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The History of Pavi
The traditional Finnish dancing hall of Pavi is located in Itä-Hakkila, Vantaa. Our site is only 18 kilometers from the center and can be easily reached from the main railwaystation of Helsinki.
Pavi opened it's doors in the May of 1965. The location was at the time still part of Helsinki and this gave the hall it's original name: "Helsingin Paviljonki" - "the pavilion of Helsinki". Volunteers build the dancing hall and modified it's surroundings in the winter of -64. Currently the land is owned by the city of Vantaa and rented out to the owners of the dancing hall.
Organizing the dances is a traditional way for organizations and sports clubs to gather money for various activities. Dancing hall tradition is a part of Finland's intangible cultural heritage and a welcome activity for adults and children alike. Dancing halls offer live music surrounded by nature and the possibility of finding friends while participating in a healthy hobby. Over the years the forest that surrounded Pavi in it's opening year has given way to industrial development. At the dances alcohol doesn't play a big part and the event is mostly about coming together and enjoying live music while dancing with new friends.
Pavi had a group of 5 people taking care of it's everyday operations. During the dances you can find a handful of volunteers making the evening possible. Over the years the volunteers have kept the hall going by doing renovations and helping with the events. Nowadays the renovations are done by professionals while trying to maintain the original aestetics of the building.
The musicians usually play in sets of 45 minutes to an hour, with 15 to 20 minutes between the sets. Between the sets the band plays background music. In the background music the band chooses musical genres and styles that they don't have their own set. This makes it possible to try every possible dance patterns during our events.
The tradition for these dances is to play 2 songs from the same genre. It's usual to dance 2 dances with the same partner. After the 2 dances are ower, you change partners and try a different genre with a different person. Usually the leading dancer - traditionally a man but this is changing - asks someone to dance with them. Hovewer this tradition is changing and lady's choice and mixed choice are present every evening.
Pavi has shown in the past 60 years of it's operation that it's the most popular dancing hall in the capital region. Dancers of every age are welcome to join our dancing lessons and amazing live music events. Especially in the year 2025 there has been a lot of interest on the events from younger people who find the same hobbies their grandparents had 2-3 generations ago. Every summer we see people coming from all over Finland to enjoy our dances, especially during the summer vacation period. What makes Pavi especially appealing are location, amazing atmosphere with the best performers in Finland and hospitable staff.