Jenka: the Finnish conga line
Warm-up for the world dance unit using the jenka (letkajenkka), a Finnish line dance in which everyone holds the waist or shoulders of the person in front. Its simple, repetitive step activates the legs and coordination and brings the group together before learning more complex dances.
How to play
- Short introduction to the dance's Finnish origins and listening to the music while clapping the beat (1 min).
- Learn the step in place: two heel taps to the right, two to the left, a hop forward, a hop back and three hops forward (2 min).
- Form lines of six holding shoulders and dance following the leader (2 min).
- Each time the musical phrase repeats, the leader moves to the back and someone else leads (2 min).
- Finale: all the lines join into one big chain that travels around the room (1 min).
Rules
- Hops are small and land softly with feet together.
- Nobody pulls the person in front: the line moves to the leader's rhythm.
- If anyone falls or lets go, the line stops.
Variations
Easier
Replace the hops with steps and dance at a slower tempo.
Standard
Jenka step in lines of six with the leader rotating.
Harder
Each leader invents a change of direction or a figure and the line copies it without stopping.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: join in from the wheelchair, turning the heel taps into arm movements.
- Visual impairment: dance in the middle of the line with hands on shoulders to follow the rhythm.
- Students uncomfortable with touch: join the line holding a scarf or ribbon instead of hands.
Learning goals
- Activate the lower body and raise the heart rate with a simple dance.
- Learn a folk dance from another European culture.
- Coordinate with the group and take turns leading.
Equipment for a class of 25
- speaker: 1
Teacher tip
Find an instrumental version of the letkajenkka at about 120-130 beats per minute. It works very well as an icebreaker at the start of the dance unit.
PatioLab has "Jenka: the Finnish conga line" and 5176 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
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