Nia’s Three Stages of Practice
Posted by terrepruitt on September 30, 2010
With Nia you get a workout. It is not necessary to have any experience in any type of dance modality or martial arts, or any type of practice (Yoga, Pilates, etc.). Any BODY can walk into a class and join in and following their own body’s way get a great workout.
In the Nia practice there are three stages. So if you want you can take your workout into these areas. The stages are:
1—Learn the Move
When you learn the move you are learning the name, you are thinking about the move. The concentration is on placing your feet in the proper place, learning where your limbs are supposed to be. Maybe trying some of the different intensity levels and the different planes. This is the stage where you are actually doing a lot of thinking.
2—Move the Move
This is the stage we you move the move. You are doing a routine and just moving. Getting the moves into your muscle memory. Your body is learning the move. Here is where you are learning the combinations. This stage is where you let your body lead and you don’t think too much. The body has an intelligence of its own and if you let it sense it can flow.
3—Energize the Move
This is the stage that you can achieve once your body knows the move. This stage could be during a song the first time you do it, if you feel comfortable and your body senses the moves you might be able to just put the energy into it from one of the Nine Movement Forms. Or it could be the stage you get to once you have done the song a few times. It really depends on the you. It depends on how you feel and how you sense the music. But this is where we really get to play with our routines, where we can energize with the energy of T’ai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Jazz Dance, or Yoga.
This weekend (10/03/10), in Willow Glen/San Jose I am holding a Nia Playshop where we will Learn the Move. We are going to play with some of the moves that make up the 52 Moves of Nia. Then after we are going to have a Nia Class where we Move the Move. Since we will have spent an hour Learning the Moves I am hoping that some of you will be able to Energize the moves. See you Sunday!
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
niachick said
Hi Terre!!
One of these days we’re gonna dance together!!! I’d love to take your workshop. I love how you’ve outlined the Learn, Move, Energize facets of Nia…thanks for the reminder!!!
Love,
Jill
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terrepruitt said
I do not doubt that we will dance together one of these days. I don’t know when, but I know we will.
I was writing about the Learn, Move, Energize when I realized that I could tie it to my Playshop. I was amazed that I actually hadn’t thought of that first. I actually try not to post “dated” things on my blog, but . . . . . I decided, why not? The Learn, Move, Energize is the focus of the post, I just slilp in the event at the last minute . . . and it really was.
Hugs to you, Miss Jill!
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suzicate said
I like these steps…makes it easier to learn the technique…thanks!
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terrepruitt said
Oh yes! These are the steps we follow to learn a routine.
I am always bragging about how great the training material is that Nia Technique puts out. On the DVD that teachers get it has different versions of the routines addressing each one of these steps. I just remembered I wanted to post about that. Cool. Thanks for the reminder. Now I can even tie this post with the new one. Yay!
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