Biography

Ritva Helinä Arvelo (11 March 1921 – 26 October 2013) was a Finnish actress, director, screenwriter and a pioneer in modern dance. She was one of the first four Finnish women film directors. Arvelo was born in Helsinki. Arvelo attended the first course of the Helsinki Theatre Academy in 1943 and also graduated with a master's degree in romance philology from the University of Helsinki. In the 1940s, she worked as a dancer in Maggie Gripenberg's internationally acclaimed champion group and worked as a model for fashion salons in Helsinki.