Classes
Nia® classes are designed as an hour-long practice skillfully weaving movement, music and magic into a dance enhancing the individual and group spirit. Choreography is based upon ‘The Body’s Way’, expressed through a trained Nia teacher as ‘their body’s way’ and combined with clear direction to encourage you, the student, to discover and move in ‘your body’s way’.
Experience for yourself the Nia Promise: treat your body, mind, emotions and spirit to a dose of Nia on a regular basis and incorporate the principles into your life.
Freedom is inherent in every Nia class, allowing your unique ‘way’ to shine through. However, just as with yang, there is yin, so with freedom, there must also be form. The balance provided by form appears in many ways throughout a Nia class, one of which is through the structure of the class experiences. All Nia teachers and Nia classes follow the format below made up of seven cycles:
- Setting the Focus
- Stepping In
- Warming Up
- Get Moving
- Cooling Down
- Floor Play
- Stepping Out
Your teacher will demonstrate levels of intensity, called levels 1, 2 and 3. Level 1 is where you, the student choose to move at low intensity. Level 2 represents an opportunity to move at medium intensity, and level 3 is movement at high intensity. Level 3 may also be where the teacher demonstrates how a step, or kata, may be altered to introduce a more athletic quality, meaning both feet leave the ground at once. The decision rests with you, the student, as to which intensity level suits you in the present moment. These levels allow anybody, regardless of individual state of health or fitness, to participate safely and enjoy the Nia experience.
Every Nia class will give the student an opportunity to move through all intensity levels. The difference is in the length of time a teacher encourages students to remain at any one level. The traditional class experience suitable for everyBODY is called Classic Nia, however, many teachers may also offer variations on the classic Nia class.
