NiaDivas

You hear it in class – OK! FreeDance! Anything Goes Movement Wise! Sometimes enticing and sometimes scary words to hear. When I started as a Nia student, FreeDance sent me scurrying to the water fountain or restroom, anywhere to escape. Now I love FreeDance. What changed? Determined to get my money’s worth from the class, I decided not to leave the room and instead to stick my toe in the water, almost literally. Under the skillful guidance of Nia teachers, I began experiencing FreeDance as a fun way to explore movement. Over time, even more powerfully, I now enjoy FreeDance as a way to explore me as a person, as a safe place to play with self-expression.

FreeDance, the fourth of the 13 Nia principles, gives us the opportunity to explore beyond our habitual ways of moving. If we usually tap our right foot, FreeDance can be tapping our left foot instead. If we usually walk forwards, FreeDance can be walking backwards. Contrary to the name, FreeDance is not necessarily about dance or coming up with dance steps. But, because anything goes movement wise, we definitely can do dance steps of our choosing. If we love to waltz or jitterbug or hip-hop, for example, FreeDance lets us explore these dances within different kinds of music.