Green Belt, When I took my first Nia class, I danced, and my body smiled and breathed a huge sigh of relief to move in a way that felt so natural and sooooo good. After taking ballet, tap and jazz as a girl, I had tried ballet again as an adult, but there was no smiling in any part of my body. It seemed forbidden! So I danced at home, at parties, at clubs.

So great was the pull of Nia that I always thought in the back of my mind that I would like to share it with others, although I had never had the desire to teach anything before.

In the meantime, I moved to Greenville and struggled to find a Nia class close to home. After my daughter’s first birthday, I realized I needed to do some things for myself, namely exercise and have some fun. Finally I had a revelation, I will teach my own classes!

In 2008 I received my White Belt from Denive Medved, who emanated Joy from her entire being, inspiring me to find my own; then took the Green Belt with co-founder of the Nia Technique, the inspired Carlos Rosas. And now I am a teacher, and what a delightful journey it has been so far. www.NiaNexus.com

In Nia, we teach people that dancing is anything the body does" (The Nia Technique, Rosas & Rosas, 2004, p. 296). Elizabeth has been dancing Nia since 2000. She recently returned to her Nia roots in Asheville to complete her doctoral research focusing on the 'voice of the body' in adult transformational learning. She is thrilled to dance, share, learn and co-create with fellow students and teachers. People are drawn to Elizabeth's classes for inspiration! Students experience release, freedom, fun, joy, detoxification, cardiovascular conditioning, healing, laughter and pleasure, while getting fit at the same time! Just do it! Nia will change your life.

Contact Elizabeth at 828-774-0287 or by email cactus@unm.edu.

Connie found Nia in 2004 while seeking an exercise program that would help relieve the constant pain she endured from fibromyalgia and would lift the depression she felt from a forced early retirement. She heard about this class called Nia, and decided to give it a try. After the first class she drove home ecstatic - she knew she had found her way back to health.

Over a period of six months the improvement in Connie's physical and emotional health was dramatic. This improvement was the catalyst to becoming a Nia instructor. The pain and fibromyalgia that had forced her into retirement was now almost gone. The Joy she felt when doing Nia lifted her spirits. Connie could not wait to share this with others.Connie received her White Belt in April of 2005 with trainer Denise Medved in Hendersonville, NC and her Blue Belt with Nia creators, Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas, in October 2006.

Connie is also a Certified Reflexologist.Reflexology uses specific pressure on the feet, hands, ears, and/or face resulting in stress reduction and the creation of profound physiological change in the body.Reflexology eases aches, pains and discomfort; reduces tension; improves circulation; stimulates sluggish inactive systems and organs; stimulates the elimination of toxins and impurities; and restores balance to the body.

Contact Connie at 828-883-8972 or by email at atouchbetter@gmail.com.

Lia is an enthusiastic Nia instructor, who was introduced to Nia in 1997 when searching for an exercise class that would help her lower back pain. The idea of a whole body workout coupled with fun was very appealing. She brings elements of play and fun to each class, healing through awareness and the joy of movement.

Lia received her White Belt training in 2000 with Denise Medved in Hendersonville, NC and her Blue Belt with Nia creators, Debbie Rosas and Carlos Rosas, in October 2006. She teaches Nia classes locally and enjoys co-creating special group events with other local Nia instructors.

Contact Lia at 828-697-7449 or liacollman@gmail.com.

In my mid 40's, after many years of a sedentary lifestyle, I wanted to get in shape, feel good, and add some pizazz to my life. I discovered Nia, and my life changed! I quickly lost some extra weight, my muscle tone and flexibility improved. Because Nia is gentle on the joints, my chronically sprained ankle stopped hurting for the first time in years. But what thrilled me the most, Nia is a deliciously fun way to get an invigorating aerobic workout that is joyful and expressive.

Now as a teacher I love the fact that Nia provides a safe way for people of ALL fitness levels to enjoy exercising. Whether you're new to exercising or are an athlete, Nia provides holistic conditioning.

In addition to Nia classes, I offer personalized nutritional assessments designed by doctors, skin health care, and employee recognition & incentive programs.

Email: NiaOndine@gmail.com , Toll-free: (866) 703-2423, www.dance-health.com

Kimerly received her White Belt in 1999 and Blue Belt in 2001. She is a North Carolina-licensed school psychologist in public service and private practice. In addition to her dance and Nia training, Kimerly has studied integrative movement and therapeutic dance with the Educational Kinesiology Foundation and the American Dance Festival at Duke University. She participated in a cultural dance program in West Africa with Baba Chuck Davis of the African American Dance Ensemble. Kimerly frequently teaches Nia in Jamaica, where she and her husband have adopted two schools and maintain an abiding love for that island nation.

Kimerly's Nia classes came to a sudden halt in April 2006 when she sustained serious injuries in a cycling accident. She consciously incorporated the basic movement principles of Nia (The Body's Way) into her rehabilitation, which supported her complete recovery.

Kimerly brings a joyful enthusiasm and professional knowledge to her classes. Her love of dance, her performance experience, and her commitment to the growth of her students make each class fun and unique.

Contact Kimerly at jahrules@bellsouth.net or 828-429-0862.

Nia makes my heart sing. In my White Belt training with Denise Medved , I first learned to expand the joy in my little finger to my whole body. Wow. It is my pleasure to share the Joy of Movement with others now. I received my Blue Belt Certification and Mastering Teaching Training with the founders of Nia Technique, Debbie and Carlos Rosas. Since an early age I have expressed myself through movement arts. I taught Royal Academy of Dancing Syllaus in my School of Ballet and performed locally ballet, jazz and modern dance. I have studied a variety of mind/body forms such as Desikachar, Kundalini, Iyengar and Anusara Yoga aa well as Feldenkrais Awarenss thru Movement for over twenty five years. Recently my IIQTC Certification is in Qigong and Ta Chi Easy for health benefits and longevity.

Nia brings together a wonderful fusion of all my movement loves in a joyous play of dance, martial arts and healing arts. The Self-Healing aspect of Nia has been valuable to me during stressful times allowing me to modify the moves to fit my needs. I modify for the different needs of my students and encourage their discovery into self-healing.

In addition to Nia classes, I teach Tai Chi Easy and Qigong in group or private classes for business or personal coaching.

Call 828-277-7318
jangillespie@bellsouth.net
www.Dancing-Chi.com

As someone who's been dancing through life since birth, when I found Nia I certainly felt like so many others who say they found what they'd been looking for all their lives. My parents have pictures of me dancing with my Donnie and Marie Osmond microphone from the time I could walk and talk, and tell stories of me dancing in the aisles when they took me to see Grease for the first time. After years of dance classes from the age of 3, I feared my opportunities to dance would be severely limited upon college graduation and entrance into the world of working adults. My fears were dispelled the moment I took my first Nia class. The strong, organic and expressive movements and non-competitive feel to the class had me at hello!

Feeling a strong desire to share this joy with others, I received my White Belt training in November 2003 and started teaching in 2004. In addition to my joy of teaching, I am a performer at heart. I am most blessed to sing with The Muses, an a cappella trio that includes myself, Judy Rhodes and Gail Forsyth. You can check us out at www.ashevillemuses.com . I also help people feel more beautiful both as a freelance make up artist and with MAC cosmetics.

You may reach me at nrg@charter.net or at (828) 275 5377

Rousing sensations deep in my core, first dancing Nia in the late 1990s, I knew I had arrived home and met my tribe. YES!

Around the same time, I lost my job and began seeking clues as to my next move. Inspired by a question in Wish Craft, I asked myself, Where do you find joy? The answer came clearly: DANCE!

Shortly after, I was certified to teach Nia, training with Holly Curtis in Austin, October 1998. I trained further with co-creators Debbie and Carlos Rosas in October 2000. I completed Brown Belt training in 2006.

Before leaving Austin, I thoroughly explored her rich dance community, enjoying Nia classes, workshops, playshops, as well as yoga, Trance and African dance, Soul Motion, Five Rhythms, Body Choir, toning, and other practices. Vibrational healing especially resonates with me.

I am dedicated to sharing Nia as a vehicle for fitness, self-healing, and personal transformation. I love the multidimensional aspects of Nia and am honored to share her with you. I invite you to be your own teacher, to open to sensation, notice without judging, and explore your body's innate wisdom.

Contact Maureen via email at perchance2dance@gmail.com

B.A., M.M. holds fitness certifications with ACE, AIFE, and SCW EDU ... and is pleased and excited to have earned her Nia Brown Belt (2009) and Blue Belt (2006) with Nia originators, Carlos Rosas and Debbie Rosas, and her White Belt certification with trainer Denise Medved in 2005.

Judi has taught group fitness, stretch, music, and ballroom dancing classes in community and university settings for over 20 years. She is a classical flutist and teaches at UNCA plus she and her husband, Foster, have over 30 instructional videos on learning to dance at www.dancelovers.com.

Judi has always enjoyed the 3 aspects of fitness that fuse together to form Nia: martial arts, dance arts, and healing arts. She is thrilled to now share Nia as a safe and effective, fun and freeing, low impact journey to a playful body, mind, and spirit connection. You are enthusiastically and warmly invited to join her and discover the joy of Nia for yourself.

Contact Judi at 828-645-2527 or email her at NiaJudi@charter.net .

Anne began her joyous journey with Nia in 1997, after a soul-searching quest to find and express her unique purpose through her work. After completing her White Belt Intensive with Trainer Denise Medved, Anne introduced Nia into the Asheville community in 1998. In 2002, Anne co-founded Move Intuit, Asheville's first Nia Center, with Elizabeth Johnson. Anne has consistently been active as a teacher, as well as Nia promoter and mentor for other teachers as the Asheville Nia community continues to grow and thrive. Anne received her Nia Black Belt in 2005..

Anne's classes are alive with a spirit of playfulness and joy, providing students with a physically safe environment that is flexible enough to meet their fitness needs today and to grow with students as they grow. That joy is contagious, and she invites you to catch it by dancing with her in a class soon!

Anne may be contacted at 828-768-8809, or by email to NiaSkywalker7@aol.com

Denise is a youthful 56-year old, Denise has been featured on television, in publications such as American Fitness, and at such internationally acclaimed facilities as Canyon Ranch Health & Fitness Resort, Tucson, AZ, The Oaks Spa, Ojai, CA & The Pebble Beach Resorts, Pebble Beach, CA.

Denise was a senior officer and board member of one of the largest communications companies in New York City for 14 years, as well as a marketing & PR consultant in California for another 11 years. She brings excellent marketing & stress management skills to her trainings!

She also utilizes more than 35 years of acting, singing & dancing experience to make every Nia class fun and unique! Movement classes, playshops & retreats are also a part of her business, Feather on the Moon, a spa without walls for the body, mind & spirit. She is in a Masters program in Gerontology and specializes in movement for those with physical challenges, injuries and those over 65 years of age.

Denise can be reached at 828-696-3060 or email her at nia@magicalweb.net . Visit her web site at www.niasouth.com.

I have changed my whole view of life since starting to dance Nia. I've been involved in some aspect of movement/dance all my life - from tap dancing at the age of nine, cheerleading in high school, tae kwon do training, and dancing at thousands of live music concerts.

Drawn serendipitously to an Aspen paper's March 2007 ad, I participated in my first amazing Nia class instructed by Julie Hart. The beautiful feeling of community immeditately reminded me of floating around in a sea of ecstatic dance at Grateful Dead shows. (Yes, Jerry Garcia was a promoter of Joy!) Within 9 months of my introduction to Nia, I completed my White Belt training in Charlestion, SC with Stephaney Robinson. By March 2008, I began teaching in beautiful Asheville, NC.

With the completion of my Nia Green Belt (led by the amazing co-founder of Nia, Carlos Rosas) in December 2008, I've continued to discover Nia as an amazing tool for increasing Joy, health, vitality and bliss in life's journey, Come dance with me!

Certified Black Belt Nia Instructor and Integrative Arts Practitioner lives with her family in the Newfound Mountains near Asheville,NC. Shelli is the President of Body MInd Energetics,Inc., holding extensive training and multiple certifications in the Movement, Expressive, and Ceremonial Arts. Shelli also has a BA degree in Integrative Movement and a three year Art of Healing Professional Training. One of her passions has been to bring Body-Mind and Inspirational-Centered classes, playshops, and private sessions to her community. Shelli has been a guest instructor for many events in support of the Womanly Arts such as: Time for Our Power Women's Conference, Manifesting your Dreams workshop intensive, Women's Health Conference, Girls for Girls, and Mother Grove Concert.

For the love of life, joy, and our bodies Shelli offers Nia and In Motion classes and other transformational classes using integrative techniques to create what she calls the "The Inner Awakening". "I have found that my mind can hide behind corners, but when I ask myself something somatically, I respond with a deep honesty."

Shelli's other interests are frame drumming, artistic endeavors, and basking in the beauty and benefits of nature with her family and friends.

"Nia is such a joy-filled movement form that continues to bring me ongoing cardiovascular conditioning and inspired awareness of my body, mind, and spirit." Contact Shelli for Nia and In Motion classes, Transformational Playshops or private Somatic Life Enhancement sessions at 828-231-5995.

Email at shelli@daaancing.com or visit www.BodyMindEnergeticsinc.com

After, a major spinal cord injury 23 years ago and told would never do anything more than walk again, is "Dancing Through Life". While tagging along with dearest friend of over 30+ years, a black belt NIA instructor Marie McKay, from Mpls, she came to her class. (Terese was recovering from a car accident at the time.) The music was amazing and my body moved to how it wanted to move. Days later, still no pain. Heal through movement to health? After years years of searching for her path.... she discovered it. A passion had been ignited. A month later she took the white belt training from Denise Medved. Terese then dissolved her staging and real estate business and has never looked back since. Through her painful times (nerve damage, double bunion surgery, shingles and fibromyalgia) she is pain free. By doing NIA and a nutritional diet she is healthy. She always knew there was a holistic way to heal but needed the avenue. Now NIA is the vehicle to drive it down.

Terese has 14 years of dance, 10 years of theater, a former A.C.E. personal trainer and owned her own gym, (ABS...All Body Systems) to share. She offers a fun, diverse, educational, with no intimidation to every class. NIA also helped to stir up issues that had been buried. Terese is in the process of writing a book....once the body and mind started to get a "work out"...the spirit soon followed. It soared. NIA has helped Terese heal physically, mentally , and emotionally. A proud Mom of 2 she simply ....loves life.

Terese is going for her blue belt in St. Louis, August 22-28, 2009, with Helen Terry. Her features thus far are being in "Living" magazine and "Natural Awakenings". She is constantly working on getting the NIA community in Charlotte, NC, unified and strong.

You can email Terese at : TereseTaggart@mac.com. She also is on NIANOW.com and please visit her new website at: www.niabalance.com

I was an avid tennis player, but minor nagging injuries were keeping me from enjoying tennis without pain. I heard about the healing benefits of Nia, and tried my first Nia class with Liz at Brevard Racquet Club. I finished in a sweat but filled with joy.

My body is more fluid, flexible, and muscular now, thanks to Nia. After having practiced law for many years, I was looking for a new way to fill my time. That first Nia class led to my teaching certificate and White Belt in May 2008. I have participated in many Nia workshops and retreats since then to continue my training in JOY! I love it and want to spread the word to everyone about the benefits of Nia to aging bodies and lagging spirits.

I often participate in Nia JAMS at the Y to help raise funds for various charities, and I volunteer with other Nia teachers at local nursing homes. I teach classes locally, and really enjoy seeing students of all fitness levels move their bodies for better health.

Bertie can be contacted at bertiew@morrisbb.net.