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Passionate dancers Jouni Keränen and Jaana Pohjonen, who live in the Stockholm region, continue to enthusiastically tour Swedish-Finnish dances. Their story began right at the Varpsund summer stage in 2014.
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“When I saw Jouni, I thought, what kind of man is this, starting to dance before the music has even begun? He was in such a hurry to get on the dance floor. Then a year passed, and we met again, in a church in Stockholm. We became a dance couple, and now we’ve been dancing together for over ten years,” Jaana says.
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For Jaana, ballroom dancing is not just a form of exercise, but a multidimensional act of health. While many see only the physical benefits of dance, Jaana emphasizes the importance of the discipline for mental well-being. For her, ballroom dancing is about something greater.
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“It’s pure joy! Ballroom dancing gives hope to life. You can take the emotion from within and show it on the dance floor,” she describes. While dancing, Jaana also enters a flow state, an emotional bubble where there’s no one else but her and her partner. “It’s so wonderful!” she gushes.
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In addition to self-expression, dance has brought other benefits to her life, such as confidence in performing tasks at work and in other life situations.
Jaana first visited the Varpsund summer stage 30 years ago with her mother. What does she think has changed over the years? “Fewer people, but always just as enjoyable. Always.”
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The magical atmosphere of the Swedish-Finnish summer dance pavilions captivates a small but enthusiastic dance crowd for as long as these dance events are still held here – and as we know, when the crowd thins, the parties get better.
Heidi Lehto
Torshalla, Sweden
