The Five Elements

The focus of tonight's class is integrating the energies of the five elements into our dance: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Ether (Spirit). The intent is to stimulate creative movement while moving with the quality of these energies.

Photo from http://www.cinnabaracupuncture.com

Earth - Grounding energy, rooted, body folding or touching the Earth, feet, stability, low plane and palms to the Earth.

Air - Uplifting, raising energy up, imagination, imagery, light, eyes looking up, flexibility, high plane and palms up.


Fire - Passionate, dynamic, energy moving out, poking, sharp, strength, all planes and palms changing direction.


Water - Fluidity, undulating, mobility, soft, emotions, eyes follow hands, wrists and palm, and middle plane.


Ether/Spirit - Breathe, ever-present, fullness, mysterious, agility, all planes, and your unique essence/dance.

Join me tonight from 5:30pm - 6:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District as we transform the energy of the Nia routine, Butterfly, with these five elements.

The Upper Arm Bone, Grace and Freedom

“A graceful body is a body that appears to walk and fly at the same time. As if having wings, a graceful body seems to turn everyday movements into a dance of life that reflects grace, beauty, power and dynamic function. “

Nianow.com handout

The focus of tonight’s class is the dance of the upper arm bone combined with the energy of Duncan Dance. The intent is to experience physical grace and free-spirited playful and honest movement that originates from the upper arm bone.

The Voice of your Upper Arm Bone:

I am the voice of your upper arm bone. My name is humerus. Look at my top and by design you’ll see I have a small rounded ball that together with your shoulder blade gives flight, grace and power to your hand, arm, and core gestures.

Look at my bottom and you’ll see your elbow joint. When I am not in use I love to hang at your sides to help keep your shoulders down and relaxed. Always there for you, notice that I act in response to what you feel. If you feel afraid, you will find me hugging inward to hold and keep you safe.

If you feel excited, you’ll notice me moving wildly about. Like ski poles, the two of me help to keep you balanced by slightly swinging across your body as you walk. I am the part of you that expresses emotional truth. Watch what I do, where and how I energetically move, and you’ll get to know your emotional self intimately.

Nianow.com

Over the past three days I have been working with the Nia routine Butterfly. I will continue to work with it for the next few days.

Butterfly is Classic Nia routine for all levels. This transformational experience folds and unfolds your arms to stimulate your awareness of systemic movement, developing Flexibility, Agility, Mobility, Strength and Stability in your spine and upper extremities. Rhythmic variations isolate and integrate your pelvis, chest, head and spine, while simple patterns connect your base (stepping motions), core (pulsating rhythms), and upper extremities (folding and unfolding).

Spread your own butterfly wings through music, movement and personal expression, opening the front and back of your body for whole body conditioning.

Come fly with Butterfly!

Join me for class tonight from 6:30pm – 7:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford.

The Joyful Dance of Transformation

This past weekend I started teaching songs from the Nia routine Butterfly. I have been working with this routine for months. I struggled to learn it. Since March, something wasn’t connecting for me with the routine. I would feel a combination of sadness and frustration when doing the moves and listening to the music. I found myself putting the routine away and nearly gave up on learning it.

A couple of weeks ago I felt compelled to pick it up again and it flowed through me. The movements came with ease. It was easy for me to visualize dancing my colorful big beautiful wings around the room. My body felt open, receptive and joyous.

I don’t know what changed or when but some big shift occurred that allowed me to receive Butterfly into my body, heart, mind and soul.

When I started teaching songs from Butterfly this week, I noticed that she appeared everywhere. It was as if she was asking me to embody her message. So I did some research…

Butterfly represents transformation, metamorphosis, change, freedom, beauty, spirit, transmutation and the dance of joy. She represents going within to come out whole again. She asks us to dance joyfully through changes in our lives and to savor the sweetness that comes.

From “Animal Speak” by Ted Andrews:

“Butterflies appear to dance as they light upon flowers and such. They remind us not to take things quite so seriously in our lives. They awaken a sense of lightness and joy. They remind us that life is a dance, and dance, though powerful, is also a great pleasure. Butterflies can be reminders to get up and move, for if you can move you can dance. Dance brings the sweetness of life back.”

From “Power Animal Meditations” by Nicki Scully:

“Take an idea or concept of what you want to be and how you want to see yourself, then take this journey and go within. When you break out of your cocoon, you will have become that which you intended. The costume that the butterfly brings back from within the darkness and mystery of the cocoon is the beauty of the spirit of yourself in all your glory. The metamorphosis of the Butterfly is about the mystery of what happens when you go within to the darkness to manifest the beauty you were born to create.”

Butterfly is asking me to dance, to unfold into the changes in my life with grace and without resistance, to go within and transmute whatever darkness or shadow is holding me back, to break out of my cocoon and step into my glory…whatever that is. It got me thinking about what it is I want to manifest. My simple answer for now is that I want to manifest joy, healing and beauty in the world. In the present time, I have chosen Nia to help me share this vision and am receptive to what comes next.

This week, our class focus will be the joyful dance of transformation. The intent is to go within, connect with your deepest desire, transmute any barriers and unfold your wings of freedom so that you can pursue your hearts desire. Butterfly is here to joyfully and playfully guide us.

Experience the transformative energy of Butterfly anytime this week:

• Monday, August 15, 2011, 10:45am - 11:45am at Community Fitness 65th St Studio (for Randee Fox)
• Monday, August 15, 2011, 5:30pm - 6:30pm at Open Flight Studio in the University District
• Tuesday, August 16, 2011, 6:00pm - 7:00pm at the Civetta Dance Space in Greenwood (Tuesdays through August 30)
• Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 10:45am - 11:45am at Community Fitness 65th St Studio (for Jill Pagano)
• Wednesday, August 17, 2011, 5:30pm - 6:30pm at Community Fitness 65th St Studio
• Thursday, August 18, 2011, 6:30pm - 7:30pm at Fresh Fitness and Dance in Wallingford
• Sunday, August 21, 2011, 10:30am - 11:30am at Delilah's Belly Dance Studio in Fremont