Posted by terrepruitt on November 28, 2009
As you might now be aware Nia includes elements from three disciplines from three different arts. From the martial arts, we borrow from Tae Kwon Do. Not just “moves” from Tae Kwon Do but also some of the other elements of it. With its kicks, punches, blocks, and stances it helps allow Nia to be a great leg workout and provide a stable base for some of our other moves. Tae Kwon Do can also contribute to one’s confidence by providing exercises that allow one to become strong and stable. These are the things Nia gains from Tae Kwon Do.
Nia calls Tae Kwon Do the Dance of Precision.* So when delivering a punch, block, kick, etc. with the energy of Tae Kwon Do, it is done with precision and intent. However, Nia likes to play so at times even though we might not be executing a punch or a kick, but we might choose to energize our movement with “Tae Kwon Do” like energy, and be forceful and aggressive even adding sound to our movement.
Adding the energy of one form to the moves of another is one of the things that make Nia fun and keeps is challenging. It takes different muscles to skip with force and authority than to skip like a child without a care in the world. That is an example of how Nia incorporates different moves with different energies.
In Nia we don’t “DO” Tae Kwon Do, things have been gleaned from it and brought into Nia and mixed in with aspects of Tai Chi, Aikido, Jazz Dance, Modern Dance, Duncan Dance, Yoga, the Alexander Technique and the teachings from Feldenkrais, and the combination from each form is Nia. A lot of Nia routines include moves and concepts from each discipline, but not always. In an effort to keep each workout fresh, fun, and joyful teachers often mix things up.
If you are near San Jose, come to one of my Nia classes. If not, I hope that you will find a Nia class near you and give Nia try.
*Both the Nia Technique Book and The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual state this. Both books are by Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas. **V3 of The Nia Technique – White Belt Manual
Posted in Movement Forms of Nia, Nia | Tagged: Aikido, Carlos Rosas, Dance of Precision, Debbie Rosas, disciplines, Duncan Dance, exercise class, exercise classes, Feldenkrais, Jazz Dance, joyful, leg workout, martial arts, Martial Arts Disciplines, mind, modern dance, movement, movement class, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia Movement, Nia Practice, Nia San Jose, Nia Teacher, Nia Technique, Nia White Belt, Nia workout, Nia Yoga, San Jose Nia, San Jose Yoga, sounding, T'ai chi San Jose, Tae kwon do, Tae kwon do San Jose, Tai Chi, the Alexander Technique, White Belt, White Belt Manual, workout class, Yoga, yoga classes, Yoga Exercise, Yoga Nia, yoga poses, yoga pracitce, Yoga San Jose, Yoga workout | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on March 31, 2009
Nia™ is about joyful movement. Move with joy. Move for joy. Move to joy.
A Nia workout includes elements from three disciplines from three different arts:
From the martial arts, we use moves from T’ai chi, Tae Kwon Do, and Aikido.
From the dance arts we embrace styles from Jazz Dance, Modern Dance, and Duncan Dance
And from the healing arts we are mindful of teachings from Feldenkrais, the Alexander Technique, and Yoga.
At times we might move slow, focusing on movements centered around the body’s inner core, as in T’ai chi. We might kick or punch as one might do in Tae kwon do, and these movements might flow into a spiral motion that is associated with Aikido. We could decide to play the showman and do the entire routine with a jazzy flair or just add movements of creating shapes, dropping and then recovering the body’s own weight as a modern dancer might do. There is always a chance we could give into our inner child and run free and honest with the playfulness of a Duncan dancer. While we’re doing one these things we are keeping in mind the teaching of Moshe Feldenkrais and being conscious of sensations. We could stretch to the top with utmost concentration one might contribute to the Alexander Technique, then move onto a dance of bone alignment increasing awareness, relaxation, and balance the could be thought of as Yoga.*
So in one workout you can experience all those things. Strength is balanced with grace. Fun is balanced with seriousness. Body is balanced with mind.
The music is varied and is intended to promote the movement of the routine. There is no doubt something for everyone.
*based on information from The Nia Technique by Debbie Rosas & Carlos Rosas
Posted in Movement Forms of Nia, Nia | Tagged: Aikido, Carlos Rosas, core, dance arts, Debbie Rosas, disciplines, Duncan Dance, Feldinkrais, flow, fun, grace, Healing Arts, inner child, Jazz Dance, joy, joyful, martial arts, mind, modern dance, movement, Nia, Nia San Jose, playfulness, San Jose Nia, sensations, showman, strength, T'ai chi San Jose, Tae kwon do, Tae kwon do San Jose, Tai Chi, the Alexander Technique, The Nia Technique, The Nine Basic Movements Forms Of Nia, Yoga, Yoga San Jose | 13 Comments »
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