Ahhh, I don’t think I talked about Friday FreeDance. In November of last year we there were four Fridays. Two of those Fridays were holidays for SJCity Fit. So out of the four Fridays in November we were only going to have a Nia class for two of them. So I had decided that we could do Friday FreeDance. Now for some people who sounds totally awesome, but for some people it sounds totally scary or icky, as in not fun. Not everyone is a fan of FreeDance. I understand that. Not everyone is comfortable dancing on their own especially in a dance exercise class. Many people go to exercise classes to be told what to do. A majority of the students that attend my Nia classes have been dancing Nia for years now, so I knew they would be able to FreeDance for an entire hour. We did it, and I received some interesting feedback and information.
First of all, I do want to explain that it wasn’t an ENTIRE hour of strictly FreeDance. I think for both Fridays I started with a choreographed first song. And I ended with instructions in the last song. Then the rest of the songs were mainly GUIDED FreeDance. So there were some suggestions on what to do, but it was left up to the participants to do it in their own body’s way. And in some case in their own mind’s way. They might have had to think of what some of the suggestions would be moving like.
I might have suggested that they move as if they are skiing. With that one usually has to think about it and then do it. The fun part is, of course, that everyone does it different. With no clarification as to what type of skiing there is so much room for interpretation. Someone could be water skiing, some people down hill skiing. Some people might be cross-country skiing. And then of course, even with those qualifications it could look wildly different. That is the fun of FreeDance.
I was very happy that most people liked it. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think they would like it and they could do it. It took me four and half years to feel confident enough in the students love of Nia and FreeDance to do it. And most people liked it. I am thinking they liked it as a Friday thing . . . I mean, they still like the choreography so they wouldn’t want to do FreeDance for the hour all the time.
There are a few people who wear pedometers in class and the majority of them reported that they got over 1,000 MORE steps in with FreeDance. One student said she averages about 4500 steps in regular Nia class, but in the FreeDance class she was at 5700. There definitely is the possibility to get in more steps. But if you are one who needs instructions more than just a guide you would probably get less steps in during FreeDance.
I thought I had posted about this because I was really happy and excited that I finally did it AND that the class really enjoyed it. And I was also really excited and happy that many people got more steps in. I couldn’t find the post I thought I did. So here. And if this is a repeat, oh well.
I have been putting in more FreeDance into our routines because people do really enjoy it. I think I will be doing a Friday FreeDance once a month. I love how Nia brings joy through dance.
So how would you feel about Friday FreeDance?
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