previous experience is needed—just bring your energy and get ready to sweat! 🔗 SIGN-UP LINK (also in bio): /S/BBA16DA016A85C54 Class Description: WEST-AFRICAN DANCE In this class, you will dance to the rhythms of african drums in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere – expect grounded movements, joy, sweat, and energy! The movements include bouncing, stomping, jumping, and engaging the whole body. West African dance is fun, energetic, and great for improving fitness, while also being easy to approach – no previous experience is needed. About the teacher: PAULIINA DIALLO Pauliina Diallo has been teaching African dance for over 20 years. Her background also includes contemporary and jazz dance, contact improvisation, and various forms of yoga. Pauliina has been involved in numerous productions as a dancer, singer, and producer, and has created several full-length multidisciplinary performances. African dance and music are especially close to her heart, and she has deepened her expertise in Guinea by participating in intensive dance and rhythm courses. She has performed with the Finnish-Guinean group Wonuwali as well as at the Finnish National Theatre, around Finland, and even in China.

Our 2026 Spring Pop-up series continues with Contact Improvisation! This beginner-friendly session is all about curiosity, somatic imagination, and moving with others. Whether you’re a total beginner or an experienced mover, come play in a safe, creative space. 🔗 SIGN-UP LINK (also in bio): /S/7CFE8BEC5EEBF88C Class Description: 'This will be a beginner-friendly class in Contact Improvisation, where we first use our somatic imaginations to explore our sense of self and our experience of our own physical bodies, before finding our way into contact with others with an open awareness. Some basic tools of C.I. will be introduced to support partnered explorations of moving through space whilst remaining in contact with another person, and playing between the roles of leading and following, as well as the dissolution of roles into an open play.' About the teacher: Stefanía Ólafs They have been practicing contact improvisation almost ten years in various communities around the world, starting in Australia and are now based in Finland. With a background in performance art and aquatic bodywork, they have a deeply somatic and joyful, if not theatrical, approach to contact improvisation, with a deep appreciation for its generous capacity to change lives.

❗️❗️EDIT: Cancelled due to lack of sign-ups ❗️❗️ Spring is for trying something new! 🩰✨ Polydance is thrilled to kick off our 2026 Spring Pop-up Classes! This series is all about exploration. We’re bringing in guest teachers from a wide range of styles to help you find the movement that speaks to you. Whether you’re a total beginner or an experienced dancer looking to cross-train, these workshops are the perfect place to start. First up: Ballet! 🔗 SECURE YOUR SPOT: /S/745829FC71CF1486 (Link also in bio!) Meet the Teacher: Katri Siipola Cohen Katri Siipola Cohen is a professionally trained dancer (Finnish National Opera Ballet School) with a 20-year international career in Europe and Israel, including extensive touring and collaborative projects. Her work spans ballet, contemporary dance, and dance theatre, with engagements at Ballet Dresden (Semperoper Dresden), the Royal Danish Opera, and studies in Ohad Naharin’s movement language (Gaga). Alongside her artistic career, she focuses on somatic practices and embodied well-being. She works as a relaxation instructor, FasciaMethod practitioner, and Ilan Lev Method (ILM) practitioner, and teaches movement practices inspired by the Feldenkrais Method and ILM, supporting ease, awareness, and better functioning of the body. Her practice also expands into voice and sound, integrating singing and movement in evolving interdisciplinary work. She teaches ballet, creative and somatic dance, and Contakids for children and adults. Her teaching combines technical expertise with presence and a safe, attentive approach to movement exploration.

A few weeks ago, we had our celebration for the end of the autumn 2025 - spring 2026 breaking classes! Here's some scenes from our little outdoor jam! We had good weather, good music by @djtauko , some of the Finnish breaking community joining us, and members of BOTH the beginners and advanced class students getting down! We hope everyone had a blast. Stay tuned for more activities this spring, and see you again next autumn! Photos by @ameliekoerbs.photography

At Polydance, the best movement happens when everyone feels safe to explore. Swipe through to see our Safer Space Guidelines for the Spring 2026 season! Let’s keep the vibes high and the floor supportive for everyone. See you there! 👟🌿 --- Guidelines adapted with inspiration from Suomen Breikkiliitto and Helsingin Tanssiopisto.

🚨 IMPORTANT UPDATE: We’ve corrected our start dates to ensure everyone is on the right track for our 10-week season! Please note the official kickoff days: 👟 Breaking: Tuesday, Feb 3rd (Not the 4th!) 🌿 Contemporary: Thursday, Feb 5th (Not the 7th!) Check the new poster for the full schedule. Join us on Telegram via the QR code and register now at www.polijazz.fi! 🔗

**CORRECTION: START DATE UPDATED TO FEB 5, END DATE UPDATED TO APR 9** Introducing our Contemporary dance instructor, Eero Tahkola @eeroiisakki ! 💯 English below: Olen Eero Tahkola, pääasiassa pääkaupunkiseudulla toimiva ammattitanssija ja esiintyjä, joka lähestyy tanssia leikkisyyden ja uteliaisuuden sekä jatkuvan etsimisen ja oppimisen kautta. Olen valmistunut Outokummun tanssin koulutuksesta 2024 ja syvennän tällä hetkellä opintojani Teatterikorkeakoulun tanssitaiteen ohjelmassa. Vahvinta osaamistani on nykytanssin eri improvisaatiotekniikat, kuten kontakti- ja tehtävälähtöinen improvisaatio-, lattia-, partnering- ja somaattiset tekniikat. Tunneilla keskitytään kehon liikkeen luontaiseen ketjuttumiseen, tehtävälähtöiseen improvisatoriseen liiketutkimukseen ja leikkisään lattiatekniikkamateriaaliin. Tavoite on oppia ja hikoilla, hauskanpitoa unohtamatta! I am Eero Tahkola, a professional dancer and performer based in Helsinki. My approach to dance is playfulness and curiosity, as well as constant exploration and learning. I graduated from Outokumpu Dance Education in 2024 and I´m currently furthering my studies in the Art of Dance program at the Theater Academy of the University of the Arts, Helsinki. My particular professionality lies in various techniques used in contemporary dance, such as contact and task-based improvisation, floorwork, partnering and somatic techniques. The classes focus on the chaining of body movement, task-based improvisational movement research, and floorwork material. The goal is to learn through fun and sweat!

**CORRECTION: START DATE UPDATED TO FEB 3** Meet your Breaking instructor: Victor ‘Vicious’ Sono. ⚡️ A world-class b-boy with nearly 30 years in the game, Vicious is a multiple-time World Champion and a member of the legendary Sweet Technique and Boogie Brats crews. Originally from Montréal, Vicious was one of the first to put Canadian breaking on the international map. Now a resident of Finland, he’s bringing that same world-stage energy and community-building expertise to Polydance. 🇫🇮🇨🇦 From battling across the globe since 1998 to organizing events and festivals since 2010, Vicious' classes are about more than just moves—they’re about the artistry and genius of the dance. 🔥 Don’t miss the chance to learn from a true pioneer. Swipe right to know a little more about breaking! Link in bio to sign up!

**CORRECTION: START DATES UPDATED TO FEB 3 AND 5* The wait is over! ❄️ Registration for our Spring Courses is officially OPEN. We’re kicking off our first season as Polydance with two powerhouse styles: Breaking ⚡️ Contemporary 🌿 All the details (time, location, and pricing) are right there on the poster! 👀 Keep your eyes peeled: We’ll be posting sneak peeks about each class over the next few weeks! 🔗 Link in bio to secure your spot! #Polydance2026 #SpringCourses #Breaking #ContemporaryDance #SignUpsOpen

The spring semester is just behind the corner!🔥 The sign up is already open at our websites😎 Check our bio🥰

We had a blast at Otasuunnistus and Aalto party with some chill get downs! Even if you missed our checkpoint, remember to check our courses, breaking and contemporary dance, which begin next week! More info on our website at www.polijazz.fi Hope to see you there!