Connecting to Finnish roots through dance and music

Some residents of the Twin Ports are of Finnish ancestry and many of them always seek to find activities that will help connect them to their roots.

The Nordic Dance is a workshop and dance lesson organized by the Nordic Center of Duluth. Participants are thought traditional Finnish dance in the company of a group of musicians who share a passion for signing and playing Finnish folk tunes.

The dance instructors were Jaana & Lotta who taught couples dances, they reviewed the basic waltz and then taught Jenkka (Finnish schottische, Finnish polka, and the Finnish Masurkka), followed by social dancing. All between a span of three hours at the Duluth Folk School.

Here is what one of the participants had to say, her name is Sheila Coughlin.

“I’ve been reconnecting with my Finnish roots on my grandmother’s side, who passed a couple of years ago. And I’ve also been really reconnecting in the community, learning different traditional Finnish things. And for today, I and my partner are learning Finnish folk dancing. So, it’s been a great and wonderful experience to learn Finnish folk dancing.”