Celebration is not only found in glitter or big moments. Sometimes it lives in small gestures. A card tucked into your shoe. Sharing coffee to talk about private stuff after a business meeting. A studio that feels like coming home.
In the lead-up to the holidays, we sat down with Willemijn and Floortje Laan to talk about rasalila, community, and family in the broadest sense of the word. About conscious movement in a season that can also bring tension for many people. And about why, especially now, it is important not to push harder, but to be gentler.
When you think of celebration at rasalila, what comes to mind first?
W: “For me, the celebration is in the extras. Theme classes, small surprises, candle lights, cards in shoes. Just making things feel fun. It does not have to be big, but it makes a period or a class feel a little more special.”
F: “For me, celebration is very strongly connected to shows. A show is one big celebration. Everyone on stage, the roof coming off, that surge of shared energy. That feeling is actually there all year round, because we have lots of shows. Last weekend we just finished two of the four Amsterdam Burlesque Revue shows, which gave us so much festive energy for the weeks ahead. And in January, we continue the celebration with the final two shows.”
And family, what does that mean to you in relation to the studio?
F: “To me, rasalila really feels like a big family business.”
W: “Without family, there would be no rasalila. We started it as a family, and you can still feel that in how we work. The idea was never ‘this is how it has to be’. I prefer to look at where someone’s talent lies and what makes someone happy.”
F: “And you see that reflected in the people who come here. Especially people who are not from the Netherlands. Our students often find friends at rasalila, and sometimes that even becomes their (chosen) family in Amsterdam.”
W: “Community is the word we hear most. People say rasalila feels homely, playful, non-judgemental. That they can be themselves.”
F: “And that they meet each other exactly where they are at that moment.”
When do you feel most strongly that you carry rasalila together?
F: “Now, doing an interview together.”
W: “For me, it is often on Tuesday mornings. We have our weekly meeting with rasalila-sisters team (and teachers) Kyra and Lynn, and afterwards Floortje and I often have coffee together. Work and private life blend together. That feels very natural.”
F: “We are jointly responsible. We check in with each other. What are we running into, what is the next step, what ideas are bubbling up?”
W: “And during events. Afterwards, we look at each other and think, wow. We really did that together. Always with a whole team ofcourse. But we are the foundation.”
What do you do in the studio around the holidays?
W: “We have theme classes. Leading up to Christmas there are special classes, a Christmas tree in the studio, and we printed Holiday cards with illustrations by Lynn.”
F: “And we had the Winter Wonderland Event, with a Christmas market, a clothing swap and a Pole and Aerial Jam. All free, with Gluhwein and cookies.”
W: “We have also put the Holiday postcards in students’ shoes around Sinterklaas. Super fun. We sell them as a set as well. And there are gift cards. These kinds of things we also love to do throughout the year, around the different holidays. Like the themed classes for Halloween for example.”
F: “And there is the Burlesque Winter School, with workshops.”
Is there anything you consciously do not do during the holidays, out of love for yourself?
F: “As a studio we are rarely closed, but around Christmas and New Year we really try to shut everything down for a few days. Nothing happening at all. No responsibility for a moment.”
W: “Maybe I will book a massage again on Christmas Eve this year. That really always feels like a reset.”
How can movement, dance, or ritual contribute to celebrating connection?
F: “Working with intention adds depth. It makes it a moment for yourself.”
W: “Movement is connection, with the body, the mind, and with the people you are moving with. It is a super fast way to deepen connections.
What would you like to say to people who feel stressed during the holidays?
F: “Do not plan too much. Do not rush from one thing to the next. Choose what makes you happy.”
W: “Look at where the stress is coming from. Which expectation are you trying to meet? And do you actually want to do all of that?”
What makes the holidays truly festive?
F: “Always glitter.”
W: “But for me, that glitter does not necessarily have to be on my body. I prefer it on the tablecloth, haha.”
When did it really feel like family at rasalila in recent months?
F: “During the Winter Wonderland event, with the Christmas market.”
W: “Yes. That was full of glitter, connection, community, and creativity.”
What would you like to say to everyone at rasalila at the end of this year?
F: “Thank you for being there again this year!”
W: “The amount of love people pour into this place moves me every single time. We truly do this together.”
Can you each choose one word for this time of year?
W: “Connection.”
F: “Reflection.”
And how do you celebrate the holidays yourselves?
W: “With some cozy time with close family, sleeping in, watching films, and doing nothing for a bit.”
F: “Cuddling with my cat, reading tarot, reflecting. Connecting with others and with myself.”
The holidays do not have to be perfect. Not productive. Not tightly scheduled. At rasalila, it is about being together. In movement. In rest. And in everything in between.
So for now, we wish you gentle Holidays and a New Year full of glitter!
We are looking forward to connecting and celebrating a lot more with you in 2026!
Love,
Floortje & Willemijn