Bodyfulness — Seattle Nia with Dina

Caitlin is off to Cambodia for 3 years to work in human services for a non-profit organization. She had her last class with me on Wednesday morning.

Let’s imagine her and her partner Teia safety arriving, securing comfortable and convenient housing, and getting starting in their new life with ease.

Many blessings to Caitlin and Teia!

Here is the music I used for her goodbye class.
Song; Artist

Crazy; Seal
Fly Like An Eagle; Seal
Love will be your shelter; Nikka Costa
Golden; Jill Scott
SexyBack (feat. Timbaland); Justin Timberlake
Low (Feat. T-Pain); Flo Rida
One, Two Step; Ciara
Last Dance; Donna Summer
Starlight (BRS Remix); The Superman Lovers
Rock Your Body ; Justin Timberlake
Sunset; Nitin Sawhney
Last song; unknown title and artist

Last night’s sunset and this morning’s playlist. Sending love.

Get To Know Ya (Uncut); Maxwell
Used to Love U; John Legend
Back & Forth; Aaliyah
Wait a Minute (Just a Touch); Estelle
Love Like This; Faith Evans
The Way I Are; Timbaland Feat. Keri Hilson & D.O.E.
Boom Boom Pow; Black Eyed Peas
Shake It; Metro Station
Change (feat. Wale); Daniel Merriweather
Still Not A Player (Clean); Big Pun featuring Joe
Deal With the Devil; Kohinoor
Over and Over; Tim McGraw ft. Nelly
Del Fuego; Fat Freddy’s Drop

This week in the Deepen Your Niability workshop, we are moving from a Jazz focus, to emphasize T’ai Chi.

The Nia Technique describes T’ai Chi as ”the slow dance”.

The moments in class when we gently move are inspired by this ancient martial art.

Tonight, at the 6:30PM class, I am spinning my focus to include slow and quick movements, to exaggerate the difference.  I’m so glad Nia classes include both consciousness and enthusiasm.  

We can begin our practice with a slow music and form focus, and then alternate with up-tempo quickness. 

Here is my playlist for your listening pleasure:

Song Title; Artist

Bookstore; Jon Brion
War; Joan Osborne
The End; SugaRush Beat Company
Change (feat. Wale); Daniel Merriweather
Crabbuckit; K-OS
Little More Time; Stephanie McKay
Second Chapter; Blue Scholars
Stop Me (Kissy Sell Out Remix); Mark Ronson & Daniel Merriweather
Ganesh Is Fresh (feat. Jai Uttal); MC Yogi
She’s Got Me; Mark Ronson & Daniel Merriweather
Edge of Seventeen; Stevie Nicks
This Room; Fat Freddy’s Drop
Ladder; Akshara Weave

I was wondering what I was waiting on…

This week, I was trying to create the Jazz-inspired Nia dance class for this week’s Niability session and I kept getting distracted.

It was because I needed to wait unti the news of Michael Jackson’s death today in order to create a tribute dance. 
I’ll debut it at this Friday’s 9am and 6:30pm classes. 

Here’s the playlist:

Remember the Time; Michael Jackson
Brotha; Jill Scott
Train In Vain; Annie Lennox
Coast 2 Coast (Suavamente); Angie Martinez & Wyclef Jean
Adouma; Angelique Kidjo
I wish; Patti LaBelle
Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’; Michael Jackson
Freedom; George Michael
Bad; Michael Jackson
Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground); Michael Jackson
Bluey; Fat Freddy’s Drop

Let’s keep a fire burning for Michael through full body groovin’!

I love the creative process.  Good thing I have a deadline or I’d keep changing this set, I can just feel it.  Gotta know when to say, “enough is enough”…take it away from myself and call it good.

Here is the playlist for tomorrow as of 7:34pm…

Mad World; Adam Lambert
Everybody Loves The Sunshine; Roy Ayers Feat. Erykah Badu
Forgive Them Father; Lauryn Hill
Whatta Man; Salt-N-Pepa & En Vogue
Missionary Man; Eurythmics
Father of Mine; Everclear
Never Far Away; Chris Cornell
It’s Raining Men; The Weather Girls
Soul Man; Sam & Dave
Just the Two of Us; Will Smith
Father and Daughter; Paul Simon
Living Years; Mike + the Mechanics
Pull the Catch; Fat Freddy’s Drop

Friday night’s Niability session focused the martial art of TaeKwonDo and how it has inspired Nia. Man, I created a kick-butt routine…and I mean KICK BUTT, and as one student said, “relentless!”. It is definatley for those people who love to pant.

Check out the music I used:

Song title; Artist

Gin And Juice (as made famous by Snoop Doggy Dogg); Hip Hop DJs United
Ghetto; Leela James
Numb / Encore; Jay-Z & Linkin Park
Beware of the Boyz; Jay Z
Lovers of Light; Afro Celt Sound System
Move Any Mountain; The Shamen
Hi Ya; Kung Flude
Maniac (BOF Flashdance); Michael Sembello
Lip Gloss; Lil Mama
Love Is a Battlefield; Pat Benatar
Fighter; Christina Aguilera
Let’s Get It Started; Black Eyed Peas
Poison; Bell Biv DeVoe
Drop It Like It’s Hot (as made famous by Snoop Dogg); Hip Hop DJs United
Why You Wanna (as made famous by T.I.); Hip Hop DJs United

This afternoon, in our Deepen Your Niability 10-week workshop series, our focus moves from Aikido (last week) to Duncan Dance.  We will be learning about this revolutionary Movement Form and the creator, Isadora Duncan, pictured here.

I hope you enjoy the following playlist which was inspired by Isadora’s spirit: rebellious, free-spirited, bold, courageous, captivating, emotional.

Enjoy and share with your friends.

Join us at 6:30pm tonight as I facilitate a Duncan Dance inspired Nia class.  

Pearls Sade
O Ronco Da Cuíca CéU
Rafiki Zap Mama
Clean Up Woman Leela James
Iko-Iko Zap Mama
Crabbuckit K-OS
Say What You Feel (feat. Stephanie McKay) Katalyst
Gone Daddy Gone/I Just Want to Make Love to You Gnarls Barkley
Little More Time Stephanie McKay
Mystery of Life Nickodemus & Andrea Monteiro
Djin Djin Angélique Kidjo Feat. Alicia Keys & Branford Marsalis
W’Happy Mama Zap Mama
Mrs. Officer (as Made Famous By Lil Wayne) Instrumental Hip Hop Beat Makers

Tonight, we blend the past week’s Alexander focus with a new focus: Aikido.  We start out in a community dojo called Emerald City Aikido.  Joanne, Chief Instructor at her dojo, is one of my Nia students.  Cool!

And here is part of what I am contributing, given gratefully.  Please enjoy and pass along.  Wish many of you could be here to experience it with us.

Song title; Artist

Kotodama; Takashi Wada
Angels (Original); Wax Poetic featuring Norah Jones
Feel Free; Mozez
Robert Campbell’s Lament; Paul Mounsley
Japanese Garden; Japanese Koto Harp and Shakuhachi Flute Music
In My Heart; Moby 
Fever; Stereo MC’s
Eyes Like Yours (Ojos Así); Shakira
Nomah’s Land; Metisse
Brush on Silk; John Williams
Lagu Lagu; Dingding Sa
Spinning Top; Mozez
Walking Into the Himalaya to Meditate; Nawang Khechog

Friday Night Nia was so HOT! Good God!

Here’s the musical set list for your listening pleasure:
Song Title; Artist
The Metro; Berlin
My Boo; Ghost Town DJs
Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good); Rozalla
I Got You (I feel Good); James Brown
Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here (Dance Mix); Deborah Cox
Starlight (BRS Remix); The Superman Lovers
Hot Stuff ; Donna Summer
Jailer; Asa
Deal With the Devil ; Kohinoor
Belly Dancin’ Dina; Jungle Brothers
Walk It Out (made Famous By Unk); Instrumental Hip Hop Beat Makers
Low (made Famous By Flo Rida Feat. T-Pain); Instrumental Hip Hop Beat Makers
Anytime;Brian McKnight
Slappy Interlude; Leela James

Happy MLK Day Dear Ones,

Our inspiration for class today was the man, himself. His words echoed and evoked tears as our muscle memories stretched to release collecive pain. God bless Martin Luther King, Jr. and all he represents, alive and well today!

Song Title Artist
Corners of My Mind Nikka Costa
Nomah’s Land Metisse
Do Something Macy Gray
Colors will.i.am
We All Want the Same Thing Kevin Michael
A Dream Common featuring Will.I.Am
Waitin Choklate
Jungle Boogie Kool and the Gang
Bus Ride will.i.am
Thank You Choklate
Fed Up Stephen Marley
Hope Fat Freddy’s Drop