Hallelujah for the Whole World (Halleluja für die ganze Welt) is a Sacred Circle dance choreographed by Nanni Kloke to the Finnish Easter, Christian pop gospel song “Hän ei ole enää täällä” (He’s not here anymore/Er ist nicht mehr hier). The song was composed, words and music, by Pekka Simojoki, based on Matthew 28:1-10. Here’s your Sunday school quickie: Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at [Jesus’] tomb; An angel appeared and said, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen,” (Hän ei ole enää [täällä], Hän ylösnoussut on! References to the dance say the music is part of “The Finnish Mass,” which I take to mean that the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and others use it for Easter and other services (Mass, etc.) The tune is catchy and easily leads to earworm infestation. My completely unsupported speculation about the origin of the name of this dance, “Hallelujah for the Whole World,” is that the German title, “Halleluja für die ganze Welt,” sounds a little like the Finnish of the first line of the chorus, “Halleluja, tulkaa katsomaan.” (Nanni Kloke is the director of the The Academy for Movement & Awareness in Germany and publishes materials in German.) There is also a line in the song that translates as, “Hallelujah, ring the world.” Our Sacred Circle dancer Mary Ellen thinks that same line sounds like “Hallelujah to the Rocks…”
| Dance Name: | Hallelujah for the Whole World |
| Aliases: | Er ist nicht mehr hier Halleluja für die ganze Welt Hän ei ole enää täällä |
| Choreographer: | Nanni Kloke |
| Year: | ≥1992 |
| Country of Origin: | Germany/Netherlands |
| Music Genre: | Finnish Christian Pop |
| Dance Type: | Circle/Chain/Line: non-partner |
| Dance Category: | Sacred Circle |
| Folk Status: | Recreational, Non-Ethnic |
| Skill Level: | Easy |
| Energy Intensity: | Moderate |
| Song: | Hän ei ole enää täällä (He’s not here anymore) Sung by Hiljaisuuden Lauluja Lyrics: Pekka Simojoki Music: Pekka Simojoki & Pekka Nyman |
| Recording: | Hiljaisuuden Lauluja: Kuule minun ääneni Songs of Silence: Hear My Voice Also as “Hiljaisuuden lauluja 2” Finngospel – FGCD-5090, 1992 Finnische Messe II |
| Time Signature: | 4/4 |
| Dancer Formation: | Circle |
| Hand Hold: | Verse: V-position Chorus: Individual |
| Leads to: | R w/ R |
| Date Taught: | 6/18/2024 |
| Teacher: | Mary Ellen |
| Published: | June 14, 2024 |
| Updated: | September 23, 2025 |
Nanni Kloke Demo of Hallelujah for the Whole World
Dance Steps for Hallelujah for the Whole World
Some groups do VERSE bar 1 as LOD, facing center: side-together-side. In Nanni’s demo, she does LOD travel, as do better-know Sacred Circle leader examples. Nanni also does a turn in bar 3 instead of repeating bar 1. Perhaps that’s for dancing as an individual, since you need to keep breaking and grasping hands? No matter what she does, it is entrancing and difficult to be concerned over what steps she does…I love her dancing!
| Bar (4/4) | Rhythm | Step |
|---|---|---|
| VERSE: | Hands in V-position | |
| Note: Singing starts on count 2! You need to count off after the music holds a sustained note + da-da-da, 4, Step R, singing… | ||
| 1 | QQS | Facing & moving LOD: R ● L ● R, turn to face center |
| 2 | SQQ | L rock in ● R rock back ● L next to R |
| Do: 3a | QQS | Repeat bar 1 |
| or: 3b | QQS | Full turn: R, turning 180° CW ● L, turning 180° CW ● R (facing center) |
| 4 | SQQ | Repeat bar2 |
| 5-7 | Repeat bars 1-3 | |
| 8 | SQQ | Similar to bar 2: L rock in ● R rock back ● Leap (hop) back on L and raise R sharply back in preparation for strong step fwd on R next bar |
| CHORUS: | No hand hold | |
| Here the singing comes in syncopated on the & of 1 (eighth rest). I was hoping that Nanni danced it that way too, but the steps and claps come on the beat. One could adjust the landing on R of bar 1 to the & of 1 (length Q), L on & of 2 (length Q/2), R on beat 3 to follow the singing: &(2), &, 3(& 4 &). | ||
| 1 | QQS | With great spirt, to the center; clap low, mid, and high on each step with the final clap bursting with joy to wide open hands up high: R ● L ● R & sway to R; |
| 2 | SS | Keep hands high: Step & sway L ● Sway back R |
| 3 | QQ(QQ) | Backing up & bringing hands to embrace across chest center (heart) by the end of the steps: L ● R ● (L) & (Lift on L and raise slightly R in front w/ toe pointed down) |
| 4 | QQQQ | Full turn, bring arms out to lead the turn: R & turn 180° CW ● L & turn 180° CW ● R (facing center) ● Leap (hop) on L to replace R and raise R sharply back in preparation for strong step fwd on R next bar |
| 5-7 | Repeat bars 1-3 | |
| 8 | QQQQ | Full turn: R & turn 180° CW ● L & turn 180° CW ● R in LOD ● L in LOD |
Teaching Examples of “Normal” Travel Version of Hallelujah for the Whole World
Dancing Examples: “Side-Step” Version
Music Examples of Hän ei ole enää täällä
Lyrics of Hän ei ole enää täällä (He’s Not Here Anymore)
Finnish: Various sources, including description in this YouTube video; English: Google Translate + touch up by me.Miksi hiivit hänen haudalleen?
Hän ei ole enää täällä.
Etkö aamun huomaa valjenneen?
Hän ylösnoussut on!
Chorus:
Halleluja, tulkaa katsomaan,
Hän ei ole enää täällä.
Halleluja, soikoon maailmaan:
Hän ylösnoussut on!
Miksi jäisit vielä pimeyteen?
Hän ei ole enää täällä
Anna valon päästä sydämeen!
Hän ylösnoussut on!
Chorus
Miksi yhä kuljet allapäin?
Hän ei ole enää täällä.
Nouse, veljillesi kerro näin:
Hän ylösnoussut on!
Chorus
[Instrumental}
ChorusWhy did you sneak up on his grave?
He's not here anymore.
Don't you see that the morning has dawned?
He has risen!
Chorus:
Hallelujah, come to see,
He's not here anymore.
Hallelujah, ring the world:
He has risen!
Why would you still stay in the darkness?
He's not here anymore.
Let the light get into the heart!
He has risen!
Chorus
Why are you still going down?
He's not here anymore.
Arise, tell your brothers thus:
He has risen!
Chorus
[Instrumental}
Chorus
Matthew 28:1-10, Jesus Has Risen
BibleStudyTools
1 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.
3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.
6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”