Katja Koukkula and Jussi Väänänen
Katja Koukkula and Jussi Väänänen are a Finnish professional dance couple in the field of Latin dances .
Career
Koukkula and Väänänen had competed in tournaments as amateurs for 15 years before becoming professional couples in 2000. Since 2005 they no longer take part in official tournaments.
Tournament successes
As amateurs, the two dancers became Finnish champions seven times in a row between 1994 and 2000 and also took fourth place at the European Championships. During their phase as professional dancers, they took first place in the Finnish championships four times. In 2000 they also took first place in the “British Open Rising Star” competition.
Participation in the Eurovision Dance Contest
On August 25, 2007, Koukkula and Väänänen took part in the Finnish preliminary decision for the 2007 Eurovision Dance Contest . The couple was able to prevail against seven other dance couples and thus won the right to represent Finland in the 2007 Eurovision Dance Contest . The couple was very successful in London: for their rumba to Carmen McRaes All in love is far and their Paso Doble to The unforgiven by Apocalyptica , they received 132 points and won the competition ahead of Ukraine and Ireland .
Other appearances
In addition to their work as tournament dancers, Koukkula and Väänänen also performed elsewhere: Both played in the Finnish version of the musical Saturday Night Fever and also worked as professional dancers in Tanssii Täthtien Kanssa , the Finnish edition of Strictly Come Dancing . Since their retirement from tournament dance in 2005, they have continued to perform at various events and have also worked as dance teachers and choreographers in various television and stage productions.