Living the Dream - Being a Dancer and Sharing Power

Holly Curtis  

Nia Black Belt Teacher & Trainer | Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States

As a child, I knew I wanted to dance, but didn’t have an opportunity to take dance classes because my family lived in remote places overseas where lessons were not available. Yet, I had passion for dancing, so I spent my growing up years playing records, dancing in my bedroom, dancing in the living room, dancing everywhere that I could. A powerful dancer was in me and needed an outlet.

I did not get a chance to take a dance class until I was in college. I majored in Dance for two years at the University of Texas, but my lack of earlier training kept me from excelling. After two years, I quit.

In the early 1980s, to quench my thirst for movement, I got into the fitness industry and became an aerobics instructor. As an instructor, part of me was satisfied because I was moving; yet I was not doing what my spirit really wanted to do. It wasn’t until I experienced the unique dance movement of Nia that I realized I’d let my dream of being a dancer slip away, and I became inspired to fulfill my dream again…

Nia came to me in 1993 after 11 years of teaching aerobics and leading a successful career in fitness. I was in a transition period of my life where I was back in school and pursuing a degree in kinesiology and health education. I was heavily involved in running the University of Texas Aerobics club where I taught step-aerobics, hi/lo, and conditioning to both students and faculty. I had acquired many credentials as a fitness instructor and personal trainer. I was highly respected by my students and peers, and my classes were well attended. I was known as a “hard teacher who gets results.” Even with all the success I was having, it was clear to me something was missing. There was a sense of emptiness in what I was doing, and I had no idea how to fill the void I felt. Then, I met Nia.

As a graduate student, I attended a professional health promotion conference where Deborah Kern was giving a lecture entitled, “The Motion in Emotion.” Deborah spoke about The Nia Technique and discussed one of the fundamental aspects of Nia, the Pleasure Principle–how the human body can find pleasure in movement. She asked all of us in the lecture hall to stand up, move, and flow with our spines. She asked us to open our arms up to the sky and notice the smile on our faces. She asked us to sense our bodies and notice places of comfort and discomfort as we moved. There was little room to move in that lecture hall, yet even the small amount of movement I was able to do inspired me in the direction I had been seeking. I watched Deborah move with a quality and presence that I wanted. Without a doubt, I knew I had found my way, and Nia was it.

I called the Nia office the next day and arranged to be at the next available White Belt training. That training launched me into teaching Nia classes. I quit teaching aerobics classes, and I never looked back. Now, 14 years later, I have a rewarding and passion-filled career as a Nia Teacher and Nia Trainer.

There are so many ways Nia has touched my life. Physically I have used Nia to self-heal from all the overuse injuries I had acquired in my former life. The repetitive movements of step aerobics and running had eroded the cartilage in my knees. My feet, my low back, my upper spine, my neck, and my shoulders were all seized with tension from pushing so hard with my body, always striving toward a particular heart rate, or a particular weight. As a professional in the field of fitness, I was particularly prone to over-doing exercise. With Nia, I have healed many parts of me, and I am continuing to experience healing.

Mentally, Nia has helped me recognize the power of my mind. The Nia practice of noticing how I speak to my body was the first step. Learning to listen to my thoughts was the second. This mental clarity is directly responsible for the life I lead now as a Nia Teacher and Trainer.
Emotionally, I am more varied since beginning my practice of Nia. The mono feeling of sadness that I had when I began Nia has evaporated and has been replaced with a rich emotional life. The practice of FreeDance and the integration of sound and gesture in Nia classes have helped me expand my emotional expression. I notice and trust my feelings now.
Spiritually, I now have an even deeper appreciation for this life I have because of my Nia practice. I am continually curious about the next unfolding and have been able to exterminate the fear that kept me from acting before. Nia taught me to trust my courage, and Dance Through Life!

Most importantly, Nia has made it possible for me to make a difference to the world. I have the great privilege to work and play with many, many Nia teachers and students. Just as Deborah Kern opened the door to Nia for me, I now open the door to Nia for many students and trainees. As a Nia Trainer, I witness time after time the power of the 13 Principles of the White Belt to heal and empower body, mind, emotions, and spirit. I watch people come awake as I did in my White Belt. I witness and support people in their own dreams of being dancers and helping the world. My reward is to see the joy, the insights, and the community that builds as the spirit of Nia moves through me and out to others. And, I have reclaimed my dream–I am a dancer, and will be for life!