Trainings & Events

Added–Nia Boot Camp

Trainer: Carlos Rosas and Debbie Rosas
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Date: Sunday, November 12th, 3pm-7pm, 2006
To register contact Holly Curtis–(505) 699-0659 or holly@niaeducation.com

Hamburg, Germany FAB Recap

Hamburg is recognized in Germany as a “Wow!” city. From the people, architecture, bike paths, the river, and culture, it is a city brimming with life. Debbie and Carlos traveled to Hamburg in August to lead a Blue Belt Intensive and the first FAB in Europe.

Ann Christiansen and Edgar Spieker were the local facilitators for the many events Debbie and Carlos facilitated at the Aikido Dojo in Hamburg, including nightly Nia classes open to the public. “Teaching in a foreign country is always a rewarding experience, and at this venue they had the best sound system we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with!” Carlos said.

One nuance that Carlos noticed in the public classes was attendance. The classes were always packed with 40 to 60 students, and the passion of the students was very apparent, which shows that the German Nia teachers work is very deep, he said.

“Typical Nia students in Germany are athletic and strong as movers. The teachers use sound, emotions and systemic awareness, and really listen to the music,” Carlos said. Debbie and Carlos found that their own conditioning and fitness level rose as a result of the active, and sacred perspective of the students. “The students were very open-minded to the aspect of deep connection with Self,” Carlos said.

More than 40 participants attended the Blue Belt Intensive. Due to the many White Belts over the years from Helen in Great Britain, Kathy in South Africa, Ann in Germany, Sweden and Finland, these two events where filled to the brim with highly motivated teachers wanting more. Many met Debbie and Carlos for the first time “live,” and as Ann says, “They were received with great love and respect.”

Most of the participants are quite active teachers, with the majority teaching four or more classes per week. Carlos said the integrity of the participants in their Nia practice was incredible, and that the mix of nationalities –- students came from as far away as Italy, France, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Great Britain, and South Africa — made for a phenomenal connection in the area of relationship and camaraderie. Communication was great, despite all the varied languages and cultures.

The FAB was also an international group, with several Blue Belts in attendance. Debbie and Carlos seeded the notion of conditioning and mastery with this group. FAB was the first time that all of the Belts were together at the same time in Germany.

Both Blue Belt and FAB ended on the birthday of two participants — a woman from Switzerland in the Blue and one from Sweden in FAB. At the Blue Belt dinner and the FAB celebration everyone ended up singing happy birthday in more than 12 languages! Such is the nature of the continuous growth of Nia — creating community across the world, creating through-lines of communication within varying cultures, and inspiring the joy of movement on a global level.

Continuing Education

Choreography and 8BC on NiaNow.com

In tandem with Nia’s new Green Packaging effort, we have created a downloadable routine booklet. This booklet contains information that was previously printed in the Nia teacher routine handbook. It contains the same information on how to study routines as did the old printed version.

Nia Staff

Shipping “God” Returns

Our Shipping God, Philip broke his leg playing rugby on September 7th, and had surgery on September 18th. He was out of the shipping office for quite a while! Please be forgiving of any slow-downs, as Jazen, Matty, and Lloydine have done their best to pick up the pieces and keep shipping going. They’ve done a great job, and Philip the Viking gimp has returned. Whew!

Products

T-Shirts

“The Body’s Way” T-Shirts are now available in XXL! From nightwear to basic wear these are great gifts for yourself, or loved ones! Available now in S, M, L, XL, and XXL, in black and white, in both Women’s and Men’s styles. $20.00 each + S/H

Brochures

Due to popular demand we have reprinted the “Now I Am” and “Get Fit the Body’s Way” three-fold brochures for your use. Packages of 50 of each, (100 in all), for $15.00. A preview of the brochures can be seen in the Product Previews page of the teacher Site

Website Additions

The international Nia Intensives schedule is now available in the Intensive Training area of NiaNow. The most recent articles about Nia, and press synopses can now be found in the Media area.

Events

Soaring Words

Join the Soaringwords Nia Dance Jam Celebration

On Make A Difference Day, October 27-29, 2006, thousands of people across the country will participate in a Soaringwords project. Last year Nia teachers alone raised over $19,000 through their efforts by hosting Nia Dance Jams throughout the country. This year Soaringwords is inviting teachers to collaborate through Nia Dance Jams and then decorating SoaringQuilts® and SoaringPillows® that will be donated to hospitalized children. Soaringwords will lead each instructor through the process of creating the event, supplying a press release, and support materials. Soaringwords is a non-profit public charity devoted to helping millions of ill children and families to “never give up!” because when a child is ill, the entire family is in crisis. If you want to host a Nia Dance Jam, please go to the following link http://www.soaringwords.org/differenceday.asp?cat_id=1

Soaringwords was started six years ago when its founder, Lisa Honig Buksbaum, wanted to help others after her brother died and her father and son became seriously ill—within a ten month period. Her dad and son are fully recovered and, since then, Soaringwords has helped hundreds of thousands of ill children and families find strength and comfort through Soaringwords programs. Each year, 18% of children suffer from chronic illness (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics). This means that each year, 22 million children and families and friends, potentially 66 million people in all, face the challenges of catastrophic pediatric illness. Soaringwords has tremendous universal appeal because it does not focus on a single illness.

All of the proceeds raised will support Soaringwords Hospital Outreach programs. 100% of your donation is tax deductible. Come to a Nia Dance Jam and Soaringwords celebration as an individual or create a team and invite all of your friends, family and co-workers to join you.

Soaringwords Testimonials

Soaringwords shared five Nia dance jams in the Summer of 2006. Here’s what the Nia instructors had to say about their experiences.

Soaringwords is an amazing organization. I experienced their magic when I taught a Nia dance jam at the Boys & Girls Club in Jersey City. The Nia dance jam was complementary to the objectives of the day. It helped reinforce the importance of these special children. The students had the opportunity to have fun, be self-empowered, and be in charge of their own growth and well-being. Healing energy was in the air. This transformational process created smiles, laughs, and memories. The brightness and greatness of this experience will always be in my mind, body, and spirit. Thank you!

Kristan Bridges,
Nia New Jersey

Dancing, chanting, PLAYING, brought each of us together as a community. Neither our age nor the color of our skin mattered…we all sensed the music and danced! I’ve heard that the eyes are the windows to our souls. I vividly recall the young girl in yellow and the younger one in pink and green, as well as the young man with corn rows. Our eyes told stories to each other, and through our dance, it was easy to share them. I remember smiling the entire time!

Angie Marti,
Naperville, IL

I was petrified at the thought of teaching Nia to children. Especially urban children who had probably been dancing since they were in diapers (I hadn’t started moving until I was an adult). It took about three minutes for my trepidation to disappear.

As soon as I turned on the music, they were moving, and the rest of the routine was a kaleidoscope of sound and energy. The kids followed my steps, which evolved before my eyes into bumping hip-hop moves, and from that point on it was a give and take of me teaching—and then following—them. The Joy of Movement was playing out in front of my eyes. This was a spectacular and spontaneous representation of it. No one needed to remind these kids that dancing was about having fun.

And all of this activity was a reminder of what Soaringwords is about, which is bringing comfort to ill children who are stuck in their beds at home or in hospitals. Soaringwords energized these kids by inviting them to decorate quilts and pillows to donate to hospitalized kids- what a powerful experience. My Nia class was a fitness break that reinforced all the positive things they had done that morning when they decorated the SoaringQuilts and SoaringPillows and were mentored by adults.

To tell you the truth, it was the first time I had volunteered for a community event in quite a few years. One of the most enriching things I have to give is the experience of Nia. An e-mail circulated around the Nia community about the opportunity with Soaringwords and I jumped at the chance.

I hope you will contact Soaringwords and share this program with your adult classes and with children in your communities.

Thomas Estler,
Nia New York City

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