Autumn Season 2026, 31.8.-1.12.

This autumn, an even wider variety of belly dance classes will be available in Tampere. I teach belly dance to dancers of all levels, from complete beginners to advanced students.

The autumn season begins on 31 August and continues until 1 December. The best way to learn is to join for the entire season, but you are also welcome to attend classes more flexibly by paying per class. All classes are held in central Tampere at Rakelandia, Hämeenpuisto. The season lasts 13 weeks, with no classes during the autumn holiday week.

Read below for detailed course descriptions, schedules, participation options, and pricing.

Schedule

Mondays 31.8.-30.11.

17-18.15 Advanced
18.30-19.30 Theme Course

Tuesdays 1.9.-1.12

17-18.15 Intermediate
18.30-19.30 Beginners

Venue:
Rakelandia
Hämeenpuisto 17–19
33210 Tampere

Course Descriptions

Oriental Dance Beginners

In the beginners course, we learn the basic movements of oriental dance and create movement sequences that utilize the entire body. We approach the dance through joy and emotion!

The beginner classes are intended for complete beginners as well as those who have recently started to oriental dance. You can join the beginner classes with no previous experience in oriental dance — or any kind of dance. However, it is a good option even if you have done a beginners course before, since building a solid foundation is essential and will certainly help as you move to more advanced levels.

New dancers! Don't be afraid to attend your first class. Everyone is in the same boat, and the best part of starting something new is that you can be proud of yourself just for showing up. You are warmly welcome!

Oriental Dance Intermediate Level

In this course, we'll practice key variations of basic movements, as well as layering fundamental techniques and movement. We'll also learn new step combinations and musicality – and of course, have fun!

You can move to the intermediate level once you've attended a beginners course at least once. This course is best suited for dancers who are already familiar with the fundamentals of oriental dance. However, you don't need to master the basics perfectly to attend, especially if you're also continuing with the beginner group alongside.

The intermediate level is also a great choice for those who have done oriental dance before and now want to return to it after a break. Since the course focuses on key variations of the basic movements, it also works very well as a technique class for more experienced dancers who want to focus on body control, arm movements, and refining their movement language. Often, the greatest progress comes not from constantly learning new tricks, but from doing familiar movements better and better.

This course builds on the skills learned in the intermediate class by introducing more challenging variations, combinations, and movement layering. We combine movements into more complex step patterns while making full use of the entire body. During the season, we also learn short choreography sections, although choreography is not the main emphasis of the course.

This class is recommended for dancers with at least three years of belly dance experience. A solid command of the fundamentals is expected before joining. It is ideal for dancers who want to challenge themselves and continue developing their technique and artistry.

Theme Course

Unlike the level-based classes, the Theme Course is structured differently. Instead of focusing on overall level progression, it explores one specific topic in greater depth, helping you grow as a well-rounded dancer. The greatest benefit comes from participating in the full course, but you can also sign up for specific parts of the course. The course is divided into three interconnected sections:

Part 1 – Technique

• 31.8.-21.9.

• 4 x 60 minutes

Part 2 – Choreography

• 28.9.-9.11. (Please note: no class during autumn holiday week.)
• 6 x 60min

Part 3 - Improvisation

• 16.11.-30.11.
• 3 x 60min

Pricing

I offer several ways to participate so you can find the option that best suits your lifestyle. You can join a full course or attend individual classes.

Season Passes

• Beginner course or theme course: 13 × 60 minute classes 185€ 
• Intermediate or Advanced course: 13 x 75 minute classes 215€ .

If you enroll in two full-season courses, you receive a 20% discount on the total price. Missed classes may be made up by attending another course. You can also join mid-season and pay only for the remaining classes.

Theme Course individual sections

• Part 1 – Technique (4 × 60 min): 65€

• Part 2 – Choreography (6 × 60 min): 100€
• Part 3 – Improvisation (3 × 60 min): 50€

Drop-In Options

To ensure no one has to miss out due to a busy schedule or shift work, I also offer the following options in addition to the season passes:

• 1 x 75 minutes: 20€
• 1 x 60 minutes: 16€
• 5 class pass: 90€

If you already know you'd like to come even just once or twice, feel free to register now! Send a message to sjylhanlahti@gmail.com or use the contact form below.

Registration & payment

To register, please fill in the contact form below and mention which course you would like to join.

Season fees are invoiced. Please include your name, email address, and home address (including postal code) in the registration form so that your invoice can be prepared. The invoice will be sent to you by email.

Please note that registration is binding. By submitting the registration form, you commit to paying the fee for the course you register for. Cancellations are only accepted upon presentation of a valid medical certificate.

Private classes

You can also book me for private classes either for yourself or for an event that you are organizing. If this sounds interesting to you, contact me so we can design a class according to your wishes!

Oriental dance, which is also known as belly dance, is a dance style from the Middle East. Often this term is used as a catch-all term for the variety of dance styles that are found in the Middle East. Most commonly it refers to a style of dance that originates from Egypt and incorporates both fluid movements of the torso and hips and also accents and shimmies. Even though the importance of torso and hips is often highlighted (as the name belly dance suggests) the whole body is used in oriental dance.

Raqs sharqi is the Arabic name for oriental dance and it refers to the performance oriented version of oriental dance, which is what is taught in oriental dance classes. Raqs sharqi originates from a social dance version of oriental dance (raqs baladi) which has been a part of Egyptian culture for centuries and still is today. Raqs sharqi as we know it today cannot however be traced back thousands of years unlike many people believe. It first emerged in the turn of the 19th century, when in Egypt dance performances started appearing in entertainments halls for the first time. As dance moved from social events to also stages, the nature of dance started to shift to performing and the social and performing version of the dance started to differentiate. During the next few decades after this shift, raqs sharqi continued to take shape to the style that we recognize today.

In raqs sharqi expressions, feelings and interpretation of music when dancing is essential and many consider this to be more important than technical skills. Especially in the more traditional or authentic versions of dance being present and authentic without trying to do too much is of the essence. This makes a lot of sense when considering the history of raqs sharqi as connecting with others and having fun is the core of social dance. Nowadays there are also many fusion styles of oriental dance where technique, atmosphere and music from different genres are combined with oriental dance.