Special Events
A Nia® event is anything ‘Nia’ that is not a regular scheduled class. An event may be any or more of the following:
Nia Workshop
Nia workshops offer the student an opportunity to delve deeper into one or more of the 13 principles that give a belt level and by extension, Nia, it’s form. Typically a workshop is two to three hours in length, usually culminating in a classic one hour Nia class giving students further opportunity to embody the principles learned during the workshop. Workshops may be lead by a single teacher or by a group of teachers, the latter offering participants a chance to observe and learn from different teaching styles and witness just how varied a Nia experience can be depending on who is facilitating.
Introductory Playshop and Class
A teacher introducing Nia to a new community may choose to extend the traditional Nia class experience by first sharing verbally what Nia is all about, followed by explaining the focus for class and then taking the time to move in that focus in a mini workshop-style exploration for 15-30 minutes. New students then transition to taking class with more clarity about the process, allowing for a richer first-time experience. Time is usually set aside after class for questions and answers, to gain clarity on movement sequences presented in class, or just for general sharing and feedback.
One-off Class
Teachers may choose to offer one-off Nia classes for a variety of reasons — to expose Nia to a new venue within their home town or while travelling to another part of NZ, to step-in to lead another Nia teachers class to give students a taste of a different teaching personality and style, or simply to test a new market.
Nia Jam
This is often a 1-2 hour extended class experience lead by a rotating group of local teachers. A great opportunity for different Nia communities to come together in celebration of The Joy of Movement.
Nia Demo
Any public demonstration of Nia in action.
Nia Stall
Teachers may choose to market their business at any number of nationwide events such as lifestyle expos, health and wellness events, local weekend markets and community events, to mention a few.
Themed Nia Class
Nia could very well translate to ‘moving outside the box’. Occasionally however, or often as the case may be(!), we Nia folk like to well and truly break the box of conformity and routine and simply go wild!! A themed class could involve costumes, props, decorations…… the list goes on. We are limited only by our imaginations. One thing students can count on in a themed class is the embodiment of fun, playfulness and that all-important presence of JOY. Themed classes are great for more established Nia communities, or in combination with a Nia Jam.
Nia Intensive Training
New Zealand has so far hosted four Nia White Belt Intensive trainings which have contributed significantly to our growth. The White Belt is the first of five belts in the Nia training system, and upon completion of this first level of training a graduate has the option to license as an apprentice Nia teacher. It is an event for which a student ought to seriously consider even if it is not their desire to teach, as the knowledge, experience and personal growth gained is well worth the investment. Click here for information on up coming NZ Nia trainings.
