The Nia intensive Trainings
In the Nia Intensive Trainings – the Nia White, Green, Blue, Brown and Black Belts – you have the opportunity to go deep into the techniques and principles of Nia and to acquire knowledge of philosophy, anatomy and music. The training is also an experience of self- exploration; you learn to develop your own movement patterns, become fitter and stronger, develop your own skills and, in a holistic manner, learn more about the practice of Nia.
In the first level of training, the White Belt, you focus on Nia and on yourself while the next level, the Blue Belt, is all about group dynamics and communication with others. The Nia Brown Belt deals with the topic of energy and the Black Belt is a kind of master class, during which we integrate Nia principles into everyday life. The optional Nia Green Belt is aimed at Nia teachers in particular – its focus is on teaching methods and on how to lead your own classes.
The Nia training programme begins with the White Belt. This belt is open to anyone. Even absolute beginners with no prior knowledge of Nia can participate, immediately diving into their own Nia experience. If you would like to discover, experience or deepen your practice of Nia then White Belt is for you – the door is always open. If you want to teach Nia then the White Belt is the basic qualification required, and the foundation for your teaching practice.
You can begin to offer classes as soon as you feel ready after the seven-day course. The White Belt offers you direct entry into the core of Nia; you’ll embark on a journey of exploration during which you’ll study the joy of movement from different perspectives. In these seven days you’ll experience via your senses what effect the Nia techniques have on you and on your body, and what it is that does you, personally, good. This training experience will move you – far more than just physically.
You’ll get to know the principles of Nia through different classes and movement experiences. You’ll immerse yourself in the moves, and develop your awareness of your own body. Over the course of the week you will learn how to focus on your movement and to become more attentive to and mindful of your whole self – body, mind and soul. With each day of exploration, your body awareness will become more sensitive and more refined.
Ich denke, dass ich selbstbewusster geworden bin, und die Welt manchmal mit anderen Augen sehen kann. Ich bin auch ein bisschen gelassener als vor dem Whitebelt: Sachen, die mich früher total aufgeregt hätten, bringen mich jetzt nicht mehr aus der Ruhe.“
Sabrina | Wien
Nia White Belt
Five core areas of competence provide the framework for this personal journey:
The Movement component will teach you about movement patterns and their effect |
The sections on Anatomy teach you about body structure and function, beginning with attention to the bones. |
The Methodology element – what Nia calls ‘Sensation Science’ – takes you into how body awareness is developed, and how health and vitality can be easily integrated into daily life. |
The Music component is all about sounds and rhythms and how they can be used to achieve more expression, emotion and energy in your own dance, and in a Nia class. |
The Philosophy element provides an introduction to Nia theory, in which you learn the key Nia principles and terminology. In this way, in addition to the practical input, you receive a foundational toolkit for offering your own Nia classes; |
Nia Green Belt
“During the Green Belt I realized how quickly incorrect moves can creep in. Interestingly this week of training not only tidied up my Nia technique, but it also changed my sense of order in general. After the Belt I spent days tidying up my office. I noticed that I can learn far more efficiently if I tidy up first.”
Christel | St. Gallen
The Nia Green Belt is an optional training of particular interest to anyone who wants to teach, or is already teaching Nia, since it focuses on teaching skills. You will learn how to structure a session, how to cue step changes and lead exercises, and how to build on and guide the dynamics of the session. Whether you are an active teacher, or plan to start teaching, the Green Belt will give you clarity and self-confidence.
Graduates from any belt level are welcome (in other words, you may take this training any time after White Belt). Although designed for Nia teachers, this training is highly appreciated by dedicated Nia students who wish to deepen their practice and their embodiment of principles from the Nia White Belt. Every participant will also receive personal feedback and assistance for the improvement of movement and teaching skills. Ultimately, this training prepares you to be relaxed while delivering the Nia promise - the Green Belt will condition your nervous system to quickly and smoothly handle the multiple tasks needed when teaching Nia.
The five-day training focuses on the promise of Nia. Practical and theoretical tools will give you training in:
how to hone your skill in crafting the Nia class to fit the needs of your students |
how to skilfully model all the intensity levels |
steps, cueing and instructing |
the 5 core competencies of Nia, for a deeper understanding of movement, music, |
tools to master the music 8 BC System with ease |
how to use the 7 cycles of the class to deliver the full potential of any Nia Routine |
Nia Blue Belt
“For me this week was a deeply meaningful experience. I have a family and rarely go anywhere without them. At the Belt I felt like a woman again, not a mother and a wife, which was scary to begin with but which I then enjoyed a lot.”
Marianne | Hamburg
Dance is expression, communication and an intimate encounter with yourself and others. Within the scope of the Blue Belt training you will explore these aspects of Nia and learn a flowing, interactive style of communication – in your dance and your life. This Belt not only enhances your abilities to experience and dance Nia; it is also an experience of the collective, in which you will sense the connection to yourself, to the other participants and to the world.
The Blue Belt is the official second level of the Nia training system. This intensive week focuses on the ability to develop healthy relationships with yourself and others. The key principle is body-centred communication: we are aware of our bodies and our own presence, and learn to communicate with others from this place.
Specific topics include, among others:
the joy of movement and relationships |
the development of awareness, insight and clarity |
the power of the group and the group choreography |
One training unit explores in detail the principles and experience of ‘Floorplay’ |
Nia Brown Belt
“Ann repeatedly described the Brown Belt as the invisible Belt. I think that’s an excellent description. I’m not really doing anything differently than before, it’s just the “how” that’s a bit different and the effect has been enormous. The feeling that I was doing something good for myself was even stronger than after the other Belts. I had had a tough year and felt correspondingly burned out, so I was able to feel intensively how much these days fulfilled me and how I regained my strength and power bit by bit.”
Mara | Hamburg
The Brown Belt focuses on energy and can be described as a ‘power week’. It shows you what proportion of your energy you show up with in life, and what kind of energy you generate while dancing, and – more importantly – how you can focus, hold onto and let go of it. In other words, how best to manage it. For many participants the Brown Belt is an extremely intense week as you experience how you can rediscover or strengthen your personal power through the energy of Nia, and feel more alive, refreshed and stronger.
In order to take the Brown Belt you will need to have achieved a certain level of Nia proficiency and knowledge. This third level of training further deepens your existing knowledge and skills and you will nurture an even stronger awareness of the wisdom and available energies in Nia. Over the course of the intensive, you will develop a heightened sensitivity to the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual realms of your being – when dancing and in everyday life.
One focus of this week is to introduce ‘The Zone’, a mental state in which you are completely light and concentrated when you dance; you learn to block out distractions and maintain awareness of yourself. The other focus is on learning to recognize your own energy level, and how to handle it with skill: how to increase, preserve or deliberately invest it.
Nia Black Belt
“Right back when I got my White Belt I knew that I wanted to go all the way to the Black Belt. I wanted the whole Nia package! The Black Belt made me feel complete but also felt like a new beginning. It brings together all the previous Belts and is like the icing on the cake that I was missing!”
Amanda | Hamburg
The Black Belt is the final level and thus the ultimate Nia Belt. It will teach you how to better master your Nia experience and also your life on all levels. You will re-experience the different phases of your learning and become aware of just how much you have learned and of the path that you have travelled. A celebratory experience!
The Black Belt focuses on the integration of all the previous levels of education and taking these skills to a new level. Parallel to this, it will test your technical skills. I am one of the few trainers worldwide qualified to teach and, in a manner of speaking, ‘examine’ the Black Belt. Thanks to my past as a professional athlete and also because I myself have worked through all the levels of Nia education multiple times, I have become an expert on the learning process and the continuous striving to achieve an ever greater level of mastery.
