Day 8 of 52 Nia dance challenge
Today while dancing, I didn’t need to think about moving between fast clock 12-6 to cha cha in a repetition that also involved hand and arm movements. My feet knew what to do. I didn’t have to think about the steps.
At all.
This freed my brain to hear and feel the music in a different way. The form was embedded. That gave me freedom.
This is why committing to a daily practice is so meaningful to me.
Day 7 of 52 dance challenge
The first two songs in Nia’s Bloom routine, Harper Rey’s “Everchanging Outcomes” and Johannes Bornlöf’s “Beauty Lives in Me”, have easily identifiable cues to help me know when the steps and moves are changing. I’ve committed to learning this hourlong routine, and my strategy is to practice two songs and their moves every day, adding two new ones each day until I’ve got them all. I ran through these two songs and the moves twice today, and then jumped over to Express, danced by Debbie Rosas, for a fuller workout.
I’d love to hear how other Nia dancers commit a routine to memory. All suggestions welcome.
I’m so ready to get back to dancing in the studio with others!
Day 6 of 52 dance challenge
So, staggering out of bed at 6:30 a.m. to dance Nia before getting ready for camping with friends.
I pulled up an online NIA routine focused on reviewing the 52 moves. I am no stranger to these moves. I’ve been engaged in this practice for five years. I earned my white belt training with the incomparable Debbie-Lee van Ginkel and Kellie Chambers.
But sometimes it’s good to go back to beginner’s mind. Two things that stood out: I’d forgotten how important it is when throwing cross-body punches to keep a stable base and not torque the knees. And I hadn’t ever really understood that on downward blocks, the block stops in front of the groin.
Susan Palmer's Exquisite Now 