Dancing through Life: Nia Movement with Alba Wejebe

Episode 11: In this episode, Alba and I discuss her rich and rhythmic journey growing up in a Cuban family immersed in the vibrant tapestry of music.  Shy as a child, she started dance lessons in her early teens and movement has continued to be her voice and her offering to her students.  Explore the world of Nia, a form that Alba holds close to her heart for it's ability to challenge and inspire participants to expand their dance language, and more importantly, the way they perceive themselves.  Alba is a passionate Nia instructor who blends her diverse dance background, including World Groove, to create a unique and empowering experience for her participants.   

Alba's contact information:
Email: albaelena@msn.com
Mailing Address for Nia Sedona: 
6770 W State Route 89A Unit 99
Sedona, AZ 86336-9501

Nia Website: nianow.com
Nia Facebook Page

World Groove Movement
Body Groove On Demand

Contact me at happysweatlife@gmail.com for questions, suggestions, or to be put on the email list and be notified of new episodes.

Find my World Groove movement zoom class on Thursdays, under my name, at: https://theworldgroovemovement.com/virtual-search/

If you're interested in starting a podcast of your own, consider joining the SPI Community. The All Access Pass, in particular, has a step by step course for starting a podcast which absolutely was key for creating and launching my podcast. And equally important, I made connections with other fellow entrepreneurs/podcasters. If you do sign up through my affiliate link, I will receive a commission fee.

Transcript

Lisa: 0:08

Welcome to the Happy Sweat Life Podcast. My name is Lisa Rung, and today I'm very excited to be talking to Alba Wejebe

Track 1: 0:20

Alba is Nia instructor, but we met while we were doing

Lisa: 0:26

world Groove facilitation training. So she has a really interesting approach to her Nia instruction because she's sort of blended the two. So we're gonna be talking about both of those forms of Dance based exercise and her beginnings and a bunch of other things. So welcome, Alba.

Alba: 0:48

Hi, Lisa. It's really good to be here. Thank you for having. Me.

Lisa: 0:52

Oh, you're welcome. So maybe you could start with your take on what Nia is and then a little bit about world Groove as well.

Alba: 1:01

Alright. And again, this is my take. I've, I've played with so many things in my dance and my movement teaching life and I, God, every one of those things I. Has their own. I, I think like really beautiful strengths that lean a little bit in kind of one direction or another. And Nia is, it's just fabulous. The elevator pitch is basically, it's a fusion fitness that draws from dance arts, from martial arts and from healing arts. And it really was, I think, one of the first way back when it's almost 40 years old now, way back when it was one of the first, during that whole aerobic boom to really Kind of move into a different kind of fitness, something that was more holistic and less driving and less, you know, with that thumping music and kicks and, jumps and all that. So it has a combination of dance arts. Martial arts where you have more precision, more power, you have sound healing arts, which draw on things like yoga, meditation Feldenkrais, and it's combination of. Choreographed things where you're always invited to modify for your body, make sure that it feels really good for your body, and then more freeform, expressive movement. So it really is a nice mix. Of so many things that you can do in so many ways of moving in a body. And one of the things about Nia is that it's, it's really more based on the concept of movement as life rather than exercise for getting fit. It's more like a, a, a very, very beautifully holistic Form of movement practice that does get you fit for sure, but it's really more based on inclusivity of all aspects of your being. So,

Lisa: 3:24

Great. I'm curious whether the person that developed it had experience in all of those styles or did she sort of incorporate them as she went along? Like as she developed the Nia movement?

Alba: 3:41

Yeah, that's a really good question. And as far as I know, her strength and her background was fitness, so it's, she did not have a background, I don't believe in dance or martial arts, perhaps in, you know, some of the yogic things. Yeah. And It's a fusion fitness, but it's not a pure form of any of those arts. They're more influences and, and they're very definitive influence influences in the sense that dance is expressive. There's modern dance. So you have, you have elements of like shapes and space drama using the core body using your limbs and expressive and Perhaps more fluid ways. There's also jazz dance, which brings in the energy of showmanship, letting yourself be seen. So, and in the martial arts there, you have precision. Your movements are stopped. They stop, they start, there's sound, there's breath, there's power, and Her background was not in those disciplines per se, but it's more the energetics and certain aspects of those disciplines that are brought into Nia as a practice, as inspiration and also also expression of those movements. But they're not the pure. Essence of any of those forms, which is why they call it fusion fitness. And it's kind of cool because I think so many people want to, to be able to play in those different things. Each of those, each of those disciplines brings something, you know, the, the, the dance really does allow for Expression in different ways. Drama, joy, flow, fluidity, the martial arts lets you find that sound and that power and that belly strength and I. And then of course the, the yogic and the fluid and the more meditative aspects, they all express different parts of us. They allow us to express different parts of us. And I really think like I. Everybody's gonna have their places where they feel most comfortable. You know, for me, for so long it was like, gimme flow, let me dance, and I, I will be a happy camper. That's my happy place. And then things like the martial arts aspects of it took a while. I. For me, because I'm probably more yin in my essence, to feel comfortable with, to like make some sound and give it grit and give it power. And I found as I found my happy place and my, my comfort and my ease in doing those things, I also feel like it started to bring into my life and my expression more at homeness with those aspects of my personality. I. Same thing with quieting down, for example, the more healing arts, the yogic things quieting down and my natural thing is to kind of be in a lot of motion. So for me, even those quiet things and centering and breathing We were really, really helpful. And again, I, I did especially over time, see the, the parallel from being able to pull these things forth in my movement practice to being more at ease with these same aspects of myself in life.

Lisa: 7:36

Do you know if she was inspired by something or having come from the fitness side of things? Was there something she felt like was missing or, I know you can't really speak for her, but I don't know if you've read, you know,

Alba: 7:49

the whole story of Nia is out there to be found yeah. And actually she very much, that very much was her experience with her then husband at the time. They were in that real aerobics world and she was very successful like, you know And many, many gyms and training teachers, and she found that many people were getting injured, were being injured, and so they started to explore different things and, and going to a martial arts dojo, they had the sensei a teacher there. This is the story that I've read and I really love it. Who had them come in. And so they came in and they were all in their like tights and leotards and leg warmers. It was that period of time. And so they came into the dojo and he, he had them take off their shoes, and that right away was like, oh, take your shoes off. You know, we're aerobic dancers. We don't dance without shoes. And so that was the beginning of something. He said, okay, now move. And so they started to like awkwardly move and do some jumping jacks and kicks and, and I think the quote was you have about 15 seconds worth of knowledge with regards to movement. So that as the story goes, was the beginning of their journey to. First of all, take off their shoes. Really connect with the earth, connect with the, the ability of the, of your feet to feel the earth to move in a different way. That wasn't all kind of external and hot and power and things like that. And so they they started to explore things also like some of the dance art. So I think it was an exploration and a development over years that has continued to be refined to this day. And it's a, it's a just a wonderful, wonderful practice in so many ways. So, yeah.

Lisa: 9:56

I am on the Nia email list, and I think they had a link to one of their early videos where it might be her husband, but they're both in sort of the high cut leotards

Alba: 10:09

Oh yeah, I remember that. I was there at that at that time. Yep.

Lisa: 10:13

Oh my gosh, it was so funny to see. But yeah, I didn't really realize it had come from that, from that era so that's interesting.

Alba: 10:22

Do you remember the Jane Fonda days? That

Lisa: 10:24

Oh,

Alba: 10:24

of when I started everything and it was a neat, you know, it, it was like everybody, it's like, oh, aerobics. It's like the beginning of that real like joy of moving and dancing and, and, and feeling physical feeling in your body. So yeah, it was yeah, yeah, that was the beginning. Those times, way back when.

Lisa: 10:49

I am wondering too, was that when the first like fitness recordings came out, you know, probably on V H S and then D V D, I wonder ones before then.

Alba: 11:00

when they started it, it did begin like that. It was for, they were, they began at the V H Ss time. Yes. So that, if that gives you, I, I'm not very good with dates, so, but that will give you kind of the timing and then yes, they moved to D V D and like everything and everybody, now it's streaming, which is which is I think a great thing. A great thing. Yeah.

Lisa: 11:27

So maybe you could talk about your journey with your dance, like whether you danced when you were younger and how you got introduced to Nia.

Alba: 11:37

Yeah. I grew up Really, really, really shyly. And my family, I come from a, a traditional Cuban family and we all came over in the sixties and kind of grew up with big family get togethers that always, always always included music, piano and bongos and singing and everybody dancing. And very often except me, you know,'cause I was a shy kid and Over time, once I started to I probably started a little bit later. I did grow up with it, but I think I started in taking ballet when I was maybe 13, like in my early teens. And I think that was the beginning of my official, you know, training. And I took ballet, I took jazz, I took some modern dance. And then I, I got into ballroom dance and I taught that for several years. I taught and I competed professionally. And even though my, my. Official dance training per se, didn't start until very late. I was always a very physical and kinesthetic kid, so I think it's, it's an easy thing for me to express through my body. It's, it's where I'm quite comfortable and I. And then after the ballroom years, I found Nia almost by surprise. And this was back in the v h s days. I found it in Santa Fe going through a, a yoga studio there. And I walked in and I kind of peeked through a window. They were having a class and I was really intrigued by it. And then I went home. I looked it up. Oh, I don't know, what did I do? Did I look it up?'cause the internet wasn't around. So anyway, somehow. Without ever having taken a class, I signed up for the training in Santa Fe, and this was, oh, many, many, many years ago, maybe 25, 30, 30 years ago. I took the training, which was a very extensive and really wonderful week long training. It's, it's called, it was called the Nia White Belt, now it's called the Art of Sensation. And I took the training and then I went home and I promptly forgot about it. Because at that time, there wasn't the web of support that there is now with the internet and with videos and streaming and all that. At that time, they would send you home with a couple of VHSs and you were invited to learn. The routines and begin to teach them. But being who I am, I needed more support and so I just kind of let it go. Although there were many benefits from the training that I'm sure created the base and started me on this, on this path to Teaching. And then I started teaching Zumba, of which there was plenty around and there was plenty of support. And so I did that for several years. And then At some point, I, rediscovered Neo. It was maybe seven years later. And I really did love Zumba. I loved it. I did find it was a little intense on my body at the time, and I still love it. I think it's, it's again, All these forms that are available to us. I think they're all amazing and they've all got something that can inspire a different facet of who we are, you know? But then I just kind of floated back to Nia. It's, you know, just this very organic kind of fluid dance of life and inspirations and then I just started teaching the Nia, probably a little Zumba inspired, I, and then, branching out into different things. I've explored some other conscious movement practices. One is called Wild Core. Which brings in conscious dance, a lot of conscious dance, a lot of dance, you know, fusion fitness as well as Nia. and then groove, which I love so much. I love, love, love the, the expression of groove and the simplicity of it. And the fun and so that's kind of where I am now, this whole big plate of neat things that I that I draw from.

Lisa: 16:30

I know when we had talked at an earlier date, you had talked about your time overseas and learning to teach aerobics and I, that was such a lovely story. I wondered if you could share that again.

Alba: 16:43

Sure. So that's actually probably where I started my actual teaching experience. I was living in Italy and before that I had taken dance. I hadn't done the ballroom years yet. This was when I had just a little bit and it was Jane Fonda days, so there were some trainers there that were looking for people, and, and being an American, overseas at that time had a certain mystique and clout, because of course, Jane Fonda was Starting this whole new thing and it was kind of new and fresh and American was, you know, it had a mystique. So I, I was lucky enough to find this, just a wonderful, wonderful trainer there who was teaching a group of us how to teach aerobics. And this was the old style aerobics I had, you know, my high-waisted leotards, leg warmers, you know, the shoes, the whole bit. And it was it was a really, really, really wonderful experience. I remember being terrified. Terrified. The, the morning before I got an actual gig where I was going to teach and just like feeling like, I don't wanna do this. And then, you know, of course you get in there and you do something that you're terrified about. And then Your whole world kind of blows open, right? Because you walked through that fear and you did something. And it was just the beginning. It was just the beginning. You know, of course, I'm sure I, I was less than stellar. I'm quite sure of that at those beginning times because experience is the teacher. But I was so blessed to have that experience and then I ended up teaching overseas for many years and and then came back home and, and, you know, started more like my Nia Zumba journey here. Yeah, yeah. It had, okay, listen, I'm having a memory. From way back when, from when I came back and I had my little flyers and everything and I, it was like, and this is kind of a sign of the time, it was great Body dance aerobics, that was the name right? Great body. So it was like, Sue, it's about the body, you know? Get tone, get fit, get buff. Oh, that's so funny. That little memory, great body dance aerobics and my whole paradigm is just so different now. You know, and it's just a sweet memory.

Lisa: 19:24

That's great. Thanks for sharing that.

Alba: 19:26

Yeah. Thanks for, for inspiring the memory.

Lisa: 19:32

Are you, teaching groove at all or is it that you're incorporating it into your Nia

Alba: 19:38

I'm incorporating it into Nia because in Groove they're quite specific about Not following the leader and not doing necessarily choreographed things. And I find that I really love this combination of some choreography, even some that can be a little bit intricate because that is gonna develop a different thing in you, a different, it develops a different body mind connection. It, it It's exhilarating too when you have a little combination that you could not get right away, and then you do get it and it's like inside you, you're going, yeah, okay, I got this. I'm, I've expanded my movement box, I've expanded my life vocabulary a little bit. Right? And that to me is a very, Valuable and special part of the whole movement repertoire. And not that groove doesn't have it, but it has a, in a, in a different, and I think more limited way than does Nia, which is, and by limited I don't mean that it's less than it's just That particular aspect of, of having some of that really great choreography because you get to try different things in your body. You get to develop different things. You get to explore and do things that you're never gonna do on your own. You know, on our own, we always fall into. Our, our movement habits and in groove. There's also the invitation, you know, there's always these verbal invitations to expand out of that, to make it different and things like that. But but the choreography is its own unique magic. And I think for me, that definitely has a place in in What I share and my strengths as as a teacher or as a facilitator in in the movement world.

Lisa: 21:46

That's such a, a great point. I was just interviewing somebody who does West Coast swing and she was saying part of the value of it is the mental challenge of trying to, Anticipate what your partner is doing in your steps and following that person and more choreographed than, Groove is,

Alba: 22:07

Yeah. And then when you have partner dancing, that also invites an entire other universe of sensitivity and awareness and connection. It's I remember that from the ballroom. It's, it's fabulous. It's just fabulous training. It's like a whole, You're learning a whole other language than once you bring in partner dancing, leading, following, sensing. Yeah. It, it's the whole, they're universes. Every one of these disciplines or, or art forms, they're whole universes in and of themselves.

Lisa: 22:43

And I think to your point, I mean, people have to find what they're looking for. You know, groove. Groove does invite You to explore your own body to dance freely. But as you say, it may not challenge you enough to, step out of your comfort zone in some respects. So, if you want more of a leaded process, then it sounds like Nia could be a wonderful option for people.

Alba: 23:14

Yeah, I do, I do really love Nia because the, the Nia umbrella also allows for the groove expression, which is that kind of a, a more guided form of, personalized dance. So that's, that's under the umbrella of of Nia. For me, whereas my sense of groove is like, no, you don't do the choreograph stuff because we're not following the leader. But you know, sometimes I feel like in following the leader, you're going to receive something that you haven't. I. That isn't born of you, but once you've experienced it, then you infuse it with your expression. And that's the beauty, that's the, the beauty of blending. All those things. And yeah, you know, just, we're, we're, man, we live in a, in a, an amazingly rich time to be able to experience so many truly wonderful gifts of movement and, and all this, you know, it's all there for us to explore and flow with depending on where we are at any given point.

Lisa: 24:33

do you recollect any moment when it was particularly memorable, when you were doing Nia or perhaps somebody who was in your class that they shared with you?

Alba: 24:47

Lisa, there just been, have been so many moments, but there is one moment that I really remember, and this was after one of my classes. One of the students in my class came up to me and she was in tears and she said, thank you. That I never thought I would be. Able to move in this way again. And it was, it wasn't was she was said at something like that, but it was this thing of like, thank you. I never thought I would be moving like this again. So, yeah. So that, that was really memorable. But for me, every single class and that sense of Coming together as a unit, as this beautiful collective that is, the group experience is so precious, and then taking whatever that is, and then also making it your own. So for me, every and every single class has this, you know, coming together, playing, letting some of that stuff out. It's almost like we empty out. Some, we empty out a lot of the muck. We allow space for joy and for flow to come in, and sometimes for other stuff too. Sometimes in that emptying the muck process, you know, there's emotion there. honestly, every class is memorable. Every class has a moment I'm sure after we're finished I may think of like a dozen other things, but that's, that's what comes to me right now.

Lisa: 26:44

So building on that, what benefits would you say you've, you've noticed from taking or and leading Nia?

Alba: 26:54

Well, for me personally, it, it's, it's very much a a devotional thing. It's a form of service. I. It's something that I love to do. I mean, I love to do it. I love to bring that feeling to other people of, of. Finding themselves back in their body in a joyful way, doing a, a practice that invites play, that invites joy, that invites sustainability in a body because you're moving your body in these ways that will keep you agile and limber and able to move well. And freely and joyfully in a body, hopefully till your final days, you know? So, so that, that's huge. The, the. Ability to feel that I can move, that I can get up and down off the floor to feel good in my bones and my muscles for that, for myself. And I know that for everybody else too, especially, I tend to find at least the, the demographic where I am, that we're, we're a little bit older, so it is a.Precious gift to stay in movement to keep that ability alive. Being embodied, keeping it alive, keeping yourself healthy, fluid fit, and also moving energetically, moving energy. Many times things get stuck in our bodies and movement is the best. Or one of the best. Certainly it's, it's one of the very best for me, ways to move things through so they don't land and just stay and get stuck and, and turn into other things. So yeah, moving your body, moving the fluids, moving the energy, moving your spirit, the benefits are just endless.

Lisa: 29:00

As a, a young person, I never thought I would lose my fitness or not be able to do things, so it is wonderful to find a exercise. I'm putting that in quotes, that accommodates the aging process, but also helps you, as you were saying, to keep as much mobility and strength flexibility as you know, you possibly can.

Alba: 29:26

Absolutely. Absolutely. And in, in doing that, you're also really, I think keeping also your mind and your spirit agile and flexible and it's so all encompassing this thing of embodiment and really recognizing that we're in this vehicle and this vehicle is, its gold. It's, it's beyond a Ferrari. It deserves care. And especially as we get older, it maybe deserves And needs a little bit more care that's fine tuned so that it can keep moving and it can keep us growing both in, in body and spirit for all of our lives. You know, the vehicle is important. It's not the all of it, but it's, it's very important. It's the way that we're able to move in this world and have these experiences and it's a, it's a sacred temple and and caring for it should be a joy. And I think that's what I really love about any number of these practices is that they truly are joyful and that in addition to the actual very, very important benefits is what kind of keeps us coming back.

Lisa: 30:45

I was gonna ask you if people tell you, like why they keep coming back to the class or for yourself, why you keep coming back to the Nia?

Alba: 30:59

I think because of that, the joy is a huge thing and I think our own wisdom as we get older tells us, Hey, we need to do this. And then also, especially in these post covid times now that we are able to move together in community, in person, for me, And that's been enormous for many of us. And for my classes, I teach two classes a week and it has become a true community. So people keep coming back for the movement, for the music, for the benefits in the body, for the community Also for a place I think, where, you know, at least a couple of times a week, you're going to go through this full gamut of the range of motion or the, the expressions of movement that your body can do so that you'll be able to continue doing that again for the rest of your life, hopefully. And and that is that's a beautiful thing They just love it. They love it, they love it. They love, you know, the variety and the music and yeah, they love it. So, and I love it too. So

Lisa: 32:19

Do you have people that have been coming for a long time or do you find people are kind of in and then out of it or?

Alba: 32:26

I. have both, I have women that have been with me for years and years and years, and. From pre Covid, I've been here in Sedona for a very long time. Accepting a year, you know, accepting the Covid times where I moved around and we stopped in-person classes. So yes, I have women that have been coming, that have been dancing with me for over a decade. And I have many people that come in and out. They stay for a while, they leave for a while, they might come back. Some come and they try it and they really love it. Some come and they never come again, and some come once and then come back. You know, everybody's got their own kind of natural time and their rhythm and flow and it's all good. Yeah. So, yeah, a little bit of everything.

Lisa: 33:20

Do you have any recommendations for somebody that's thinking of trying it out?

Alba: 33:27

Try it out. Try it out. One of the, one of the things I really, really, really think, like you can sit and watch something and that's not gonna give you the vibe, honestly. You've got to just kind of get in there. Even doing it a little bit. And that's one of my challenges I have Like many of us, my attention span when I'm alone and just a screen, I, I, you know, I might incorporate some laundry folding in with my dancing and things like that. So for that reason, I really appreciate either live Zoom classes or in-person classes because they will keep me in the experience. So for somebody that's wanting to start out It might be wonderful for you to come into an in-person class to give it a try. It's also wonderful to explore something on YouTube to even sense to get the sense, is this something for me? But try it. Read sometimes for some people, and it is for me, if I read a little bit about something and the philosophy behind it appeals to me, that gives me a little more meaning around it. Yeah. And that can help be a motivator looking or exploring the benefits that both the physical benefits and the mental emotional benefits. Can also be a motivator for getting out and trying something. So everybody's a little different in how they're wired to, to move towards something. So yeah. So it's an exploration, right? But however it works for you, find your way to try it and find what. Works for you because different things are going to appeal to different people, and that's as it should be.

Lisa: 35:31

It sort of reminds me of, I think there's a saying, your vibe is your tribe, or

Alba: 35:36

Your vibe attracts your tribe,

Lisa: 35:38

Tribe. Yes. So I, I love that about your suggestion to kind of read about, read about Nia and see if that's something that resonates with you, because then I think if it does, then you will find your tribe, you know, within the Nia community.

Alba: 35:56

Yeah.

Lisa: 35:57

So if somebody comes to a class, what might be the components of the class? Like what can they expect to have happen?

Alba: 36:04

You know, Seven cycles. So there's a, an an in first. There's the introduction, especially if people are new. You talk a little bit about what to expect and what the class is gonna be about. And for me it's super, super important to really use language of permission, language where people really get and, and continue to, to use that language throughout. They really get that no matter What is being offered or what I may be doing that the final responsibility, the first and the final responsibility rests within them to choose the thing that feels right for their body. So they're really invited to tweak things, maybe make them smaller, make it bigger So that's a, that's the first thing of really setting up that base of permission. I know that Groove is very strong in this too. And that's a, that's a wonderful, it's just a wonderful thing. Cause often you really have to honor the courage of many people coming to a dance fitness class for the first time with You know, many people don't have a background and so they come with perhaps fears or thoughts or I can't do this, or I don't wanna look stupid or whatever. So really inviting that language of permission is a, is an important thing. And then we step in, it's a, a conscious leaving behind the day and coming fully into the present. So, Sometimes that's like a, a little ritualistic act of actually taking a step or two into the practice and leaving your day behind. Then there's the warmup, and then Nia calls it get moving. But that's the more cardio and more active part of the class. And again, there's, there's some free dance within that. There's some choreography within that. And then there's a cool down floor play. It's what they call work or play on the floor, which I think is really cool. And that can be, that's a more yogic, more healing, more meditative, te meditative, more strengthening things on the floor. And and then there's the stepping out or the stepping yeah, the stepping out of your Class, which is in some ways like a, a ritualistic thing of stealing your practice and moving out into your day and maybe taking a moment to consciously think about what you've experienced or what benefit or what upliftment you experienced and in any given way, and then taking that into the rest of your day. And I'll say this, that's also kind of a neat thing. And Nia, we do work with a focus. And an intent, and that's like a theme surrounding the class. For example, I taught this morning and I used today's theme was Root to Rise, and that's where we had these, this special awareness of really sending energy down through your feet into the earth to stabilize your movement. And from that strength and stability coming up through the body so that your movement up here isn't kind of flopping up here, but it's, everything is rooted and there's more of a sense of connectedness throughout. So There are a zillion different kind of themes or, or focuses that can be utilized with within a new experience to just bring like a little extra lens of awareness because as an embodiment practice is, it is also educational as, as, as you know. And yeah, so that's a, a really neat aspect of it as well.

Lisa: 40:10

That's, that's really cool. I thank you so much for that explanation. I, I didn't really know what the components of the class be, so I love hearing that.

Alba: 40:19

It is a really neat component of it. And It, it's neat. It's neat. It, it gives a whole other flavor and, and like the very same class, if you did everything the same from beginning to end and it never is, but it, but simply using a different focus, it would be a completely different experience. And it's, it's quite creative. It does bring elements in elements of your own imagination and your own inspiration. So Yeah, it's, it's a cool thing. It's a more conscious, you know, there's conscious dance. It's, it's a more conscious, more gently aware form of moving. So,

Lisa: 41:07

Cool. I know we didn't really touch on the streaming service, but Nia a does have a online presence where if people are interested in, you know, where they maybe can't find a Nia class or,

Alba: 41:22

Yeah

Lisa: 41:23

Don't have the time or whatever, that there is a Nia yeah. Streaming service. Do you, have you had experience with that or?

Alba: 41:32

you know, I have had an experience with it and it's really, really, really, really great. I tend to sometimes gravitate more towards certain teachers that are not even necessarily on that service. There's there's perhaps a stronger sense of parameters on the, the Nia presence online, and it's fabulous. It is fabulous. There are many, many, many other teachers individually here and there. Every teacher will bring their own magic and their own expression. So that's a wonderful, incredible, amazing place to start. So you're gonna find yourself finding one person, it's, oh my God, I love this. And, and a particular person through their style, perhaps through their personality, perhaps through their choices of music being incredibly auditory. Music for me is everything. And you might find that you gravitate more towards something like that and some others less so. But yes, it's a, it's a wonderful place to begin your exploration Check it out. It's awesome. Just like groove, you know, there's like so many really great and cool things online and Yeah. We're just blessed that we can explore all these things.

Lisa: 43:02

Yeah, I think it's wonderful that there's many avenues to find, you know, to, to dance. So, and that, that reminds me, I think on the n a page itself, you can look for Zoom classes with instructors. Is that right?

Alba: 43:21

I think so because I don't do it very much, but yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yes you can. And it's well worth exploring. There's so many really cool really cool teachers. They're on, on demand for sure, and many of them are not. Especially during Covid, you know, everybody kind of got an online presence, so I feel really blessed. I feel during that period of time I was able to hop around and really explore dancing with so many amazing talents and every one of them brought a little something that was their unique gift and their unique offering within the same Kind of the same pool of, of possibility, but everybody brings in their own spark and that that's the magic. That's really the magic. I love exploring. I love Trying new things and, and I find playing with, with different teachers and finding those that really inspire me on a soul level is is one of the gifts of, of different online presences.

Lisa: 44:41

Wonderful.

Alba: 44:42

then there's YouTube, and even YouTube has some things that you can, that you can find that are amazing as well.

Lisa: 44:49

Great, great advice. So as we wrap up here, is there anything you feel like we need to still cover or talk about? Anything that you wanna add to the conversation?

Alba: 45:02

No, I feel kind of talked out about it in a way. It's really fun to to talk about it all, but none of it is going to touch you in the same way as actually finding your music finding. That simple joy of movement and that, that beginning of, of. Really coming into your body in ways that just feel really good to you. There is also, I will say this, this is an important thing for many people who are new to Nia, and there's a lot of this on Nia, on Demand as well. There is an offshoot of Nia called Moving to Heal which is simply a gentler version with more. Awareness of of a little more stability and maybe not so many turns not so fast paced. And that's a, a really beautiful way to start if you are New or coming back to moving after a while. And it, it's also, it's extremely accessible and there's some wonderful teachers out there. So, so that, I think that's a really important thing.'cause I, I know for many the moving to Heal would be a wonderful step into And it may be all the movement you need. It, it's, it's yeah, but it's all the principles, all the benefits, all the beautiful music, but in a gentler and more accessible format for everybody. Truly, everybody.

Lisa: 46:44

That's wonderful. It sort of reminds me too that I, I forgot one question that I wanted to ask you is just how welcoming you feel like Nia is to people, maybe with different gender identities or racial backgrounds or,

Alba: 46:59

It's so welcoming. I mean, every like, I wish. Everybody would come, every gender, every orientation, every race, every color, every ethnic grouping. I wish everybody would come. As it stands, it tends to be, and for whatever reason that is, it tends to be white women. Tend to create, tend to make up the bulk of it. I wish there were more men, I wish there were more people of color. And I will say that Nia international is really working hard to really make, to open up those doors to really invite accessibility as is groove. I, I really love groove for that too. It's, it's, the invitation often is, is there and It's, it's the work of our times to really invite that in so that everybody everybody can come in and benefit not just from the physical thing, but also from coming together, you know, in more diversified groups.

Lisa: 48:08

That's, that's great. I love hearing that.'cause I think that, as you say, that is so important for these times, but,

Alba: 48:14

Yeah. Yeah, it is. It's, it's the work of our times, isn't it? Bringing us all together, the oneness. That's, that's it.

Lisa: 48:24

So if anybody's interested in connecting with you or finding out more about you, do you have a, a webpage or email or something that you'd like to share?

Alba: 48:35

I have a Nia, Sedona page on Facebook, which I'm rarely on. So it's got basically like a little something on there about my current classes. I do have a, a really sweet newsletter that I put out every week, and if anybody would like to be on that, they're welcome to send me an email and my email address. Shall I give it to you or do you wanna put it under somewhere?

Lisa: 49:04

I will definitely link it in the show notes, but if you wanted to say it as well right great.

Alba: 49:08

my email address is alba elena@msn.com, and it's spelled a L b A e l e n a@msn.com. And it's a, it's a lovely little newsletter just about. Music and our class for that week. It has our playlist for the week and you know, maybe a little something or other dance related and I just send it out once a week. If anybody would like to be on that please just email me and I'll be happy to add your name

Lisa: 49:43

Wonderful. Yeah, I'll definitely, I'll put that in the show notes and I just recently got on your email list and I really enjoy your newsletter, so thank you for that and thank you so much for your time, Alba. It's been really wonderful talking to you.

Alba: 49:58

Lisa, thank you. It's really, really good talking with you and seeing you again. And, and I I wanna say thank you for like, asking all these questions because it's kind of neat for me too to. Even kind of go within myself and, and find the answers to your questions, even for myself to kind of crystallize certain things in my own being with regards to this thing that we do. So thank you my friend Thank you, anybody who's listening, and I do hope you find your way to something, that movement practice that brings you joy. Be that what it may.

Lisa: 50:42

Absolutely. That's perfect. Thank you Alba.

Alba: 50:44

All right, my friend. Take care.

Lisa: 50:47

You too.

Alba: 50:48

Bye.

Lisa: 50:48

Bye