Kivajat Dancers perform at Little Finland

By MEGAN HUGHES

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Hurley - The Kivajat Dancers perfomed at Little Finland this past weekend, bringing with them traditional Finnish and American folk songs and dances.

According to director Kay Seppala, the Kivajat Dancers consist of three age groups: the Pikku Kivajat, who range from kindergarten to second grade; the Kivajat, who are in grades three through six; and the Loistavat, who are in middle and high school.

"We are pretty evenly divided across the three age groups," said Seppala.

The group that performed on Saturday were the Loistavat age group, with some students playing music live alongside the dancing.

Beyond performing, they also taught dance steps to members of the public and worked to spread their love of their Finnish Heritage.

"We had 10-12 people who joined for the lesson earlier in the day," said Seppala on Saturday. "We just finished celebrating our 20th year."

The group had performed at Little Finland once before, as part of the Emberlight Festival. According to Seppala, the group also has entertained at various cultural festivals, whether nationally and internationally.

"I just love these kids - they love to dance, and they did a beautiful job today," said Seppala. "They have a lot of fun with it."

The Finnish American Heritage Center of Hancock sponsors the Kivajat Dancers.

For more information about the Kivajat Dancers, visit fahc.finlandiafoundation.org/enrichment/kivajat/.