For me, this dance has been a journey home. Into this body, into this breath, into this great winding mystery we call life. The dance has taught me about my sensitivity and power, my center and my ground, my intuition and creativity. Through the dance, I become more alive, more awake, more aware, more attuned. The dance has held me through some of the most difficult times of my life, and I've emerged more centered and more grounded than I've ever been, connected to my playfulness, joy, zest for life, and endless curiosity about all the facets of being human.  I feel dedicated to sharing my passion for being real, being embodied, and being whole in all that we are.

I never thought I'd be a dancer - let alone a dance teacher. When I first stumbled on 5Rhythms in Edinburgh, I considered myself the clumsiest person on the planet. But on the 5Rhythms dance floor I discovered freedom, fluidity, beauty, grace, and enchantment (amongst other things) - a totally new experience. Slowly my entire relationship to myself and my body shifted. The dance has taught me many, many things, and one of the most important lessons has been the gift of learning to love myself.

I'm also a certified Iyengar yoga teacher as well as an environmental educator, working in and with nature with teens and kids.

Dancing since: 2006

Producing 5Rhythms workshops in Finland since: 2012

Maps: Waves, Elective

Location: Helsinki, Finland

Dancing since: 2006

Website: http://www.valontaival.com

Languages: English, Finnish, Swedish

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