Music and dance have been a part of my life as far back as I can remember.  The first compact stereo I had was a gift from my mom and dad for either Christmas for my birthday.  It was a small unit that sat on my desk and played vinyl records.  Diana Ross and the Supremes as I recall was played a lot…STOP in the Name of Love.  I would listen to music and dance in my bedroom for hours on end.

My dad would refer to it as having “ants in my pants”.  I couldn’t sit still.  I had to move my body.  It wasn’t just a “want”.  Sure, I wanted to move my body.  But this was a demand from the physical realm…it was more of I HAVE to my body or I will implode.

I was too shy, and we didn’t have the money, to take dance lessons.  Lots of my schoolmates were either musically inclined or were in ballet, jazz or tap classes.  I was into boys, but when there weren’t any of them around (which was normally the case) I was in my bedroom dancing and listening to music.

My dream since childhood was to be a dancer…a ballerina or Ginger Rodgers.  I had an innate sense of rhythm (even though my mom said I traveled to the beat of a different drum).  I could find the beat in any piece of music.  I knew the words to so many songs it was ridiculous.  I didn’t date much when I was in high school (that shy thing again), but when I did date, the basic feedback through the gossip lines at school was that “Jill knows the words to all of the songs”.  Oh well…everybody’s gotta be good at something…that was my forte’.  Singing and dancing.  I would get lost in musicals.  I felt it was my calling.  HA!  When I tried out for a part in a spring musical in high school, I was absolutely mortified when I had to sing and dance in front of someone.  My body and mind would totally shut down.  It happened more than once, so I gave up on being an actress, singer or dancer that had to perform in front of people, and went back to singing and dancing in my bedroom. 

Then adulthood arrived.  Boys turned into men.  I had my share of broken romances and ill-fated relationships.  Through them all the one constant was being able to sing and dance by myself. 

So, fast forward to 1999.  Enter Nia.  At that point in time, Nia was known as Neuromuscular Integrative Action — something most people couldn’t even say let alone understand — basically it meant body-mind working together.  Today Nia stands alone.  Nia, for me and for many others stands for Now I Am.  Nia is fitness fusion at its finest.  There is nothing out there like Nia.  Lots of modalities claim to be like Nia…unh unh.  No way.  Nia was born from spirit spoken through the bodies of Debbie Rosas Stewart and Carlos AyaRosas back in 1983.  

I found Nia in 1999.  I knew the moment the music and movement started that it was magic.  I took my White Belt (the initial teacher training) in 2001, by Blue Belt in 2003, my Brown Belt in 2006 and my Black Belt in 2008.  Per my previous post, I was recently invited to consider becoming a Next Generation Trainer for Nia. 

Nia is my Sacred Livelihood…it is without a doubt more than a fitness practice.  It is a lifestyle.  It is an educational program like no other on the market.  I learn anatomy.  I learn how to read music.  I learn how to put choreography together. 

And through these past 9 years, I’ve learned to be strong, balanced, loving, compassionate, flexible (in more ways than just physically).  I’ve learned how to lead a classroom of men and women into their own greatness.  Me…the shy one…the one who couldn’t even breathe deeply when standing in front of others…me…the one who has had music and dance in her life as far back as she can remember…now teaches and lives the beauty of Nia.

Welcome Nia into your life…come and dance with me.  Music….movement….magic. 

Nia…there’s just nothing like it.