Posts Tagged ‘dance exercise’
Posted by terrepruitt on September 3, 2013
I was looking for something to post about today and I thought, “Hmmm . . . . let’s check out the Nia 52 Moves list on my site and see what I have yet to write about.” Much to my HUGE surprise, I have not posted about the shimmy. I am shocked. The shimmy is a very often used move in Nia Routines. . . heck, the shimmy is an often used dance move in many, many, many dances. So I am shocked I have not addressed this before. I think that the shimmy is somewhat misunderstood. I believe, from what I have experienced, that many people think of the shimmy as a chest move. I have sensed great hesitation in many people when it comes to executing the shimmy. It seems as if people might consider it a boob shake. Some women don’t want to do it and neither do some men. I mean, why would either want to shake their breasts in a cardio dance exercise class? To me, thinking it is a frontal shake is a misconception. While, yes, for many people the front DOES shake and move in a shimmy, that is NOT where the concentration of the movement is. The shimmy comes from the shoulder blades/back.
The Nia Technique Book* says: “Vibrate and shake your shoulders, standing upright or moving front and back, as if you are shaking water off.”**
I think that once the focus of the move is taken off of the chest, some people feel more comfortable with the move. It is not primarily moving your chest/breasts/boobs around. It is moving your shoulders and your back. Since our front is connected to the back, then, yes, our chest will move but the movement will be different than if you are purposefully just moving what is on the front side of your body. There are several ways to learn and/or practice the shimmy, here is one. First of all think: “BACK/SHOULDERS” not front of body.
With your thoughts and your intent shifted from the front to the back you can apply the correct motion. One way to start from scratch with this move is to lie down. Lie on your back, then lift one shoulder off the ground. Push your shoulder blade forward, jutting your collarbone out. Then bring that side back to the ground. Then do the other side. Push, jut, back down. Now push the first side again and as you allow the shoulder to come to the earth push the other shoulder forward. Continue to alternate. Only allow one shoulder up at a time. While you are pushing forward keep your shoulders down toward your hips (not down toward the ground). Keep the space between your ears and your shoulders open. So you are not shrugging your shoulders up to your ears, you are pushing them from the BACK to the sky. Do this until you feel you have the sensation in your body that when you sit up you will still have the correct motion. Vary the speed. Play with the size of the movement. Go for smooth and not jerky.
If you are not starting that far back, from scratch, then stand and concentrate on the shoulders going forward and back. Again, keep the shoulders down. This helps me with the forward back motion, otherwise they might start creeping up into that scrunching posture. Eventually you will be able to just move your shoulders forward and back with nice relaxed (down) shoulders. But in the beginning it might be something you have to think about in order to ensure the front back motion and not up and down.
This move is great for isolating the muscles that assist with good posture and balance. It is also a great stress reliever. It is fun to let out sound while you are shimmying. You don’t even have to waver your voice if you are shimmying vigorously enough, the movement causes the waver. FUN stuff!
As mentioned we do the shimmy a lot in our Nia Classes. Since we do it a lot we do it in many different ways . . . fast, slow, by itself, with other moves . . . it is just one of those great moves to throw into the mix.
I see many, many, many people who are challenged by this move. There are many reasons for that. I also see a lot of people’s movement change once they adjust the focus from the front to the back. I see those proverbial light bulbs come on! Shift the focus and let your body move!
When you shimmy, where is your movement focus? Did this post alter your movement focus? Can you shimmy so vigorously that your voice wavers with your movement?
*written by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas / **page 138, The Core
Posted in 52 Moves (of Nia), Nia | Tagged: boob shake, cardio dance, Carlos Rosas, dance classes, dance exercise, dances moves, Debbie Rosas, exercise class, Nia, Nia 52 moves, Nia class, Nia dances, Nia routines, shimmy, shoulder shake, The Core, The Nia Technique book, www.HelpYouWell.com | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on August 31, 2013
I am really happy. This coming week marks a year that we have had Nia on Tuesday mornings at the Camden Community Center in San Jose. Workout classes – especially group exercise classes at city community centers – can come and go. I have been blessed with a small but very consistent group of individuals who are interested in gaining or retaining their health through movement. I am further blessed that some of my students who attend my Monday and Wednesday Nia classes have made it over to the community center. Nia on Tuesdays started on Tuesday, September 4, 2012. Our year class will be Tuesday, September 3, 2013.
I have been teaching Nia on Mondays and Wednesdays in the Willow Glen area of San Jose since February 2009. Most of the individuals that make up the Monday and Wednesday group have been coming for most of the four years and seven months. They too are a dedicated group of students that I appreciate. I rent the time at that location.
I am not sure if many classes at city community centers go on for years. So I am very happy that we have made it to the year mark. I think that as long as the students continue to attend we will have a class. I am hopeful that we will expand our numbers as we enter into our second year. This is the community center where the students requested a second class. There was an opening so their thinking was, “Why not fill it with Nia?” So they wrote a note asking the supervisor if they could have Nia in the time slot that has just opened. The supervisor is allowing us to give it a go. If, this story sound familiar it is because I wrote about it in my Goodie Jar – Check In #27 post in the beginning of the month. I was so excited that was definitely something that went into the Good Things Jar!
The Thursday class has started out with good numbers. Hopefully that class will grow too. It is made up of the core group from Tuesdays, but with a few different people. This past Thursday they were all very kind, patient, and understanding while my music and the player were not cooperating.
As with most dance exercise workouts it is really fun when there is music. While Nia can be done without music, it is nice to have music so that each individual can dance in their own way while we do the routine. The group was very nice and let me run to my car after three songs so I could get my boom box.
So, I am just grateful and sharing my gratitude. I am grateful to have great Nia students at all of my classes. And I am very grateful that the San Jose Parks and Recreation Department is allowing me to have two Nia classes. I am jumping for joy at our one year anniversary. I have actually been working for the city for over a year, but it took a couple of months to get a class. Yay us!
Here’s to our Nia class being one year old at the community center. Here’s to more to come! Thanks for sharing in my joy!
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Camden Community Center, city community centers, dance class, dance exercise, dedicated students, group exercise, health through movement, Nia, Nia class, Nia community, Nia Dance, Nia group, Nia joy, Nia San Jose, Nia students, One year anniversary, San Jose Community Centers, San Jose Nia, San Jose Parks and Recreation Department, Willow Glen Nia | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 9, 2013
I teach Nia. I actually like to say I lead Nia because to me teaching a dance is more instructive. What I think of as teaching is the type of class where the instructor demonstrates a step or two then the students do the steps a few times, then the instructor demonstrates more steps and the students practice them. Eventually the steps are strung together in a dance. But in my Nia cardio classes it is just lead follow. I do – you follow. I give verbal instructions and/or verbal guides but it is not the type of instructional class where I show you, then you do, then we practice and then we string all the steps together. So I guess it is not an “instructional” or “instructed” dance class. But I do teach by example. You follow my lead. In order to be a Nia teacher I had to take the Nia White Belt Intensive. I have talked about this before, but to review the White Belt is the first level of Nia. The White Belt Intensive is over 50 hours of instruction and is open to anyone. Individuals do not have to have the intent to teach. The Nia White Belt Intensive is about the body so anyone is welcome to join and learn. In order to be a Nia teacher there is an additional licensing fee. The fee is due annually and it includes four routines that we, as teachers, agree to learn per year. I was just looking at my DVDs. I have two routines that I have not learned. I have 19 that I have learned. I have been teaching almost four and half years so I am keeping up with the four per year schedule.
Now, I want to clarify that I have learned 19 routines. That means that I basically did the bars and have shared 19 routines with my students. That means I roughly know those 19 routines. I could stand up right now and lead you through some of them, but some of them I would have to look at my bars, and some of them I would have to study my bars. But I also feel I am better at just doing. While I want to do the routine as per the choreography, I am not as afraid as I once was to just DO the routine.
When I am preparing to do a different routine for my class sometimes I have a chance to practice and sometimes I don’t. I will look at my bars for each song. Sometimes I look at the first few lines and think, “Oh yeah, I know this one.” Then when I am leading it my body and my mind don’t remember it as well as I thought and I just dance through it, but then when I get home I look more closely at my bars or re-watch the DVD. It really is about moving and having fun. As long as we are moving and we are doing it close enough then it is good. Then, like I said, I come home to get the choreography better established in my head and body!
The routines I have learned are:
Alive – Carlos AyaRosas
Amethyst – Debbie Rosas
Aya – Carlos Rosas
Beyond – Debbie Rosas and Ann Christiansen
Birth – Debbie Rosas and Collaborators
Canta – Carlos Rosas
Clarity – Carlos Rosas
White Belt Dream Walker – Carlos Rosas
Earthsong – Carlos Rosas
Global Unity
Humanity – Carlos AyaRosas
Miracle – Carlos Rosas
Opal – Debbie Rosas
Passion – Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas
Sanjana – Debbie Rosas
San Medusa – Helen Terry
Sexi – Carlos Rosas
Velvet – Debbie Rosas
Vibe – Debbie Rosas
The names of the routines that I have on my shelf that I need to learn are Butterfly and Oshun. I just renewed so I have four routines that I need to pick out as my new routines. Picking routines is always a challenge because everyone has such different tastes. Some people LOVE, LOVE, LOVE some of the routines I have and I don’t love them. So for me it is a difficult decision. I try to pick routines that I think my students will like, but then that is just a guess. I know which ones they like out of the ones I teach because they request them often.
If you were just picking a routine from the name which one would you pick? As a Nia student which one out of this list is your favorite? What about Nia teachers, which is your favorite out of this list?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Ann Christiansen, Canta, cardio class, cardio dance exercise, Carlos AyaRosas, Carlos Rosas, dance exercise, dance instructor, dance teacher, Debbie Rosas, Dream Walker, Earthsong, Global Unity, Nia, Nia bars, Nia choreography, Nia Dance, Nia DVDs, Nia licensing, Nia Practice, Nia routines, Nia stuents, Nia Teacher, Nia White Belt, Nia White Belt Intensive, Opal, Sanjana, Sexi | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 28, 2013
Nia is a great dance exercise. Go to a Nia Class and get a great workout. It is also a practice. As with any practice there are workshops. In one particular workshop produced by Danielle Woermann and led by Helen Terry we were reminded to go slow. Helen was here teaching us her adaptation of a Nia Routine to a specific album. Helen is hilarious. She is down to earth, professional, wonderful to listen to (she has an English accent), and currently living in Texas. The “currently living in” needs to be mentioned because of one of the stories she shared with us . . . but before I get to that let me tell you something she reminded us of. She reminded us to go slow. I know often times I want to rush moves . . . that could mean doing it faster than it needs to be done or not “staying through my enoughs”. But either way the idea is to slow down. When I slow down I can be aware of more. I can pay more attention to a move or even to my class. There seems to a tendency to rush, could be our lifestyles and/or society, whatever, so the lesson was to slow down and the result could be catching a chicken.
There is one song in particular in her adapted routine that I am severely challenged in slowing down. It just seems so incredible slow. I have not yet been able to FEEL/SENSE the music and I have been doing the routine for a month. Which, with the current way I am structuring my San Jose Nia classes, equates to eleven times, thus far. I have done it correctly, but only when I am COUNTING. Yes, I am having to COUNT in order to get it. For this song I really have to learn to listen, sense, feel, taste, hear, smell, become the music in order to slow down. I have even announced to the class so I have a better chance of doing it, “We have to go really incredibly slow here.” Sometimes I have to close my eyes so I don’t see them rushing through and join them. S L O W. (Where’s that chicken?)
Slow down. Work the muscles. Enjoy the song. Enjoy the movement. EnJOY. SLOW. Geez . . . it seems so difficult to slow down sometimes. Sigh. But really often times slowing down in combination with “staying with the enoughs” (as I already mentioned) helps in catching those chickens! Ah-ha, here we are . . . . at the chicken story . . . (remember this is coming from a person who is currently living in Texas!).
I might not have the details exactly right, but you will get the point. Helen said that one day her husband and her neighbor were going to work on building a table. The neighbor says, “Let’s go catch some chickens.” This sounded very odd to Helen because they were building a table not catching chickens. So she asked her neighbor what he meant. He said that when he was young his mother used to send him out to get dinner. He said that he would go outside to do the task, sometimes he would end up with a handful of feathers and sometimes he would end up with a chicken. A handful of feathers means not quite getting it. So catching the chicken is when task is accomplished! Makes sense!
In dancing this routine all month, I have enough feathers to fill a king sized down comforter! So . . . see there? Feathers really aren’t all THAT bad. Feathers can be useful. Feathers can be fun. A handful of feathers does not ruin a Nia class or even the moment, but it is NOT a chicken. When you hit the mark, the music, the cue just right that is catching a chicken.
Whatever it is, whether it is slowing down or staying with the enoughs, or learning the music really well, it is a great feeling to catch that chicken. When you attend one of my Nia classes you might hear me sputter and/or you might hear me “bacbac”. When you do, you will know either I grabbed a handful of feathers and the escaped ones are floating at me causing me to sputter or I caught that chicken!
You know what we’re talking about when we say, “Catch a Chicken”, right? Isn’t that a great feeling? Do you ever feel the need to slow down?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: catch some chickens, dance exercise, Dannielle Woermann, handful of feathers, Helen Terry, Nia, Nia chickens, Nia class, Nia Practice, Nia routine, Nia trainer, Nia workout, Nia workshop, staying through your enoughs, Texas Nia teacher | 8 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 12, 2013
If you’ve read a post or two of mine you know there are many things I love about Nia. I think that Nia is a great workout, but I also think that a lot of the ideas, principles, values, and “things” can be used in everyday life. That is one reason why I share so many things about Nia here. I am working to get Nia out there so people know what it is, but I understand not everyone likes to do dance exercise as their type of workout, but there is a lot of Nia that can be applied to every day. Nia has a lot of ideas that can be applied to more than just the original place you hear it. For instance in the Nia White Belt, the manual states:
“New Ways – It Can Be a Stretch!
Some of this information may shake up your reality. Nia may disrupt your normal methods of doing, being and communicating. We do not intend to create disharmony or fear. We have no desire to aggressively challenge who you are, what you believe in, or what you stand for. The information we share with you is intended to assist you, inspire you, and to celebrate human potential.”
The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual March 2001, V3, page 1-5
I love that. I love that when taking a Nia intensive it is explained that you might come across new things. You might be shown a different way or something new, but they are not out to change you into what they believe, but to allow you to see something in a new way. All that is really asked of you is to have an open mind, heart, and body. It is even suggested not to examine or think about stuff too much. The belief is that you will get what you need when you need it. That is a great relief too because there is so much information it really takes the pressure off when it is understood that you will not get it all or remember it all upon first being exposed.
What is so tremendous is that this same information, this same philosophy can be brought into a Nia class. If you have never done Nia before the first time can be a surprise. It can surprise your senses, your body, your mind, your spirit. It can leave some people feeling a little unsure. I mean not every exercise class has you parting clouds, swimming in water, stepping in goo, and prancing like a pony. Some of this type of stuff can shake up someone’s reality. This type of movement might completely disrupt what they think of as normal methods of exercise. They might not be able to “get into” prancing like a pony. Prancing might not fit into their idea of exercise. But I know that if they have an openness of mind they will wake up the next day and realize that ponies get in a good work out. The “normal” methods of being might not have them pulsing their pelvis, shimmying their shoulders, or doing a sexy hip bump. Nia doesn’t want to make people uncomfortable with these things, but this type of movement is “normal” for the body by design. These moves aren’t meant to challenge you or what you believe in, they are meant to allow you to move your body as it was designed to move.
With the fun movements and ideas included in a Nia class it can easily inspire your and allow you to celebrate the human potential—to celebrate your body’s potential. This can kind of go along with my last post about spirit. It could be your spirit that lets you just let loose and gyrate those hips without fear. The idea here is to come to a Nia class with an open mind. Don’t let they way you’ve been taught exercise should be to keep you from experiencing something new. Don’t let fear of something unknown and/or different scare you off. Don’t think that just because it is unknown to you or different that the goal is to change you into something you are not. Just come and let your body move and let IT tell you what it thinks of Nia.
This week (February 10 through February 16, 2013) I am teaching EIGHT Nia classes. If you are local it would be GREAT to see you in at least one. They are at all different times on different days in many different places (most in San Jose, one in Santa Cruz). I bet there is one that would work for you: http://www.helpyouwell.com Also, in case you are not local or one of the eight doesn’t work for you check out Nianow.com. There are classes all over the world! Dare to dance?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: dance exercise, Dance Workout, exercise workout, Nia, Nia class, Nia classes in San Jose, Nia Dance, Nia Intensive, Nia principles, Nia San Jose, Nia Santa Cruz, Nia White Belt, Nia White Belt Manual, San Jose Nia, The Nia Technique | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 7, 2013
I found Nia back in 2008. I was looking for an exercise that was more like dance. I had several people in my life at that time that loved to dance, but their partners wouldn’t dance with them. They claimed they would love to do exercise if it was more like dance. I also had people in my life at that time that were younger than me, my age, and just slightly older and they couldn’t move very well. They moved with pain and/or it was an extreme challenge for them to balance and just a mixed bag of things. I believed that movement could help some of the issues facing them and many others. I also loved to dance and thought it would be great to have an exercise class that was dance. I looked at doing Jazzercise, but I think at the time the franchise thing (or however they did it/do it) was not something I wanted to do. And back then Zumba was not yet the rage and I had thought it was ALL Latin music (I know better now). I remember I came across a website that was talking about Trance Dance. So I researched that a bit. That sounded interesting, moving your body in your own way to music. But the information I found said that you kept your eyes closed and/or were blindfolded while dancing and someone would watch to make certain people didn’t injure themselves. That part and the fact that some sites stated there actually was a form of “Trance” that people entered into kept me from wanting to do that. But somewhere there was a mention of Nia. So I tried to find all the information I could on this Nia. Back then it might have even been NIA. I don’t remember when it changed and even now some places still call it Neuromuscular Integrative Action. It has gone through a few name changes, but at present it is just The Nia Technique or Nia.
It IS non-impact aerobics and it IS Neuromuscular Integrative Action, but the name is Nia and it no longer “stands” for anything. And in the four years that I have been doing it and learning about it, it has changed. It was originally created by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas in the early 1980s from a desire to help people exercise in a different way, a way that addressed more than just the physical body.
When I joined Nia there were really starting to talk a lot about the next phase of Nia. You see, even though Nia remains true to the original concept of a Joyful workout, it does change and it does grow. Anything that wants to survive has to change or at least be flexible enough to endure the change that happens around it. Nia changes, they change the way they deliver training from the routines to the intensive — so the continued education changes. Nia’s training material is phenomenal. When you read through a newsletter or a manual or listen to a conference call you can sense the care taken in creating the material. It is nice to be a part of Nia.
It is interesting. It is amazing to see how far Nia has come and how much is has changed in the short time that I have been a teacher. The roots of Nia are still there they are just always finding new ways to share it.
As with any an all certifications I have earned I did my research beforehand. It is important to know how much the initial training cost and how the licensing and/or certifications works. It is important to know about continued education and re-licensing or re-certifiying. I liked everything I saw about Nia. It took me four classes before I decided to invest the time and money needed to teach.
I took the training in December of 2008. I started teaching in February 2009. I have been teaching Nia ever since. I have had the same Monday and Wednesday class since February 2009. I have had other classes at other studios and gyms on different days and different times. At this writing I am teaching Nia five times a week in San Jose – not including subbing dates. I have three classes for the City of San Jose; a Tuesday morning and a Tuesday evening class. I also have a Thursday evening class. My schedule is update regularly on www.HelpYouWell.
I took a second Nia training in November 2012. I just finished posting my way through the #13 principles of that belt (Blue Belt).
I am excited to have so many opportunities to share Nia with people each week. As I said, I have five classes and as I said things change. So when you are ready to join me in one check my site to confirm time and place and all those details. I would like for the number to grow. Just as Nia is growing, in leaps and bounds and for the better.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: City of San Jose Nia, Community Center Nia classes, dance class, dance exercise, dance partners, Dance Workout, Jazzercise, Neuromuscular Integrative Action, Nia, Nia Blue Belt, Nia Classes, Nia San Jose, San Jose dance exercise, San Jose Nia, trance dance, www.HelpYouWell.com, Zumba | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on February 5, 2013
I believe that in 2013 the training material for the Nia Blue Belt is going to change. While it is not changing significantly the change will be significant. 🙂 The ideas will remain the same, but the verbiage and way it is delivered will be updated. While I was attending the Nia Blue Belt Intensive in November of 2012 we were being shown the new slides. The word that was used most often — or that I remember most is – simplify. The idea was to simplify the training. The Nia Blue Belt principle #13 in the manual* shows it as Vertical Routines. We were told it is going to change to Conscious Transubstantiation with Creating a Vertical Body and Life as the tagline. Not a simplification to me, but . . . . there you have it.
I will state again as I have been stating in many of my posts about the Nia principles, what I am sharing is somewhat off the top of my head, what I remember being discussed and it barely scratches the surface of each principle. The principles are deep, I could write pages about them alone and the taglines add yet another dimension with even more information. Here I am just sharing a little portion, just one aspect. Now for the purpose of Nia, transubstantiation does not mean the bread and wine will change into the body of Christ. But Nia is using it to mean change and change the body. 🙂 So, maybe that is the tie in and the reason to use that word. Nia is using the term Conscious Transubstantiation to mean consciously change your body to match the body of the teacher.
This somewhat ties back to Nia Blue Principle #12, which is funny because that also helps explain the vertical portion. It is common for a participant in a lead follow type of dance exercise class to do the move and follow the leader trying to change at the exact moment the leader changes the move. Even if the leader is excellent at cueing the participant could feel rushed into the next move. Sometimes the participant is concentrating and doesn’t hear or see the next move only to look up and realize they are a step behind or not matching exactly so they rush to catch up and do what the teacher is doing. Well with the conscious change it’s ok not to rush to catch up. Get there when you can. No need to disturb the nervous system and interrupt the flow, just catch the next round or the next step. Consciously changing instead of rushing into the move because that is where you are “supposed” to be. Allowing yourself to change consciously allows for a smooth transition. While this is not exactly the same as Nia Blue Principle #12, it is similar in that you are not having to rush to the next move.
The “Vertical” means how things are connected and built upon one another. The Nia Blue Belt Principles are built upon and woven into the Nia White Belt Principles. Nia’s 52 Moves are built upon each other. The “vertical” routines speaks to the moves in the a kata and how we change from move to move, the songs in a routine and the transition between the two and even the bigger picture of routine to routine.
So . . . in a Nia class you are encouraged to move in your own body’s way and “get to” the next move in your own natural time. The idea is not to upset the body, mind, and spirit by feeling as if you are not doing it right because you are not RIGHT ON the mark of the change as it first happens, Conscious Transubstantiation. Take your time and enjoy the movement and the moment you are in. Allow yourself to change when you are ready enabling you to sense the “vertical-ness” of Nia so your workout can be one of Joy.
It might be a challenge to break the habit of interrupting your move to match the teacher when you notice the change, but you might be surprised at the effect it has on your body, mind, and spirit once you do get the hang of it. What do you think? Are you willing to give it a try?
*The Nia Technique – Blue Belt Manual August 206, V4.0
Posted in Blue Belt, Nia | Tagged: blood to wine, body, body of Christ, bread to body, Conscious Transubstantiation, dance exercise, Dance Workout, mind, Nia, Nia Blue Belt, Nia Blue Belt Intensive, Nia Blue Belt principle #13, Nia Dance, Nia workout, Nia's 52 Moves, to Nia Blue Principle #12, Vertical Routines | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 26, 2013
I know I have mentioned before that I teach Nia as a substitute Group Exercise teacher for the City of San Jose. What that means is when a teacher can’t teach a class s/he will send out a message saying that a substitute is needed. In order to give our clients/students what they want we work to keep the substituted class close to what the original class is. If a Boot Camp teacher needs a substitute the first choice to have instead would not be yoga. Or vice versa. As you can imagine, when someone plans on going to a class and shows up and it is not what was expected it can take a little wind out of someones sails. Sometimes in order to keep the class from being cancelled a different format will be allowed, but that is rare. Usually someone is able to step in with a similar format. It is a real challenge when people have not even heard of the type of dance exercise that you are going to do in substitution for their normal class.
It seems like with many people the first time they hear of something they are a little resistant. To me this is understandable. It seems like a natural thing to shy away from something that is unfamiliar. And as I said, it really can be disheartening when you are looking forward to a specific thing/type of workout and you walk in and find it to be a class of something you have never heard of. I don’t take it personal when people decide not to stay or leave in the middle of class. I’ve learned a long time ago that Nia is for everyBODY it is just not for everyone. It can be a HUGE step for some people. It can be a huge switch in thinking and moving and a lot of things, I understand. So when someone comes in not knowing what they are in for and completely embraces it — I love it. I find myself thinking, “YES!” I admire the person and their openness.
I have been teaching a class where I am listening to the music, dancing, cueing, sensing, and looking out into the room and as my eyes survey the students I will see someone who is completely new to Nia and utterly unfamiliar with it, dancing with all of their body, mind, and spirit. It is so amazing. For someone to come in and not having even heard of Nia before the class to just embrace something so fully–it is so wonderful. That is one of the best moments ever. The challenge for me is to keep going myself. There are times when I just want to stop and watch because it is such a beautiful thing to see someone dance with all of their heart. It is as if they are glowing and all of a sudden they are all I can see. It is so incredible.
I appreciate the people who say, “I’m open to anything.” Or even, “What the heck? I am here. I might as well try it.” But it is really amazing to look out and see the ones that are just INTO it. In a Nia class where people come to DO Nia, it is typical to see people dancing with everything they have, but to see it in a class that is usually not Nia . . . . ahhhhhhh!
I felt like sharing this today. Thank you for letting me share a bit of joy with you. Today has been a GREAT day. Nothing spectacular or even note worthy has happen but there has been a lot of laughing and any day with a lot of laughing is a great day. Don’t you think?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Boot Camp, City of San Jose, dance class, dance exercise, exercise class, Group Exercise classes, Group Exercise teacher, Nia, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia in San Francisco Bay Area, Nia student, Nia Teacher, Nia workout, San Jose exercise classes, San Jose Group Exercise, substitute teacher, teach Nia, workout class, Yoga | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 12, 2013
Have you ever listened to a song and had a rush of emotion? Have you ever had a song take you somewhere else? The song could transport you back to a place in time or a location. The song could allow you to to be lost in thought, lost in feeling, lost in emotion. All the world around you fades away and you are in another space. Even if it is not such a strong pull that all the world disappears, have you ever had an emotional response to a song? Have you ever stopped to think what the artists meant by the song? Have you ever dissected a song to really try to figure out what emotion the artist was trying to convey? Have you ever had the emotion you experience during a song seem completly different than what you think the artist is transmitting with the song? Say “Happy Birthday to You” brings you to tears because of a sad birthday memory. It is amazing how music can elicit emotion. It is amazing how music can figuratively transport you to a different time, a different place, a different state of mind. On the other hand have you ever been at a club or a party and just danced or bobbed your head to a song, not thinking about a personal emotional response or what the artist was feeling? This is all part of Principle #8 of the Nia Blue Belt. I say “part of” because as with all of the principles there is a lot more than I am posting about. There is a lot more than I even have thought about. This is just a little part. This principle is The Power Of Silence And Sound. Music, Emotion, Expression.
There is power in the music. The music is both the silence and the sound. There is emotion in the music – in the silence, in the sound. The emotion can be expressed. In Nia, for the purpose of this principle we are saying there are three emotional parts of a song. There is the emotion of the artist. What feeling is the artist trying to get across? The next song you hear, think about it. What do you hear? Then there is the emotional part of YOU. What do YOU feel when you hear the song? As I mentioned sometimes what you feel is different from the emotion the artist was putting out there. Sometimes it can be the same, but not always. Sometimes it can be the same emotion but maybe you feel it more strongly, than the artist was. Then there is the emotion that you express. The emotion of the dance, the emotion of a Nia class.
In a class there is the choreography. The moves have their own emotion. In leading a class, in creating a class, in crafting a class a Nia teacher plays with all three. The artist’s emotion, the personal emotion, and the Nia emotion. Because Nia is a body mind dance exercise (to put it simply) and it is body focused the moves in a class do not always match the motion of the music. Sometimes it is an exercise in itself to move slowly to a fast moving beat. Or even to stop when the music begs for motion. Or to move through a portion of silence. But also, because it is Nia, it is fun to match the choreography to the music exactly. It is fun to take the emotion that the artist is throwing out there and match it. With Principle #8 of the Nia Blue Belt Nia teachers have a great tool in which they can learn and study the music. It can be broken down to allow for all types of movements and emotions to erupt from the dance. We get to play with The Power Of Silence And Sound.
If you want to play with The Power Of Silence And Sound, pick a song. Listen to it to decide the emotion of the artist. Then DANCE that emotion. Then play the song again dancing your own emotion. Then play it again and marry the two, the artist’s emotion and yours. Have fun mixing it up!
Posted in Blue Belt, Nia | Tagged: dance exercise, Emotion, emotional response to a song, emotional rush, Expression, Happy Birthday to You, lost in emotion, Music, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia emotion, Nia Music, Nia Principle, Nia Teacher, Principle #8 of the Nia Blue Belt, The Power of Silence & Sound, The Power Of Silence And Sound | 5 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 1, 2012
So today is the first day of the December 2012 30 Minute Movement Challenge. There are so many things you can do, you know that right? On the days I am teaching a Nia Class I will obviously get in 30 minutes of movement, but at this point, right off the bat, I don’t want to count that as my 30 minutes. I would count Nia as my 30 minutes if I am doing it as a student. Being a teacher and being a student are different, so I am going to count them differently. I will be back today to check in with my 30 minutes completed. But first some ideas on what you can do, yes? You can walk. Walking for 30 minutes is a great exercise. If you walk fast enough and get your heart rate up it can be an aerobic exercise. With your challenge you decide whether your 30 minutes will be aerobic or resistance training. You can also add to it. Moving for longer than 30 minutes. Just make certain you are moving (in an exercise-y type of way) for at least 30 minutes.
There are so many things you can do. I already mentioned walking. There is my ten minute workout. You can do that for 30 minutes consecutively or do three different 10 minute sessions. If you have a device that allows you to create playlist of music you can make up a great playlist and dance for 30 minutes. You could do 30 different exercises for a minute each. Some examples: squats, bicep curls, lunges, triceps kick backs, donkey kicks, push ups, inner thigh lifts, sit ups, triceps dips, frogs, hamstring kick backs, lateral flies, knee lifts, rows, reverse curls . . . . . . and 15 more.
The key is to get AT LEAST 30 minutes in. The thirty minute time length was originally brought up to help people STAY healthy. Many people need more than that to GET healthy in the first place. But we are just doing a challenge for the month of December to make sure we are moving EVERY DAY. With all that is going on during this season it is easy to skip the workout. So committing to 30 minutes EVERY DAY will help.
Keeping to a schedule helps a lot. Committing to a goal, also helps. We also know that sometimes things do come up and even though we have a schedule and made a commitment there might be a day where we just didn’t get the 3o minutes in. To help ensure you get it in I recommend doing it first thing in the morning. I know that when I put things off for later in the day sometimes they don’t get done. The things I do first thing always get done . . . . funny how that works huh? If you happen to miss a day, that is fine, just pick it right back up the next day.
Remember you don’t even have to comment about what you did, just comment that you DID move/exercise/workout for at least 30 minutes! So . . . . what do you think? Do you have a plan? Are you done with your 30 minutes?
Posted in December 2012 30 Minute Movement Challenge | Tagged: 30 Minute Movement Challenge, 30 Minutes In December 2012, 30 minutes of exercise, dance exercise, Dance Workout, December 2012 30 Minute Movement Challenge, lunges, Nia, Nia class, Nia Dance, Nia student, Nia Teacher, Nia workout, running, squats | 6 Comments »
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