Nia: Dance fitness that will surprise you (guest post).

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As a long time fan of NIA (I chatted about it briefly here) Im constantly surprised how many people still ask: NIA WHATWHAT?

 

NIA.

I’ve always liked everything about it.

The movement, the music, the studio, the stage, even the clothes.

The kitchen was where I first started dancing.

Then it was the rec center, talent shows, the community theater.

I even spent one summer as a dancer at The Lost Colony in Manteo, NC, the country’s oldest outdoor drama. I was never particularly good. But I have always loved to dance.

In the eighties I did Jazzercise.

I don’t like the gym. Never have. So that seemed like the best compromise if I still wanted to workout but didn’t want to lift or spin or do the machines.

After a while I grew bored.

And so, for years, I power-walked for exercise and the only dancing I did was at weddings and in clubs, the latter of which diminished greatly after having a kid.

I missed dancing.

But I didn’t really want to take a formal ballet or jazz class.

I thought of taking a Hip Hop class. But as much as I wanted to do it, I was afraid it would be far too embarrassing. Then I decided to take a chance. I had heard about something called Nia but I didn’t know much about it.

“Hippie dancing” was how it had been described to me. But there’s a studio near my house. So despite the unappealing description, I decided to give it a shot.

When it comes to romance, I don’t believe in love at first sight. But when it comes to dance, I do.

From the minute I walked into the studio, I knew this would be the place for me.

There were all kinds of people, all ages and sizes. And they were wearing all kinds of things, from yoga clothes to flowy pants and swirly tops to t-shirts and leggings.

When the music began and the teacher led us through the movement, I was hooked.

That was more than two years ago now and when I miss more than a day or two of classes, I feel it. I feel it in my body, but also in my mind and, yes, even in my spirit.

Nia is not hippie dancing. At all. And it’s not a bunch of “woo woo”stuff (ie no incense or scarves required). It’s bigger than all of that. In Nia, something amazing happens.

As I go through the 52 barefoot moves based on the dance, martial, healing arts that Nia is based on, I remember my body and my self.

I can move and make noise. I can spin and punch and kick. I can stretch and balance and ground myself in the moment. I also sweat. A lot.

It’s an incredible one-hour workout that co-founder Debbie Roses designed in response to seeing her aerobic teachers and students become injured and bored. There has to be a better way, she thought. She was right.

Rosas created Nia to work with the body instead of against it, which is why it feels so good to do it and why you feel so spectacular after.

It might take some getting used to. There’s no teacher barking orders. There’s no searing pain, despite the strength training and conditioning you’re experiencing. And there’s no competition with the people around you in terms of skills or looks. It’s a body, mind, spirit workout that works.

You don’t have to be a dancer to do it. You don’t even have to be coordinated. All you have to have is a desire to change the way your body looks, feels, and works.

Your spine and your joints and your muscles and your bones will all thank you. And your friends and family will all ask you what you’ve been doing to look so good and seem so happy. You can tell them you’ve been practicing Nia. That’s what I tell people every day.

It helps me maintain my weight (or lose a few pounds when I need to) and keep my head clear and focused.

I practice as often as I can, partially because I still love to dance for all of the same reasons as when I was a kid. And, yes, in case you’re wondering, I do still dance in the kitchen.

But now, with Nia always on my mind, I find myself dancing almost everywhere else.

Jenny Block is a writer and the social media strategist for Nia Technique. You can find her work at www.jennyonthepage.com

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Comments

  1. I hadn’t heard of Nia before so had to read Miz’s earlier post. I LOVE dance classes and do a couple each week now (and I am not a dancer). I’m not sure if Nia is offered here in Oz, but will google it and see.

    Your comment about dancing in the kitchen jumped out at me. In one of my blogs recently I wrote about ‘having more fun’ and infusing more play into my day. When I thought about moments like that I remembered times when I’d just done a walk and still had my headphones on, or had music videos in the background and danced around the kitchen as I prepared breakfast. It was a lovely memory and one I want to try to emulate as much as possible.

    Thanks for sharing Nia with us!

    Deb

    • Hi Deb…YES Nia is in OZ!!!! here is the local website too….wherever you are I hope there is a class nearby.
      http://niaaustralia.com.au/

      Nia is big fun and it’s what got me to class in the first place. Great music, fun movements and then…something magical happens 🙂 There are also trainings in OZ this year if you’re keen to go deeper. See you on the DanceFloor soon!

  2. I had never heard of this either – my bad.

    I ran into a lady recently who was about 55 and looked amazing. I asked her what she did to stay in such great shape and she said, “I dance.” Wow.

  4. I am so intrigued to try it, I have heard a lot about it, but I think it is hard to fully grasp without doing it. Thank you for the post!

  6. I’ve never heard of NIA before! So cool. I might just get up and dance. right.now.

    I checked out their website…really, REALY neat!

    p.s. I was always THE WORST ballerina in dance class. I’m glad you don’t need tooo much coordination for this!

  7. Love, Love, Love Nia. My first Nia class i found out that exercise doesn’t have to be a boring slog that you HAVE to do.

  8. I remember my mom used to go to a NIA class every week and once she took me along. I was pretty young and all the women there thought I was very adorable. It didn’t give the impression of being very inclusive towards men or kids at the time; I felt very out of place. Is it directed specifically to women? I used to love dancing around as a kid. It’s be fun to get back into it.

    • Khaled. the Nia demographic has shifted radically in the past few years. While it was never directed specifically to women the classes were largely Women of the Boomer generation. Today Nia classes a truly diverse. With ages from teens to seniors men and women fit and not so fit. Typically you will find more men in Nia classes in larger cities and in Europe and the Middle east… I have been doing Nia from 1995. At that time I was one of the only men but I did not care. I love the music and the movement and the energy of the community. 5 years later I went to work at Nia and am still here today!

  9. I had never heard of NIA before – sounds interesting though. Is it the same 52 steps each time or does the order change each time? I guess that just sounded really rythmic and like it might get a bit boring. Or maybe its sort of like the rosary of workouts… follow the sequence through to the last bead.
    I’ll have to check it out. Thanks.

    • Hi Kim, The sequence and pairing of the moves changes, as well as the music, so you never get bored. In fact, there can be a bit of a learning curve in each class as the teacher works with his or her group to move deeper into their potential, sort of like a crossword puzzle for your body, but since you are moving, it’s even better than crosswords or sudoku for “brain fitness.” More bang for your buck! Give Nia a try.

  10. Never heard about Nia before either but I looooooove dance class. I’m starting up again next week at a local studio and just can’t wait to perform again. It’s the best exercise because you never feel like its a chore!

  11. Hi-

    Thank you so much for all of your great comments! And thank you so much, MizFit, for allowing me to guest blog for you!

    Here are some answers to your questions:

    Deb – There is Nia in Oz! Check out the class finder at nianow(dot)com to find out where!

    Lindsey – I would be thrilled for Nia to be the focus of next week’s Trainer Tuesday! Feel free to reach out to me any time at oneniagirl(at)nianow(dot)com.

    Nicole – For videos, visit Nia Technique’s YouTube channel or visit me on Facebook at OneNiaGirl. I post videos all of the time there.

    Khaled – Nia is not at all focused solely on women. Some of the most amazing teachers and trainers are men. And, kids love Nia too! Come visit us at nianow(dot)com to check out who teaches and who’s benefiting from classes.

    Kim – Every class is different! Each routine is based on 52 Moves. But they all offer exciting new choreography. I have been practicing for more than 2 years now and, although some things ring familiar, it always feels fresh!

    Feel free to reach out to me if you have more questions. You can find me on Facebook at OneNiaGirl or you can email me at oneniagirl(at)nianow.com.

    Keep dancing!
    Jenny
    (aka One Nia Girl)

  12. I am a Nia teacher in Alaska and I call my Nia bio “Love at First Dance.” It took only ONE class 200 miles away from me for me to be hooked. It was the only class I got to take before I went to Portland for my White Belt training.

  13. Nia is a thrill!! Each and every time I dance, I am reminded that Nia speaks to my desire to move, to express, to have fun, to be fit and to spend time with amazing people seeking the same. One Class and I too was hooked.

    Experience it for yourself!!

  14. 13 years ago I wanted to do some kind of exercise but Jazzercize didn’t appeal to me – heard it was hard on the knees. Then I found a Nia class and have been hooked ever since like so many others. I like how it helps me in every day things like shopping and at work dealing with clients and relationships. I love Nia!!

  15. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve never heard of Nia before…it definitely sounds interesting!! I love feeling the burn from a great run, but would love something that I can do once or twice a week that works my whole body as well. Going to look into this =)

  16. I LOVE Nia! I have been practicing nia for 4.5 years. I danced my entire childhood and had forgotten how much I loved dancing to the music as an adult! Nia has given more grace, strength, stability, flexibility, mobility and agility in movement and in my life! Go to http://www.nianow.com/nia-in-action to watch Nia!

  17. I remember reading your original post about Nia, but at the time I was so overweight that I couldn’t see myself giving it a try. I have always loved dancing and am going to look for a class near me. Thanks for posting this, Miz.

  18. I’m always thrilled when people who don’t know about Nia become curious. After thirty years Nia is still new. I feel confident that like Yoga, in 5000 years people will know about Nia. In the mean time, know this: At 61 I can still do one-handed push ups. I rock stilettos and my body makes most twenty-somethings drool. Yes it’s true. Nia gives me the body and life I am proud to call my own and wear! It’s easy to move when you’re given the freedom to move and express yourself as a woman. Personally, I believe Nia is the only workout that gives a woman the freedom to fall in love with her body, curves, boobs, hips, all parts, even the fact that as women feel, are emotional and yes, love to talk. In Nia you get to use your body, voice and emotions! I love Nia. Makes sense as I’m the creator.

  19. NEVER heard of this – ever – wow! Always learning as I say! But the barefoot thing – with my bad feet, most likely could not do. The Hoka shoes have got me back to more supportive workout shoes for my leg day but the barefoot thing probably would create those issues I solved with Hoka – would they laugh if I did it in shoes??? 😉 IT does sound very interesting!

    • Not at all! I’ve seen lots of people wear all kinds of footwear when their health kept them from dancing barefoot. It’s definitely better than missing out!!

  20. When I first started reading I was wondering WHO Nia was then I realized she’s not a who! I’ve never heard of this but must check it out. I’m always looking for something new to try and now I’m curious. You learn something new all the time and this is definitely less embarrassing for me than hip hop. 😉

    • Adrianne, you can wear shoes…but you may find that Nia w/o shoes helps. No one will ever, ever laugh at you…it is all about the joy of movement and “the body’s way.”

  21. So glad to see so many people who are just hearing about Nia for the first time! I was hooked after my second class, and went on to take my White Belt and Blue Belt, and teach. And Jody- Fit at 54, no one will ever laugh AT you in a Nia class, but there will almost always be laughter in class! If you need to wear shoes, that is fine, but we love the sensory information we receive from our feet. Perhaps the conditioning you receive will heal your feet. I urge you to look for a class and jump in!

  22. I found Nia in 2004 and love it. I am still amazed at the workout I get from dancing. I love the interaction with the people in my class and all the smiles! I am particularly drawn to the Akido martial arts form and love the turns. I receive so much from Nia. It recharges my energy, brings peace and relaxation to my body and a smile to my face. When I travel for work i find Nia in the City I am at; and if not use one of their handy DVD’s to “teach myself:. I miss Nia when I don’t dance. I am so fortunate to live in Portland where there are many great teachers and trainers; and of course the source at Nia’s HQ.I say give it a try. Check out their website.

    It is one wild and wonderful ride!

    TonyCat

  23. Nia sounds quite interesting. I love that you don’t have to be a dancer to do Nia. Unfortunately, there is nothing in my area (at least w/in 25 miles) – I’d have to drive over 50 miles for a class. 🙁

  24. I hate excercise but I love to move. What hooked me in my first ever Nia experience was the teacher saying, it doesn’t have to look good, it has to feel good. I love games like basketball, netball and tennis I hate mindless excercise. This is such a fun workout, I don’t even notice that I”m working out. Im just loving the moves. Dorit LOndon

  25. Ooh, this sounds FUN! And the notion that it might resemble “hippie dancing” isn’t actually a turn-off for me. Hippie dancing sounds like an awesome way to work out.

    I’ll have to check it out sometime!

  27. After doing Nia for 15 years…yup…15, I can say what I have learned and enjoy keeps me fit and mindfully healthy every day. The Nia class is the cupcake, one bite and I wanted to know the ingredients. Nia has educated me about the science of my body in the most artistic and loving way. Prior to Nia I was a slave to working out, felt bad about myself if I didn’t or didn’t hard enough. Now, I can honestly say I wake up asking my body, “what do you need” versus “I better go burn some calories”. Nia has transformed me and it started with my first class.

  28. This is the first time I have heard of Nia – where have I been? Sounds like fun. I am not a group exercise type person but I have been known to dance around my kitchen. My 22 year old son loves to twirl me around the kitchen – it’s my happy place!

  29. I love Nia too. It keeps my energy moving. And with all the things that can make feel stuck, its great to have a way to move that makes me feel fantastic!

  31. Hi Nia, I LOVE YOUR SITE. I train so many clients online and I love when I hear great stories. Working out is not always easy but losing weight from the house
    in my opinion is just the best and most effective way to ensure the weight is lost long term. The three issues in fitness is the lack of motivation, no consistency and just not convenient to your daily routine. I instruct my clients to focus on the activity rather than losing a bunch of pounds. Activity is better than no activity at all.. I wish you the best.

    GET FIT WITH PASSION

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