Class tonight at 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio.

I will be teaching the Thanksgiving routine for those of you that were unable to dance with us on Thursday.

Come dance your gratitude and blessings with me and in community.

The spine as an elegant string of fluid pearls

Tonight's 5pm class at the Dance Space in Greenwood will focus on the spine as an elegant string of fluid pearls.

Dancing Our Blessings

Thanks to the group of men and women that braved the snow and cold to join us for our special Thanksgiving class. Gretchen Musgrove and I could not have envisioned a better way to spend our Thanksgiving morning than sharing it with all of you.

We danced our blessings with grace and style while raising money for Noel House.

Thanks to Gretchen's husband, Scott, for documenting the class with photos. Some of the photos can be found on Gretchen's blog.

Special Thanksgiving Nia Class

We're on. Please join us!

Gentle Nia and 5 Stages - The Spine

"Like a snake, movement of the spine travels collectively and rhythmically throughout our whole structure." - Andrea Olsen

The focus of tonight's Gentle/Nia 5 stages class is the spine. Just as we did on Friday, we’ll work with its 26 vertebrae, natural curves and ability to bend, lean and twist.

Come move with the snow flurries and me tonight at 5pm at the Dance Space in Greenwood.

The Voice of the Spine

The focus of tonight's class is the spine. We'll be playing and dancing with lines, circles, and spirals to some awesome global beats.

Class begins at 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District. It's Friday night play time!

An excerpt provided by nianow.com:

The Voice of the Spine
"To the physical part of you, I am the internal structure that separates and allows movement. Long and flexible, I remind you to move from within like a snake. Larger at the bottom, I remind you that a strong base provides you with freedom and security. Feel my length, my snake-like energy running through you from top to bottom. My edges lie close, next to your organs. My spiny protrusions, like thorns on a rosebush, extend from your back into spaces behind you. My energy centers, along your back, cascades your energy down into the Earth. Your bones at the sides of this central energy cascade reach up and out into space like wings. Dance with me and unleash the potential I offer to you in these 26 soul bones."

Self-Expression through our Upper Extremities

The focus of tonight’s class is our upper extremities. Every gesture with the upper extremities expresses a part of you.

The upper extremities include your fingers, hands, upper arms, forearm bones, shoulder joints and shoulder girdle. These extremities not only allow you to hug and hold yourself, they also energetically and emotionally articulate what you feel inside.

The intent tonight is to discover self-expression and direct energy through the arms, hands and fingers.

Class begins at 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District.

First combined Gentle/Restorative Nia and Nia 5 Stages class

Join me tonight for my first combined Gentle/Restorative Nia and Nia 5 Stages class. Our class focus tonight is body awareness through tracking the sensations of pleasure and pain and tweaking so that we end up with pleasure. We'll learn about and practice the Nia 5 stages and experience a 35-minute Nia routine at level one.

Class begins at 5pm at the Dance Space in Greenwood.

Nia Flash Mob - Portland, OR

Check out the raw footage of the Nia flash mob video from this past weekend. I was there and it was a blast. Word is we're planning one in Seattle!

Beginner's Mind

I just returned from an incredible weekend of learning, exploring and embodying the process of choreography at Nia headquarters in Portland, OR. Once again, I am in awe of the beauty and magic that is Nia. I thought the logical focus for tonight's class should be "beginner's mind."

Come play with me! 5:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District.

Remembrance

Tonight is my first Monday evening class at Open Flight Studio in the U-district. The focus of the class will be Remembrance, in honor of All Souls Day. See this wonderful description by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes: All Souls Day, Dia de los Muertos.

Join me for class at 5:30pm!