Vanhojen Tanssit

I was lucky enough to take part in the "prom" of Finland. It isn't really anything like prom except the girls wear dresses and the boys wear a fancy white-tie dress suit called a "frakki." In the the Finnish version of prom, there are actual dances. Many of them are traditional dances that are taught to us by the school. Three times a week we danced for an entire term, learning these dances, and getting ready for the big show. At first I didn't think I would be able to participate because I couldn't find a partner. This thing is such a big deal that oftentimes people find their partners a year in advance. My friend Jenna told me that there was a boy that didn't have a partner. I figured he would be strange, because all the normal guys were already taken. I expected him to be a bad dancer. I can't believe how lucky I was. He was a great dancer, and an awesome partner. We did a total of 13 dances, some better than others. We performed 4 times. Once for the parents, once for the school, once for the little kids at the elementary school, and once for an old person home.