Instructor Interview with Julie

What do you teach at World In Motion?

Nia on Mondays and Thursdays, 8:30 -9:30 AM

How did you become interested in Nia?

In 1990, when I was living in Portland, OR, a friend suggested that I take a class from Debbie Rosas Stewart and Carlos AyaRosas (the founders of Nia)

What do you enjoy most about it?

The freedom and opportunity for self-expression that comes with Nia.  All of me can show up; Nia addresses the whole person.  Body, mind, spirit, and emotions are all involved.

Where does Nia come from?  What are its roots?

Debbie and Carlos started Nia in 1983.  It is a combination of 9 different movement forms; from dance: Duncan, Modern and Jazz, from the martial arts: Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi and Aikido, and from the healing arts: yoga, Alexander technique and Feldenkrais.

What are the most important things about Nia for you to pass onto students?

It is adaptable for all types of people, bodies, backgrounds and abilities.  Nia is a great cardiovascular workout that conditions what we call “The 5 Sensations of Fitness”: strength, flexibility, mobility, agility and stability. Nia also teaches students how to deepen their relationship to their own body by learning how to listen and respond to their own sensations, or what we call “the voices of the body.” Nia is based in “the pleasure principle” which means that we seek pleasure in our movement and give ourselves permission to adapt our movement to create a more pleasurable experience. Nia teaches students how to create more pleasure in their lives.

Who are some of the icons in (your discipline)?  Have you ever trained with them?

I have done all of my training with Debbie Rosas Stewart and Carlos AyaRosas, the founders of Nia.  There are 5 belts total in Nia, and I have all 5.  They each represent a different aspect of Nia: white = physical sensation, blue = communication, relationship and intimacy, brown = sensing and perceiving energy, black = unlimited creativity, and green = the craft of teaching.  All of the belts but green build on each other; the green belt training can be taken at any time after the white belt has been completed.  

If you want to read more about Nia, including more information about the belts, there is a great article that recently was published about it: http://www.americanwaymag.com/white-black-green. 

You can also visit Nia’s website at www.NiaNow.com or theour local website www.trianglenia.com

How should students feel when leaving your class?

Relaxed and energized. We often describe Nia as a “self-healing” practice and what we mean by self-healing is that we create a “feel better” sensation in the body. My intention when I practice Nia is to listen to my body’s sensations and to allow them to guide me toward movement choices that create “self-healing.” My hope is for students to leave class feeling better than when they walked in.

Do you have any advice for current or potential students?

Beginners should focus on pleasure, and trust the sensation of pleasure. Give yourself permission to adapt any and all moves to where your body is in the moment. I also like to remind people to allow themselves to be beginners. There is no getting it “right.” It is about self-discovery through the body.

What sort of music do you use for class, suggest for practice?

I generally use music that has a world focus; music that is eclectic and that encompasses all dynamics from energetic and lively to quiet and slow.  I use music variety to support energetic variety.

Students can practice at home with DVDs.  There is also a practice called the Nia 5 Stages which is meant to be done daily and can be done at home.  (I am also certified in this practice.)  It can be taught as a workshop or as a class.  This practice teaches participants to move through the five stages of development: embryonic, creeping, crawling, standing and walking. By doing this practice regularly, one can dramatically improve alignment, function and comfort in the body.

Where can students buy costuming/merchandise for class or performance?

There is no special equipment or clothing required; just wear clothing that you can move comfortably in.  Nia is usually done barefoot, but if a student has specific need for orthotic support, then a dance shoe or sneaker is fine.

How did Nia get its name?

The name has evolved over time.  It started out standing for Non-Impact Aerobics because it is done in bare feet; it then came to stand for Neuromuscular Integrative Action (which was hard to remember!)  Now it is just Nia because it has name recognition - it is what it is!

What are the most common misconceptions about Nia?

Well, first of all, a lot of people don’t know about it!  And the name doesn’t give a clue as to what it is actually about.  Other than that, some people hear about Nia, but it doesn’t seem as if it would be challenging enough to them; in actuality, it is very cardiovascular. Participants’ heart rates get as high as they would in a regular Aerobics class because Nia works the whole body vs. specific muscle groups.

What is your favorite thing about World In Motion?

Its vision of supporting not just global movement, but non-traditional movement as well.  World In Motion allows the expression of different types of movement.