Our Story
Tatjana & Juri
Tatjana started to dance solo dances like hip-hop and contemporary in 2003. Seven years later together with Juri she joined Salsa and Bachata classes.
In 2012 they both dived into Kizomba and very soon organized a small group of friends to share those passion and practice together till it transformed into teaching.
From 2015 they focus on learning more about different styles, music and history by actively attending festivals, workshops, taking private lessons and teacher's trainings.
In 2017 they joined Azembora team and started to teach weekly classes in different styles in Helsinki until Azembora closed it's doors in December 2023. From that moment they continue under own new brand S-Dance School.
Aretta
Aretta began her dance journey in 2016 with salsa and bachata lessons in Finland. Soon after she found kizomba and semba, and it was love at first sight! As kizomba was not known in her city that time, she decided to start teaching and hosting socials to bring it to the scene. Safe to say it was not easy, but she managed to build a passionate local kizomba community! From the beginning, Aretta has been travelling around Europe and to Angola to learn more and more about these beautiful dances.
She moved to Helsinki in Autumn 2024 to have better access to dance training and Finland's kizomba community. Today, she continues her deep dive into the Angolan culture and also with all the dances under the kizomba umbrella. She continues to travel to festivals and to Angola, to take and give lessons, and she truly believes that there is still so much more to discover within these dances!
LAURA
Laura has been dancing various dance styles since a little child. She got into social dancing as a teenager when she discovered Cuban salsa and already in her 20s Laura started teaching weekly classes and performing at international salsa festivals. Laura encountered kizomba at a salsa festival and slowly started to switch her focus for salsa to kizomba and kizomba fusion. In 2022 Urbankiz stepped to the picture when Laura started taking weekly classes and travelling frequently to Urbankiz festivals.
Same year Laura also discovered Tarraxo, but she really got hooked with the dance style after a year while taking classes with Liliana de Lima and Kizzy. Since then, Laura has been training Tarraxo intensively, travelling to international Tarraxo events and taking frequently online and in person classes with most of the well known Tarraxo teachers in the world. Laura is very passionate about the foundations and techniques, but she also likes to create and keep herself up to date on new moves and styling.
RIITTA
Riitta’s dance journey began in her teens with ballet and hip hop, but it wasn’t until 2014 that she truly fell in love with partner dancing. Starting with Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba/Semba, and Kizomba Fusion, she quickly discovered that Kizomba and its fusion styles were her instant Favorites. When Urbankiz began gaining popularity, she was drawn to it even more. She also has a deep appreciation for Tarraxo, Douceur, and Brazilian Zouk.
She has assisted Tatjana in various styles since the Azembora days and continues to do so at S-Dance. Riitta travels frequently to international festivals, often taking classes as a leader, though she usually prefers following in social dancing. Leading, however, offers her a different kind of creative freedom and self-expression—something she truly enjoys exploring.
