Veil Dance

Day 3 update: Today we did a grounding ritual at sunrise overlooking the ocean, played with Principle 10 of Nia - X-Ray Anatomy, learned a traditional Hula Dance, explored how to work with energy in the body and danced with veils. Here is a photo of Delilah doing a veil dance. It's one of the most exquisite things I've ever witnessed and experienced. This day was powerful on multiple levels.

Learn the Base Nia Moves

Six-Week Series Starting 
Sunday, October 2nd
Dancing from the Base of your Body - Happy feet, healthy knees, and strong legs
A foundational six-week series for new and experienced students

When: Sundays 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30 and 11/6.
Time: 10:30am - 11:30am
Where: Delilah's Belly Dance Studio in Fremont
Address: 4128 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98103
There is plenty of free parking in the area and this studio is beautiful and intimate - the perfect space for learning!

Class series: $65
Optional educational package – an additional $60 for an educational package that includes the Nia Technique book, a class DVD, and a music CD.
Class series and educational package - Purchase both the 6-week class series and educational package for $100.

To register: email jennifer@everybodyloveyourbody.com

"Feel more balance, power, coordination and grace in your whole body."

About the series
This six-week series is for both new and experienced Nia students. The focus of this foundational Nia series is on Principle 6 of the Nia white belt: The Base of the Body.
The base of the body is your foundation, where all movement begins. It includes your two feet, two ankles, two sets of shinbones, two knees, two thighbones and two hip joints.

What you will learn
In this series, you will learn all 27 base moves we use in Nia: 8 foot techniques, 9 steps, 6 stances and 4 kicks. There are a total of 52 official Nia moves so after this series you will only need to learn 25 more!

In each 60-minute session we will break down each movement in three phases: learn the move, move the move and energize the move. At the end of the series, expect to have a mastery of the 27 base moves that will deepen your experience of Nia. Each session will include useful educational handouts and practice assignments you can easily do at home.

Overview of each Session:
Session 1 on October 2:
The Feet, the Joy of Movement, and Principle 6 - Base of the Body. Introducing the 6 Stances used in a classic Nia class.

Session 2 on October 9:
A review of the 6 Stances and introducing the 8 foot techniques. Introduction of Principle 7 - Three Planes of Movement and Three Intensity Levels.

Session 3 on October 16:
A review of the 6 Stances, 8 foot techniques and Introducing the 9 steps. Introduction of Principle 5 – Awareness: Paying Attention to Body Sensations.

Session 4 on October 23:
A review of foot techniques, steps, and stances. Introducing the 4 Kicks. Introduction of Principle 10 - X-ray Anatomy.

Session 5 on October 30:
Review of all 27 base moves. Energizing the moves. Introduction of Principle 2 – Natural Time and The Movement Forms.

Session 6 on November 6:
Putting it all together, Dancing Through Life and Graduation! Let’s Dance!

If you come to all six sessions you will receive a graduation present. It’s a secret gift bag.

New to Nia?
Nia is a dynamic fitness and lifestyle practice combining movement and philosophies from the Martial Arts, Dance Arts, and Healing Arts to bring the body, mind, emotions and spirit to wellness. Through blending both choreography and freeform movement into 60-minute aerobic fitness odysseys, Nia emphasizes not only physical conditioning, but also creativity, community, self-discovery, and individual expression. This six-week series is a great introduction to Nia!

I hope that you will join me. Please contact me at jennifer@everybodyloveyourbody.com with any questions.

To register: email jennifer@everybodyloveyourbody.com.

Six-Week Series Starting October 2nd

Dancing from the Base of your Body - Happy feet, healthy knees, and strong legs: A foundational six-week series for new and experienced students

Series Flyer

When: Sundays 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30 and 11/6.
Time: 10:30am - 11:30am
Where: Delilah's Belly Dance Studio in Fremont
Address: 4128 Fremont Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98103
There is plenty of free parking in the area and this studio is beautiful and intimate - the perfect space for learning!

Class series: $65
Optional educational package – an additional $60 for an educational package that includes the Nia Technique book, a class DVD, and a music CD.
Class series and educational package - Purchase both the 6-week class series and educational package for $100.

To register: email jennifer@everybodyloveyourbody.com

About the series
This six-week series is for both new and experienced Nia students. The focus of this foundational Nia series is on Principle 6 of the Nia white belt: The Base of the Body. The base of the body includes the feet, knees, and legs. You will learn all 27 base moves we use in Nia: 8 foot techniques, 9 steps, 6 stances and 4 kicks. There are a total of 52 official Nia moves so after this series you will only need to learn 25 more!

In each 60-minute session we will break down each movement in three phases: learn the move, move the move and energize the move. At the end of the series, expect to have a mastery of the 27 base moves that will deepen your experience of Nia. Each session will include useful educational handouts and practice assignments you can easily do at home.

Overview of each Session:
Session 1 on October 2 - The Feet, the Joy of Movement, Principle 6 (Base of the Body), and the 8 foot techniques used in a classic Nia class.
Session 2 on October 9 – Steps and the 9 moves and a review of foot techniques.
Session 3 on October 16 – Stances and the 6 moves, a review of foot techniques and stances, and introduction of Principle 7 (Three Planes of Movement and Three Intensity Levels).
Session 4 on October 23– Kicks and the 4 moves, a review of foot techniques, steps, and stances.
Session 5 on October 30 – Revew of all 27 base moves, adding the energies of the 9 movement forms and introduction of Principle 10 (X-ray Anatomy).
Session 6 on November 6 - Putting it all together, Dancing Through Life and Graduation!
If you come to all six sessions you will receive a graduation present. It’s a secret gift bag.

New to Nia?
Nia is a dynamic fitness and lifestyle practice combining movement and philosophies from the Martial Arts, Dance Arts, and Healing Arts to bring the body, mind, emotions and spirit to wellness. Through blending both choreography and freeform movement into 60-minute aerobic fitness odysseys, Nia emphasizes not only physical conditioning, but also creativity, community, self-discovery, and individual expression. This six-week series is a great introduction to Nia!

I hope that you will join me. Please contact me at jennifer@everybodyloveyourbody.com with any questions.

To register: email jennifer@everybodyloveyourbody.com.

Dance Into Health

Dynamic Ease

The focus of this morning's class is Dynamic Ease. The intent is to personally connect to the sensations of dynamic and ease, and to know how to self-activate and monitor these two sensations to bring into your workout energetic balance and harmony. We will also be using our breath to track and active these sensations.

Dynamic is described as the action of infusing what you do with energy. The energy can come from the activation of one of the five sensations (flexibility, agility, mobility, strength, and stability), from any of the 9 movement forms, or from infusing the physical action of in with the sensation of either dynamic or ease, and the physical action of out with the sensation of either dynamic or ease.

Ease is described as the sensation of relaxation. When action, the energy expenditure phase of a movement, is balanced with relaxation, the rest and recovery phase of a movement, the body becomes organically physically strong and flexible and energetically harmonious and balanced. It is imperative that the body be given active and restful cycles, periods of time where the body can move energy, similar to breathing, with energy coming in and then going out, or energy going out and then in.

In either case, the opposite action or dynamic is what creates the balance. If the dynamic quality is sustained for extended periods of time, as in more repetition of the same energy experience, certain conditioning effects and benefits will occur, such as an increase in the awareness of that dynamic sensation and an increase in the awareness of how that sensation adds to muscle tone and muscle definition.

If the ease quality is sustained for extended periods of time, as in an increase in maintaining the move with ease, certain other benefits will occur that add to awareness and an understanding about how ease plays an important role in maintaining cardiovascular endurance, strength, flexibility, mobility, agility, stability, balance, and coordination.

By combining dynamic actions with ease, the heart, lungs, nervous system, breath, and body relationships become more efficient in natural and organic ways that increase the sustainability of fitness and well being. Play with Jazz and Modern Dance, Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, and Tai Chi.

The routine I am working with, Sanjana, brings a healing wave and resonance of dynamic ease to your body. Centered in Nia’s philosophy – the movement of energy is medicine – the music of the routine invites you to seek a balance of expressive vitality and sensual release.

Join me this morning at 10:30am at Delilah's Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.

No Thinking Allowed, Just Dance and Change!

The focus of this morning’s class is Stage 5 of FreeDance -Authentic Movement: Change! The intent is to identify our movement tendencies and experiment with new ways of moving.

In this stage we are invited to try new ways of moving by changing our movement radically during a song. We will explore allowing new movement to originate or organically arise from our body and sensation, not from our mind/thought or imagination.

This stage and process is entirely about sensation. We will know our movement has changed when we sense different sensations. No thinking allowed. Just move to the music, sense your body and change!

Let’s play – 10:30am at Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont. Oh and check out my banner at the studio :)

Nia Fremont Sunday

The focus of this morning's class is the sensation of stability from the base of the body all the way up to the core and the head. The intent is to discover and sustain peace and relaxation while dancing to the music.

Every aspect of the choreography of this morning's routine is designed to stimulate the sensation of stability. Stability grows from the ground up and is sensed as calmness in the entire body. As you dance, you are invited to sense your muscles and joints moving in harmony. Make sure both of your feet move with ease, creating the stability needed for the rest of your body to dance with grace and peace. And stay attentive to your breath; always seek relaxed breathing, even when exerting your body.

Dance to show reverence for your body. Join me for Nia "church" at 10:30am at Delilah's Belly Dance Studio in Fremont!

The Dance of Stability

The focus of this morning's class the dance of Stability. The intent is to find peace and relaxation while dancing to the music.

Stability grows from the ground up and is sensed as calmness in the entire body. As you dance, sense your muscles and joints moving in harmony. Make sure both of your feet move with ease, creating the Stability needed for the rest of the body to dance with grace and peace. Pay attention to your breathing; always seek relaxed breathing, even when exerting your body.

A reminder that there is no class on Sunday June 12 and Sunday June 19. Class resumes on Sunday, June 26, 2011!

I am looking forward to dancing with you this morning! 10:30am at Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.

Celebrate with a Double Dose of Nia

Today is a special day. It is my one year anniversary of when I did my Nia White Belt Intensive training to become a teacher. And 12 years ago today I met my husband. He has been my biggest fan and greatest support on my Nia journey and he is coming to dance with me at the Spring Jam this afternoon.

My heart is full. My spirit, body and mind are in a state of bliss. To celebrate, I am holding a free intro to Nia class this morning and teaching with 7 other amazing Nia instructors in the Nia Seattle Spring Jam. I can barely contain my excitement. I hope you will join us this afternoon!

The focus of this morning's free introduction to Nia class is principle number 1 of the white belt and the foundation of Nia: the Joy of Movement.

The Joy of Movement is not an emotional response but rather a physical sensation that is experienced through our body. It encourages us to embrace the body as it is and move in such a way as to create and sustain joy and pleasure.

"Joy is the primary sensation you should seek from all movement. If you momentarily lose joy, tweak your movement until joy again arises." from The Nia Technique book

Join me for this intro class from 10:30am - 11:30am at Delilah's Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.

Then, join us for the Nia Seattle Spring Jam where our focus will be on Unity!

Nia Spring Jam
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Theme: We R 1 -Promoting Unity Through Dance
When: Sunday, May 22, 2011 from 2pm – 4pm
Where: Mt Baker Community Club: 2811 Mt Rainier Dr S, Seattle, WA 98144 - Map
Fee: $20 at the door.
Questions: Contact Mollia Jensen at molliania@gmail.com

Jam Teachers include ME (yay!), Gretchen Musgrove, Susan Tate, Jena Hennessey, Jackie Thai, Sandra Caldwell (Nia Tacoma!), Wendy Chapman and jam juggling diva Mollia Jensen!

In times of chaos and uncertainty, when the world is shaken by earthquakes and demands for freedom are being shouted every where - that's a great time to get together and DANCE! NiaSeattle's annual spring jam is focusing on UNITY.

Bring your dancing feet and together we can help spread peace and unity one movement at a time.

In gratitude,
Jennifer

Aikido and Upper Extremities

The focus of this morning's class is infusing our movements of the upper extremities with the energy of Aikido: the dance of harmonious spherical motion.

The energy of Aikido asks us to integrate circles, spirals and harmony into our movements with our arms, hands, wrists, fingers, and shoulders. We focus awareness on our hara (power center - lower belly) and practice moving our upper extremities from this center. We are blend our movements within our own bodies and with the space around us.

Join me at 10:30am at Delilah's Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.

Nurturing through Upper Extremities

The focus of this morning’s class is the sensation of nurturing our bodies through our upper extremities. The intent is to explore, through movement and childlike curiosity, ways we can provide comfort, love, strength, joy and pleasure to our bodies using our arms, hands, and fingers.

We will experience strength through martial arts movements, pleasure and playfulness through the dance arts and comfort and ease through the healing arts.

As long as we choose it, all of the above will deliver joy and love.

Happy Mother’s Day to all who have give their loves to mothering children, students, peers, pets and the Earth.

Let’s dance! Nia Sunday morning 10:30am at Delilah’s Belly Dance Studio in Fremont.