My name is Elina Kortetmaa and I'm a 27-year-old dancer from Finland. I've been doing Irish Dance for almost seven years now, and it makes me wonder how quickly time has flown since the day I started. Irish dance has become a passion for me and when I moved abroad in 2008 to become an exchange student I chose the Queen's University of Belfast, so I could continue dancing. I've also met wonderful friends (including my best friend) through Irish Dance.
I joined NSID in 2004 to be able to participate the feis workshop in Helsinki, but I didn't have the courage to compete just then. In 2006, however, I travelled to Stockholm with my dance friends to attend my very first feis - and there has been no turning back since then. One of my dreams came true in 2009, when I was accepted to the dance group JigIt. Right now I'm working with another dream by practicing for the Irish dance show Àineas, whose premier is on December.
I've been studying geology on-and-off since 2004, but now I'm working in the Car Department of Pohjola Insurance Company. When I'm not dancing or working, I love to read and write stories or plan holiday trips to Ireland or Scotland.