Posts by AVSadmin

I launched myself into Nia Moving to Heal (M2H) a year ago. Since then I have taught three classes a week at a independent living complex, as well as twice a month at a memory care center. To quote a friend of mine, “This work is changing me.” As a teacher, Classic Nia calls for…

Sadly, in my 24 years as a Nia teacher I have danced through terrible tragedies, personal and world-wide. The first was the Oklahoma bombing. I was teaching Nia at the University of Texas. It was a time when high energy aerobics just wouldn’t be appropriate. Fortunately, Debbie Rosas had choreographed a routine called Heal Our…

I am days away from stepping into a Nia White Belt training in Lincoln, NE. The White Belt is the entry into Nia’s art of sensation; what it means to live a sensory life. I began this journey for myself in 1993. I have facilitated scores of White Belt trainings since then and am always…

I’ve just returned from a week of immersing myself in the Nia White Belt experience. The Nia White Belt is the first level of somatic education offered by the Nia Technique. It’s a week-long process of discovering the magnificence of the human body and its potential to live into greatness through an embodied practice of…

I taught a Nia Moving to Heal class at a memory care residence called Country House yesterday. It was my first experience working with this population. I had compiled a playlist of hits from the 50’s and 60’s, songs I knew they would be able to sing to. As I was setting up and waiting…

My intent through my work has been to bring movement to as many people as possible. I’ve been practicing this intent for 35 years now, beginning with Jane Fonda aerobics and ultimately finding Nia. It’s been an amazing journey that marks my life in a powerful way. As I age I look ahead to the…

March 20th is International Happiness Day. It was celebrated yesterday by a group called Positivity Matters in Lincoln, NE. I was invited to offer a ten minute dance break to the group. I jumped at the chance, knowing that dance can be direct source to joy and happiness. A small group gathered at the local…

I moved to Santa Fe, NM from Austin, TX in 2002. At that time there was just a handful of Nia classes going on in Santa Fe, and I was determined to see Nia flourish there. I had several false starts with studios, taught in almost every venue in town, and finally ended up working…

As Nia teachers, one of our key tasks is to learn a new routine. We are fortunate to have a team of Nia choreographers that produce an eclectic collection of Nia routines. The routines are built on the framework of Nia’s 52 moves, so there is a uniting language for them all. However, the music,…

One of the great gifts, and responsibilities, of being a Nia teacher is being able to bring music into people’s lives, in a powerful way. Music touches the whole being, directly mapped upon the brain. It’s a tool we use to bring physicality, emotional tone, mental fascination, and the mystical quality of the spirit into…