Testimonials from teachers and students who have taken the Nia FreeDance training:
Amy Jogodnik Warshawsky, Nia Black Belt from Hoboken, New Jersey.
"As soon as I met Joanie and Adelle, I knew I had to bring them to Israel. Their warm, energetic and open way of being would be perfect for our community. And, then, while experiencing the Nia FreeDance Training, I was overcome with the feeling that the Israel Nia community would all love what Nia FreeDance has to offer the Conscious Dance community. Nia FreeDance deepened my relationship with form and freedom, opened possibility for more creative authentic movement and heightened my ability to play with music. And, most of all, the training was deeply bonding and crazy fun!"
Robbie Plumb, Nia Brown Belt Teacher from Lenexa, Kansas: “Nia FreeDance training opened up a whole new doorway of expression in the way I move, think, emote, and share my unique spirit with the world around me. Nia FreeDance gave me the tools to find my voice and the resonant creative power within me.
Nia FreeDance was a beautiful blend of body centered freedom, emotional expression, cognitive creativity, and spirited liberation! “
Sandy-Ananda Ramon Jenet, Nia Black Belt Teacher from Germany:
“I loved the training for its rich dive into music and realms. I hear and sense music in a different way through my chakras...Sonic Landscape. I left with a greater understanding of experiencing freedance stages in my own personal practice. I now have tools to share this experience with others so they can dive into their creative music and movement journey. Additionally, an incredible tool for application in learning new routines and revisiting previously learned routines.”
Sara Earl, Nia Brown Belt Teacher originally from Austin and now lives in Pennsylvania: “What I love about Nia FreeDance is that, as a long-time ecstatic dancer I always felt obligated to have a spiritual experience. But in Nia FD, embodiment is the foundation and the experience is crafted to be multi-dimensional. It allows for more freedom and richness and it just makes so much more sense to me. In FD I find the perfect opportunity to be creative and yet also practice all the form and principles of Nia.”
Terry Pozza, Nia Brown Belt Teacher from San Antonio, TX “During the Nia FreeDance training I discovered the movement of contracting and releasing throughout the 4 realms (body, emotions, mind, and spirit) gave me the opportunity to work with and release what I no longer needed, and to receive what I craved – all in my body’s way and my body’s time. I began the Nia FreeDance training after a very stressful week and was amazed that by the close of the weekend, my body, emotions, mind and spirit were completely sated. I felt centered and empowered and ready to face whatever presented itself as I stepped out from the dance floor.
Participating in the Nia FreeDance training has given me greater opportunities to take Nia’s healing power to a larger audience. It is true that, “through movement we find health.” I have been able to take this beautiful practice into my Spiritual Direction work and I will be facilitating some Nia FreeDance sessions at an upcoming retreat for women wishing to more deeply embody their spirituality.
Facilitating a Nia FreeDance class is a complete blast!”
A letter to Debbie Rosas from Elaine Shipman, Nia student in San Antonio: “Hi Debbie. This past weekend I attended the Nia FreeDance training with Adelle and Joanie in San Antonio. It was an amazing experience that not only enhanced my Nia FreeDance practice but gave me a new appreciation for the amount of thought, preparation, and work that goes into a Nia FreeDance class. Although I am a future Nia white belt, Joanie and Adelle made me feel very comfortable throughout the training and I was able to gain a deeper understanding of how and why Nia FreeDance works so well for me.
Debbie, I would also like to thank you for creating this beautiful movement form. Nia (both classical and Nia FreeDance) has been the catalyst for major change in my life. I am so grateful for this practice and I cannot imagine ever being without it.”
Todd Morgan, Nia Whiten Belt from San Antonio, TX: “I am fairly new to Nia, and have had issues with learning choreography since I started. I took the Nia Freedance experience a number of months ago, and it was amazing. I found out that most choreography is created from Freedance. I also became privy to some important ideas and reasoning behind Nia Freedance that really set me free. A very cool thing is that the freedom in Nia FreeDance also helped me to get into my body to learn choreography. It is not about learning how to FreeDance. That is my dance. It is about how the experience affected me both somatically, as well as emotionally. I have also taken the Nia White Belt, which was amazing as well. I really feel like the Nia FreeDance experience moved me more experientially. I love Nia FreeDance. It has changed my relationship with Classic Nia, plus Adelle and Joanie are magic!!!!!!!”