Welcome to the Latin Lapland website!
Happy to have you here.
My name is Johanna Niemelä and I am an founder and entrepreneur in Latin Lapland wellness studio. I have a long history in the field of dance. I started dancing under school age when I watched my parents dance rehearsals. I believe that the spark to dance did initiate even before I learned to dance by following the communality and joy that dance brought to my parents. Dance has taken me around the world and I am very grateful that I have had the privilege to put my passion into practice. When I dance, I feel alive. I have worked as a professional dancer in several different productions, musicals and as a background dancer both in Finland and abroad. I have studied dance e.g. Danny Holstein at Dance School as well as Steps on Broadway, New York. In New York, I progressed into the dance group of award-winning choreographer and dancer Lancelot Jr. Theobald and the Broadway musical “The Journey”. I have been teaching dance for more than 15 years in Finland, Spain and New York. In Spain, I have danced as a background dancer for several international artists. I have a degree as a professional dancer and a qualification as a dance teacher. I also regularly train in Finland and abroad.
Through dance I was introduced to Pilates. Pilates has changed the way I move!
Pilates has opened up completely new muscle groups for me and has helped me to understand human anatomy holistically. I have been a Pilates teacher since 2006. I graduated as a Pilates instructor while living in New York, at a Power Pilates studio. Around the same time as Pilates, I drifted into yoga classes. A Lapland girl when she finds herself in New York, a city of almost 9 million people, can feel very small. Lonely, even though there are more people than you could have imagined. Through yoga, I found balance in my mind as well as in my body. I started my yoga teacher studies already while living in New York, but they were then interrupted due to moving to Spain. I started my yoga teacher studies again in 2021. PopUp Yoga in Oulu.
Education:
- BBA, MBA(ongoing)
- Coaching management, Novetos, Finland
- Pilates instructor, Power Pilates studio, Manhattan
- Barre instructor, Barre Academy, Finland
- Yoga teacher, PopUp Yoga, Finland
As a teacher I am inspiring and motivating. I want to create a space where it is possible to be present while listening to your own body. The goal is that everyone could find their style to move on and feel the joy of exercising!
My classes have a gracious, safe and encouraging atmosphere. The goal is that as you attend classes, you could feel empowered and energetic, feel alive. Whether it means relaxing on a yoga mat or shaking your hips in a salsa class.
Nice to meet you!
-Johanna
