The Story Project In Dance

The Story Project in Dance international dance, art, and creativity training program 2024 concluded with a highly exciting diploma ceremony for all participants. The training program lasted six months and was conducted online under the guidance of Sathis Hettithanthri and Katja Köngäs.

As the final step of The Story Project in Dance, the introduction of Broadway jazz techniques on an international level by Katja Köngäs (Director of the Hurja Piruetti Dance Institute, Finland) made the diploma ceremony day especially thrilling and inspiring for the students.

This event marked the conclusion of the second season of the TSP International Dance Diploma training program, which will resume in 2025. Best wishes to everyone, and congratulations on this milestone!

Last August, we organized the Sri Lanka Cultural Art Night to showcase Sri Lankan talents and foster a cultural bond with Finnish communities. The event highlighted the beauty of Sri Lankan culture through dance, art, and music, creating a meaningful connection.

With this vision of sharing our talented and skillful Sri Lankan artists internationally, we are excited to take the next step. Our journey now brings us to Joroinen, where we are honored to participate in the "Culture Harmony" event. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Hikkaduwa Liyanage Leel Chadranath for organizing and inviting us to join this gathering of cultures, people, and art alongside Finnish artists.

On this day, we will offer cultural dance, live music, a DJ, authentic Sri Lankan food, and percussion performances. There will also be workshops in dance, music, and DJing open to everyone! Don’t miss this opportunity—let’s come together to create a beautiful cultural celebration in Joroinen.

Super thanks to super artistic team Thashmi Wathasha Perera Ishani Wimalarathne Kaushalya Randeniya Tharindu Krishan Dilip Sameera Dinusha Piyadasa Sharidu Krishantha❤️❤️😘😘🙏🏾🙏🏾

Hu hu huuuuu 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Hi huu huuuuuu 😂😂😂😂😂

Full article of me HBL 😎😎🕺🏾❤️
Translated to English from Swedish!

When I first started, I didn’t see any boys here.
He’s the teacher who got young boys in Karis to dance. Sathis has been a judge on dance shows in Sri Lanka but has no plans to leave the small-town life in Karis.
In the old post office next to the K-store's loading dock, the entrance to Västra Nylands Dance Institute, Hurja Piruetti, is hidden. A few hours remain before lessons begin, and the only ones present are the teachers, preparing for their first students of the day.
One of the school's biggest stars is Sathis Hettithanthri who enthusiastically gives a tour of the dance facility.
“The youngest students start their lessons at 4 p.m.,” he says as he shows us around.
For 15 years, Hettithanthri has worked as a dance teacher in Karis. The lessons span a wide range, from hip-hop to contemporary dance, and are for everyone, from four-year-olds to seniors.
Before he started teaching in Karis, it wasn’t common to see boys dancing at Hurja Piruetti.
“When I first started working here, I didn’t see any boys. But after I launched the first hip-hop group, ‘G Stars,’ more and more boys started dancing at Hurja Piruetti,” says Hettithanthri.
What has attracted them most is popping, locking, and hip-hop. Hettithanthri emphasizes that dance is not just for girls and that boys should also feel welcome.
From Sri Lanka to Finland
Hettithanthri grew up in a well-known family of traditional dancers in Sri Lanka. In an environment where dance was always a natural part of life, he was introduced to the art at an early age.
At five years old, Sathis began learning traditional dance and later became the first to introduce Sri Lankan dance to Finland.
In 1995, Sathis's life changed drastically when he won an audition at Helsingin Tanssiopisto and was awarded a scholarship.
This allowed him to move to Finland, where he quickly began establishing himself in the local dance scene.
During the early years of his career in Helsinki, he focused on competing and participating in various projects.
One of these was a collaboration with Charles Salter, a pioneer of Finnish Hip Hop culture since 1980s.
His dance career took a new turn when he was recommended as a dance teacher to Hurja Piruetti’s principal, Katja Köngäs.
The job offer led him to move to Karis, where he has worked as a full-time dance teacher since 2010. Although Sathis has spent most of his adult life in Finland, he continues to travel to Sri Lanka and remains active in its dance culture.
He feels “almost” Finnish, which sometimes makes him feel like an outsider when visiting his homeland.
However, he has maintained strong ties to Sri Lanka through cultural exchanges and international collaborations.
One of the biggest differences between the dance scenes in Finland and Sri Lanka, according to Sathis, is that Finland offers more variety and better opportunities for professional development.
“In Finland, there are more institutions and opportunities for continued education in dance.”
Although the situation in Sri Lanka has improved, resources remain limited, and aspiring dancers often have to learn on their own or via the internet.
Still Famous in His Homeland
Over the years, Sathis H has become a well-known name in Sri Lanka's dance scene, gaining the spotlight when he served as a judge on one of the country’s biggest dance shows, Derana City of Dance. Nowadays, he prefers the quiet small-town life and would rather stay behind the scenes than in the limelight.
“I used to work a lot and was successful. But I wanted to do something else, something calmer. I decided it was time to focus on being a teacher and choreographer and to be content with that.”
Fell in Love with Karis
Even though Hettithanthri is a big name in Sri Lanka’s dance world, he has no plans to leave Karis.
“Karis has almost started to feel like my hometown. I enjoy nature, but especially the people. Through Hurja Piruetti, I’ve met so many different people.”
“It’s become like a family.”
Sathis describes a typical workday as challenging but rewarding.
He usually spends his days planning and preparing for his classes, with lessons running from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“You work hard, but it’s so rewarding to work with children.”
“The way they focus and learn inspires me.”
Sathis values the creative freedom his teaching role gives him. It’s the young people he teaches who inspire him to continue developing.

Hurja Piruetti (Finland) has a long tradition of international dance projects and projects promoting dance. Last spring, we implemented the Sensing North project, where Icelandic and Finnish dancers got to know each other's dance culture and realized a joint production. It was the first time I participated in such a project and got to know Icelandic art education and the teachers and students in the field. At the same time, I got to know fellow dance teachers and share ideas about teaching, choreography and art education.

Special thanks to Katja Köngäs (Hurja Pirouet director) Reettaleena Rauhala (colleague and teacher) Keerthi Pathirana (video production planer and editor).

Sensing North - multi sensory cultural exchange program The collaboration between Hurja Piruetti and Skrifstofa Dansgarðsins - Klassíska listdansskólans has already started in 2023. In the spring of 2024 it culmin...

The Story Project in Dance ( TSP)
International, Dance, Art, Creativity
Season 2
Hurja Piruetti dance institute - Finland
Sathis Hertithanthri
Katja Köngäs

During last couple months these super talented dancers, teachers and Choreographers were training on their own through Story Project in Dance training ingredients and guidance. Now their next level training has started again with Mr, Sathis Hettithanthri and Mis, Katja Köngäs until end of 2024! As the end of the 8 months international diploma training program,
The Story Project in Dance diploma ceremony will be organized during December 2024 in Colombo.
So stay tune people because we are going to bring some amazing talents through Story Project in Dance international dance training program members ❤️🕺🏾💃🏼❤️

Also there is many dancers, teachers, choreographers were missing in this training day due to the exam season!