Hope is around the corner as New Zealand moves into Level 3 but unfortunately, many public facilities such as gyms, dance studios, and in-person fitness classes are still not able to be accessed. However, that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing available to participate in during Alert Level 3. This blog will be covering amazing online dance fitness classes, going in-depth on how and where to access them, what class is right for you, and what classes practice.
Participate in Nia Dance over Lockdown
Nia Dance is a non-impact holistic practice that includes 52 movements that resemble and are inspired actions from 9 different martial, healing, and dance arts. This movement form is unique in that it requires no equipment, including shoes, as it is best practiced barefoot!
You can perform Nia Dance standing up in a spacious environment at home, outside, or at a public class. Or it can even be practiced sitting down, using only your upper body. This makes it ideal for anyone, no matter your abilities, mobility level, or access to specific environments.
Nia Dance can also open the gateway to wonderful benefits, including mental, emotional, and physical health and lifestyle benefits. Weight loss, muscle growth, posture support, and pain relief are all common benefits of Nia Dance.
It can also help with cognitive and organ functions, as well as depression and anxiety symptoms. It can also help with circulation and cardiovascular health, as well as balance and coordination. All of these are crucial health advantages to think about during a lockdown.
Dance NZ’s Online Classes and Replays
Dance NZ offers a wide choice of classes that are specifically tailored to meet the needs and abilities of each individual. Classic Nia is suitable for everyone and comes highly recommended if you’re a seasoned dancer or fitness enthusiast.
Gentle Nia is ideal for beginners, but it also works for people who aren’t in that category. Nia Dance Move to Heal is a soft-movement-focused class for those healing from injuries or illnesses. Nia for Parkinson’s Freedom Dance is a class created specifically for people with Parkinson’s disease and their caretakers.
You may still be obliged to work from home and may not be able to commit to a certain class depending on your present job. Dance NZ, on the other hand, has a solution for this as well. There are 24-hour replays of several classes available for purchase, which may be browsed and purchased here.
Replays are available for 24 hours and can be seen as many times as you want within that time frame. This frees you from feeling obligated to attend a set class time and allows you to rewind, fast-forward, and rewatch as much as you choose.
Accessing Nia Dance From Home
Below we have included a video of Belinda, your teacher at Dance NZ, teaching classes from her home as well as a perspective from her TV where you can see what dancing with her over Zoom would look like.
You and your peers participating in Dance NZ classes are the small windows at the top, with Belinda’s camera being the main, larger image so you can see the movements and routine in perfect detail. As you can see along the top, some Dance NZ students have their camera on and others have it off. Depending on what makes you feel the most comfortable, you have the option of leaving your camera and microphone on.
Having it on can provide a deeper connection to the class and allow your teacher to see how you’re performing the movements. Leaving your camera and microphone off is also completely fine and may provide a high level of comfortability and optimise your participation.
All of Dance NZ’s lessons are live-streamed on Zoom, a video-sharing app. You may have used Zoom before during lockdown last year or this year. If you haven’t already done so, downloading Zoom and using it to access your class is really simple. You can view a YouTube tutorial here on how to set up Zoom if you are unfamiliar.
Zoom is available on most platforms, including tablets, laptops, and smartphones; but, to get the most out of your viewing experience, you should connect your device to a television. The larger the screen, the simpler it will be to see your class.
Using either a Chromecast or an HDMI connection, you may transport the video feed from your devices to your TV. You can read our blog here on how to optimise your Dance NZ viewing and participation.
Book Now
Don’t wait and hope that Alert Level 2 is just around the corner. Lockdown is unpredictable but don’t let that hold you back from taking advantage of the time you have during this period. Join in and participate in a Dance NZ class to rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul.
Weekly Dance classes to choose from , dancing Live Online or In person at our Dance Venues
In order to book a class, you must be signed up to Dance NZ as a member. You can become sign up to be a member for free here.
• Nia Dance Move to Heal: This class is at 11:15 a.m, each Tuesday. The location is at Saint Aidan’s Hall. Zoom sessions are also available here.
• Classic Nia One: 5:30 p.m, every Tuesday. The location is Waikato Sports and Fishing Club, which is on Grantham Street in the Hamilton area. Zoom sessions are also open here.
• Gentle Nia: 9:30 a.m, every Wednesday. The location is at Raglan Town Hall, which is on 41 Bow Street in Raglan. Zoom sessions are also open here.
• Classic Nia Two: 9:30 a.m, every Friday. The location is at Saint John’s Hall, which is at 20 Wellington Street in Hamilton. Zoom sessions are also open here.
• Nia for Parkinson’s Freedom Dance: 12:00 pm, every Friday. The location is Saint John’s Hall. Zoom sessions are also open here.
Learn more about the Nia Technique at nianow.com.