Posts Tagged ‘fitness’

FREE Nia at Pride 2012

Happy Canada Day! Happy Pride Toronto!   Today we celebrate. Today we dance!     For the 4th year running, I have the pleasure, along with my beautiful Nia colleagues Kirstie Smallman, Lainie Magidsohn & Martha Randall, to dance on stage at Pride Toronto. We’re teaching a FREE Nia class – meet us at 2pm…

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Dance to the Music: Flash Mob!

Yesterday in Nathan Phillips Square, dancers from the Joy of Dance (including moi) surprised those attending a Brain Injury Society of Toronto awareness event. Yup, we did a big ‘ole flash mob. Lemme tell ya’ it was steaming hot under the mid-day sun, but a ton of fun! (this video captures about half of our…

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Every Little Cell in My Body is Happy

Right now I am in Costa Rica, at Ama Tierra, a beautiful retreat centre an hour out of San Jose. I’m here with my dear friend Trixie Montanile of The Flying Yogi. We’re co-facilitating a Suspension Yoga and Nia retreat in this beautiful oasis. So is it any wonder that this sweetest song called “Every…

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You might enjoy Nia if you are…

Last summer, the lovely Jamie Ridler (of Jamie Ridler Studios) facilitated a focus group to help me better understand my Nia students, their needs and their experiences. I learned a lot! I’m understanding more and more about who can benefit from Nia and why that might be the case. It turns out that Nia enthusiasts…

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I think I can, I think I can, I think I can

Tomorrow, I’m leading my group of self proclaimed “Nia Supah Starz” at the Joy of Dance’s end of term showcase! Although I did a performance last year with the most delicious Eloise Goodwin, I have never led a group through this experience. It has been THRILLING to say the least! My confidence, both in choreographing…

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Aging and Exercise: Get up! Then down! And up again!

Nia: a Whole Body Workout In Nia, we aren’t moving just our arms and our legs. We are moving our whole body. Our torsos, chests, fingers, spine, toes, ankles, pelvis, heads — they all get mobilized during a Nia class.  The truth is, if we leave any body parts out, they tend to get lonely…

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Grail Lady Faire June 27-July 1, 2011

I had the unique pleasure of being part of Grail Lady Faire at the most exquisite Grail Springs 2 weeks ago. I was there to use Nia to help participants connect to fun, pleasure and joy through their bodies. And that we did! Every morning in fact! Grail Lady Faire was an incredible gathering of…

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Subway Dance Party 2011

Yesterday I attended a Subway Dance Party organized by Improv in Toronto, a group of fun folks who run free, no-for-profit, public, urban, events. What a blast! This was my second time going to this event – read about my first experience here. Subway Dance Party from jennifer hicks on Vimeo.

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Nia: Myths vs. Facts

  Over the years, l’ve heard some interesting interpretations of Nia.  While people’s perception of situations tends to vary wildly, I have to set the record straight. Nia, first and foremost, is a physical fitness practice. It delivers cardiovascular conditioning as well as flexibility, agility, mobility, stability and strength.  There’s some pretty cool other stuff…

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