What to expect in a Nia class

We come together to move and we do that through dance, but can you do Nia even if you're not a "dancer"?   What if you feel like you have no rhythm or coordination - will you be able to do it?  What if you can't do any of  the moves - will you still belong?  The answer is a resounding

YES!

What if you're a seasoned athlete - in the best shape of your life - will Nia be a challenge?

You bring your own intensity level to the moves and so how much you are challenged is up to you and YES, that absolutely includes a good sweat if you want one.

We move to feel those incredible feelings of 

FREEDOM  and  CONNECTION

to be who we are,

 in whatever body we have, 

and choose for ourselves what we need on the dance floor of our lives 

for our own health and well-being. 

We~move~to~feel~like~we~belong~in~our~bodies~and~to~bring~new~life~to~all~that~we~are.

As a Nia instructor, creating a safe, nurturing place for everyBody to move, explore, play, create, challenge and express themselves is my top priority and the foundation we move from.   We kick off our shoes (if that's right for you), step into our dance with awareness and intent, and then get moving - you decide how fast, how high or how low you want to go, and if you want to turn, kick, punch or shimmy when the time comes.    We learn to listen to the voice of our body - through sensation - to find out what is best for ourselves and make choices that benefit us as we move.   We become aware of whatever it is we need at any given moment (maybe it's to be challenged, maybe it's a slower pace) and we honor that for ourselves and those we're dancing with.   

Our Class Format

We begin class by setting a focus and intent for our dance and then step into the practice, beginning with a warm-up to ease into movement safely.    We progress to our get-moving cycle and move with variety and varying intensity levels to receive the benefits of wholistic conditioning.     We dance within the format of structured routines and use freedom (both through personalization and/or free dance) to create balance within ourselves.   As we prepare to end the class, we cool down and then come down to the floor for our Floorplay cycle that uses space, the floor, time and gravity, both in structured and unstructured movement patterns,  to condition and stretch the now-warm muscles and connective tissue.  We engage the energy of  "play" (or curiosity)  to our moves and then settle ourselves into a calm, relaxed, balanced state before we rise back up and step out of our practice and into the rest of our day.   

Our bodies are designed to move.   

Through movement, we find the aliveness of new life moving through us.