20/09/2024
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.
