Nia Dance Fitness with Jenn Hicks

About

Nia is a 35 yr old fitness practice combining dance, martial arts & yoga. I also teach MoveIT (Interval Training).

My body positive classes are listed at www.jennhicks.ca/Nia

Story

Nia is a fun, spirited & soulful workout. Nia is a blended fitness form combining dance arts, martial arts & healing arts (yoga). Nia is a unique and personalized movement experience that will nourish your body, cleanse your mind and tickle your soul!

Watch a video of a Nia student's experience in a class here:

www.jennhicks.ca/Nia

What I love about Nia is that it empowers people of all shapes and sizes by connecting the body, mind, emotions and spirit. Classes are taken barefoot to soul-stirring music in more than 45 countries.

Trainings teach people how to get in their body, learn about The Body's Way and cultivate body-centered awareness. Every experience can be adapted to individual needs and abilities. Step into your own joyful journey with Nia, and positively shape the way you feel, look, think and live!

What is the Nia Experience?

The Nia experience is how we describe the sensation of taking a Nia class. Typically Nia classes include 55 minutes of movement to diverse music. Every Nia class has 7 Cycles beginning with a focus and intent. Every class offers a unique combination of 52 moves that correspond with the main areas of the body: base, core and upper extremities. Stiff beginners and highly fit athletes alike can adapt Nia to meet their needs by choosing from three intensity levels.

How does Nia work?

Nia has 52 moves that optimize the body's natural design. Nia choreography is body-centered and allows practitioners to connect to nine diverse movement styles: Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, jazz dance, modern dance, Duncan dance, yoga, Alexander Technique and Teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais. Nia classes balance form with freedom encouraging people to personalize the movements making choices for pleasure and comfort.

Why was Nia created?

Nia was created to self-heal the body using music and movement. When Nia creators Debbie and Carlos took their shoes off in 1983, Nia as a barefoot movement class was born from a shared insight that we can learn to move naturally, the body's way. Nia was created to explore the movement potential of the body. Influenced by the grounded non-impact movement of martial arts, Debbie and Carlos realized that through dance movement body-centered awareness could be generated through purposeful movement practice and paying attention to sensation. The 7 Cycle Nia class grew from this practice and became the basis for the Nia belt program that teaches people 52 principles for conscious movement.

What is Nia's purpose?

Nia’s purpose is to grow a worldwide community of healthy people who are empowered to do great things. We believe every person can discover, explore, unleash and enhance their individual potential to live a fulfilling and meaningful life – by engaging their senses and listening to their bodies. With the right tools and education, we can increase our confidence and happiness. We can become connected to others to shape a consciousness that extends beyond our own.

Learn more about Nia at www.jennhicks.ca/Nia or www.nianow.com