Posted by terrepruitt on January 5, 2010
Music and the 8BC System is Nia White Belt Principle #3. This is part 2 of the principle, a brief bit about the 8BC System.
To learn our music, us Nia teachers, literally map out our music. We measure our music using a system of notations called bars. This is our map. We count out our music 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and-5-and-6-and-7-and-8-and. Each bar 
has 16 counts. We count out the song noting the bars on a page. Then we go through and “dress” the bars adding marks to the page making notes of the sounds we hear. We use the noted sounds as cues for the choreography in a routine. No matter if the movements are matching the music or going opposite to it, the instruments and sounds are our cues.
By mapping our music, (“barring” our music) we get to know our music really well. Knowing our music really well allows us to easily play with the choreography, while at the same time, sticking to the basics of it. We can also take the music that we have learned while learning a routine and add different choreography to it.
Also practicing this barring system ensures that we can take any music and dance the Nia choreography to it. We just match the Nia music up with music that has the same count and we can pretty much just “plug” in the Nia choreography.
All of this allows us to have fun while exercising and doing our Nia routines/Nia workouts.
I have taken to the practice of mapping out my music and then scanning it so that I will have a completely mapped out song so when I am ready to add different choreography to it, I can just print my music map and put in the movement portion on my barred music.
Mapping the music allows for so much creativity. Instead of just dancing to the beat you can dance to one instrument, you can allow your body to “BE” the cymbal or the flute, or you can shimmy to the melody, or sway to the harmony. It is fun to play with the music. And you can do whatever you want and lead your class through it all because you have a map!
Since music is such a big part of Nia, I am sure that I will visit this topic often. I might even come back to the Nia White Belt Principle #3.
Posted in Nia, Nia White Belt Principles | Tagged: 8BC System, energizing workout, exercise, exercise routine, exercise workout, Music, Nia, Nia exercise, Nia routines, Nia teachers, Nia White Belt, Nia workout, White Belt, workout, workout routines | 7 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on January 2, 2010
Music and the 8BC System is Nia White Belt Principle #3. This is part 1 of the principle, a brief bit about Nia and Music.
Nia is so much about the music. As teachers we learn to dance to the music. So as we lead our participants through the workout routines it is more like dance than exercise. Sometimes we count the number of our movements as we are leading the class, but when we know our music well, we are to go to the music and use its cues and not rely on the count of the moves. So when I am leading a class and I am in a section where I am counting if I get distracted from my count, I can just listen to the music and know exactly where I am. Honestly, some songs I know better than others and I can accomplish this, some I am still learning. It is a process. It is amazing.
Music is powerful and has been used for teaching and healing. Your entire body can listen. Your body can respond to the music it senses. The body can sense the vibration.
There have been studies done that equate specific tempos with specific moods and/or emotions, in Nia we play with all of that. We can go with the music or play the opposite. A stereo-typical “happy” song, we might practice as sad and slow or excited and angry. It is a great exercise for the body as well as the mind and spirit to sense music one way and move to it in another, as an example, like previously mentioned; while “happy” is playing move to it as if you are sad or tired. It is a wonderful challenge.
It is energizing to play with the music. The rhythm or beat of the music is said to be the male or Yang energy of music. The melody is the feminine or Yin side. Harmony blends it together stimulating the spiritual energy. You can dance to the rhythm or the beat or move to the melody, or have your senses stimulated by the harmony. When you let your body sense the music you can dance it all.
There are so many ways to play with music. Another way to use music as a workout tool is to visualize what type of sound your body parts would make, match them up with the music as you listen and when you hear that sound activate that body part. Again, challenging your body, your mind, and your spirit. Getting the whole body workout that Nia is known for and at the same time letting the music be the motivation for the movement.
Nia is a workout, but it is a workout that allows you to exercise your body along with your mind and your spirit. It allows participants to be moved by the music in the body’s way. It really is so much about the music.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: 8BC System, energizing exercise, energizing workout, exercise, exercise class, exercise routine, exercise workout, Music, music vibration, Nia, Nia exercise, Nia play, Nia routines, Nia teachers, Nia White Belt, Nia workout, White Belt, workout, workout routines, Yang, Yin | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on December 31, 2009
So here it is the end of the year. I have been blogging since March (2009). I have posted 130 times. This is 131. I thought I would end the year with a review of some of my favorites and according to the numbers some of your favorites too. Here they are, not in any order:
Lyrics Gone Wrong . . . I had entertained the idea of doing this once a month, but after the second month I ran out of songs to play with.
Interesting Picture – Marilyn Monroe Albert Einstein . . . I LOVE optical illusions and this one is a doosey.
Hummingbird Tongues . . . they still fascinate me and I am still surprising people with the fact that the birds have tongues and use them more than the beak is a straw. And usually they tongues dart in and out so fast it is a rare treat to catch it out for a picture. Yay!
A Poem Says A Lot . . . Fabulous! We Have Come To Be Danced . . .
Nia Belt System . . . Before you can move onto the next belt they say a year must pass. You do not have to get involved. It is a great workout without being involved with the belts. The belt system only comes into play if you care to get that involved in Nia. Nia’s belts mimic some Martial Arts; white, green, blue, brown, black. I am learning so much with my White Belt, I can see myself waiting at least another year before I move onto the next belt. There is so much to learn and enjoy in each belt, I am not in a hurry.
Say: “I Am Wonderful” . . . I like to say this, I like to hear this song. I like to remind people to go to iTunes each week to download the free song.
A Brief Look At Nia . . . still excited to share Nia with people. It is a great body-mind practice and a workout that can make you sweat yet not really feel like exercise. It is learning to follow the body’s way.
Wrapping Tips . . . WHAT? I was shocked that everyone did not read my blog. On Christmas Day and the day after the bags and bags and bags and bags of wrapping trash that I saw on the curbs just blew my mind. In this day and in these times, I was just utterly flabbergasted that people don’t re-use the wrappings. It amazed and saddened me.
My Favorite Mugs . . . so I found out that not everyone got my little joke. Ya know, back in the day (what day, I don’t know), they used to call faces mugs . . . get it now?
The Seven Cycles Of A Nia Workout . . . The workout has cycles, somewhat like Jazzercise. I like to share this aspect of Nia so people have an idea of what a workout class will be like. We set a focus and an intent, step in, warm up and move all the way through the cycles to the floor, and then we step out.
Well, thank you so much for joining me on my blog. I hope that you continue to read, I hope you enjoy and learn. I learn from your comments so keep them coming. Thank you for a great year. Here is to the NewYear.
But . . .before we jump into the New Year, share with me what your favorite post from my blog was? AND/OR give me ideas on what you would like to see posted in the New Year.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Albert Einstein, Bay Area Workout, Belt System, Black Belt, blonde sex symbol, Blue Belt, body's way, Body-mind, body-mind practice, Brown Belt, Carlos Rosas, cats dancing, Christmas, Christmas Day, coffee mugs, cool down, cycles, dance, dancing cats, Debbie Rosas, exercise, floorplay, Free download, Free iTunes, free iTunes download, free song, Gary Go, gift bags, green, Green Belt, Healing exercise, Healing workout, health, heaven dance, Humming bird, Hummingbird, hummingbird pictures, Hummingbird tongue, I am wonderful, iTunes, Jazzercise, Jazzercise San Jose, Jewel Mathieson, lefty, Lyrics, March 2009, Marilyn Monroe, martial arts, Martial Arts Belt System, mind body, Mugs, Nia, Nia class, Nia exercise, Nia exercise class, Nia play, Nia Practice, Nia routine, Nia San Jose, Nia teachers, Nia Technique, Nia workout, Non-Impact Aerobics, Painted Glove, Personal Trainer, Poem, San Jose, San Jose exercise, San Jose Nia, San Jose Workout, San Jose Yoga, sanctuary, sex symbol, theory of relativity, tongue, warm-up, We Have Come To Be Danced, White Belt, Working Out, Workout cycles, workout routines, wrapping paper, Yoga | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 5, 2009
Like Jazzercise classes and Yoga classes, Nia (TM)has cycles to each routine. Nia has seven cycles. Here is a very brief description of each cycles. For more details on each cycle click here.
1. Setting your focus and intent
In the first cycle we set our focus and intent. Usually there is a class focus and intent, but you can set your own focus and intent and make the workout what you need for that moment.
2. Stepping In
This is when we, well, step in. We step into the moment. We step into the sensation of our bodies. We step in, leaving behind all the chaos of the rest of the world.
3. Warm up
This is a song or two that we use to warm up. We start our bodies moving. We get our joints and muscle loose and ready to move.
4. Get Moving
This is the portion of the workout routine where we really start to use all of our muscles. Often the music speeds up and participants can work up a sweat. This is also the time where you are charged with being your own conscious personal trainer.
5. Cool Down
This is the part of the routine were we slow down and prepare our bodies for the floor.
6. Floorplay
This is where you get to work some more muscles and or do some more stretching out of the ones your work. It is ok to have a towel or a mat for our floorplay.
7. Stepping out
This is usually the time in the routine where people start looking at the clock and then their watches and then they start looking around to see if anyone else is experiencing that the clock and their watch is broken because there is NO Way that it has been (about) 55 minutes.
Posted in Nia | Tagged: floorplay, Jazzercise, Nia, Personal Trainer, Workout cycles, workout routines, Yoga | 2 Comments »
Terre Pruitt's Blog 