Dance Fitness with Jenn Hicks

Inverted Equilibrium
1139 College Street

This low impact Dance Fitness class uses diverse music and accessible dance movements to create a dynamic and energizing aerobic workout. How does Nia work?

You will be motivated by the joyful, supportive & fun environment. No experience required. Nia is a fun, spirited & soulful workout. Nia is a blended fitness form combining dance arts, martial arts & healing arts (yoga). Nia is a unique and personalized movement experience that will nourish your body, cleanse your mind and tickle your soul! Watch a video of a Nia student's experience in a class he

re:

www.jennhicks.ca/Nia

What I love about Nia is that it empowers people of all shapes and sizes by connecting the body, mind, emotions and spirit. Classes are taken barefoot to soul-stirring music in more than 45 countries. Trainings teach people how to get in their body, learn about The Body's Way and cultivate body-centered awareness. Every experience can be adapted to individual needs and abilities. Step into your own joyful journey with Nia, and positively shape the way you feel, look, think and live! What is the Nia Experience? The Nia experience is how we describe the sensation of taking a Nia class. Typically Nia classes include 55 minutes of movement to diverse music. Every Nia class has 7 Cycles beginning with a focus and intent. Every class offers a unique combination of 52 moves that correspond with the main areas of the body: base, core and upper extremities. Stiff beginners and highly fit athletes alike can adapt Nia to meet their needs by choosing from three intensity levels. Nia has 52 moves that optimize the body's natural design. Nia choreography is body-centered and allows practitioners to connect to nine diverse movement styles: Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido, jazz dance, modern dance, Duncan dance, yoga, Alexander Technique and Teachings of Moshe Feldenkrais. Nia classes balance form with freedom encouraging people to personalize the movements making choices for pleasure and comfort. Why was Nia created? Nia was created to self-heal the body using music and movement. When Nia creators Debbie and Carlos took their shoes off in 1983, Nia as a barefoot movement class was born from a shared insight that we can learn to move naturally, the body's way. Nia was created to explore the movement potential of the body. Influenced by the grounded non-impact movement of martial arts, Debbie and Carlos realized that through dance movement body-centered awareness could be generated through purposeful movement practice and paying attention to sensation. The 7 Cycle Nia class grew from this practice and became the basis for the Nia belt program that teaches people 52 principles for conscious movement. What is Nia's purpose? Nia’s purpose is to grow a worldwide community of healthy people who are empowered to do great things. We believe every person can discover, explore, unleash and enhance their individual potential to live a fulfilling and meaningful life – by engaging their senses and listening to their bodies. With the right tools and education, we can increase our confidence and happiness. We can become connected to others to shape a consciousness that extends beyond our own. Learn more about Nia at www.jennhicks.ca/Nia or www.nianow.com

02/21/2024

I'm really excited to share that Teresa Myers and I will be presenting at the Body Positive Fitness Alliance’s FitPro Summit May 18th & 19th in Philadelphia, PA.

We're delighted to have been chosen to present our work in Embodied Social Justice that prioritizes accessibility and inclusivity by emphasizing safety, dignity and belonging in movement experiences.

We are also looking forward to connecting with fellow fitness professionals who are doing the brave work of deconstructing toxic fitness culture and who are committed to equitable access to exercise.

Join us in person or online if you can!

More info below ⬇️

https://www.bodypositivefitness.org/summit-2024/

12/23/2023

I have some rather big news to share.

After 17 years of teaching Nia, I am choosing to step away from the practice. There are many reasons for this, most of which have to do with the misalignment of the leadership with the practice principles and philosophies. This was not an easy decision to make, but a necessary one for me to remain aligned with my own values. You can read more about the "why's" behind my decision below.

Moving on… - Jenn Hicks I have been teaching Nia since 2006 and have devoted 17 years of my life to sharing this practice. Throughout this time, the movement has been like a balm for my body and soul; it has soothed me in places that I didn't know existed. Over the years, I have received so much personal connection,

09/24/2023

Group outing for Toronto dancers! Let's go to this Pow Wow after class next Sat Sept 30 to observe National Truth and Reconciliation Day. Come for awhile and wear orange! LMK if you want to join and we'll arrange a meeting time/location.

If you need an orange shirt and want to shop local (East York), I suggest getting one from Old's Cool General Store.Not only is this a Q***r BIPOC-owned community store & activism space, but the art for their 2023 t-shirts is created by Ojibwe artist Roxanne Thibault from Dokis First Nation and proceeds go to Anishnawbe Health Toronto. You can have the t-shirt shipped or pick up at the store (250 Westlake Avenue Toronto ON).

Note: I have no paid affiliation with Old's Cool. I just think they're doing fantastic work, and I happened to share a locker with Zahra (one of the store moms) in high school. 😊

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

NATIVE CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES OF TORONTO’S 26TH ANNUAL COMMUNITY POW WOW!

🔶 Saturday, September 30, 2023 🔶
• Sunrise Ceremony – 6 AM
• Grand Entry – 12 PM
• Retiring of Flags – 5 PM

🔸 Dufferin Grove Park, located at 875 Dufferin Ave. Toronto, ON 🔸

KNOWLEDGE CARRIERS – Pat and Linda Green
EMCEE – Ian Akiwenzie
HOST DRUM – Dabezdaguzh
CO-HOST DRUM – All Nations Junior
TWO-SPIRIT HEAD DANCER – Michael Healy
HEAD DANCER – Ciara John
HEAD DANCER – Jay Lomax
YOUTH HEAD DANCER – Ashton St. Hill
YOUTH HEAD DANCER – Jada McGregor-Dickens

All Are Welcome!

🔹 VENDOR APPLICATIONS - NOW CLOSED🔹

For more information, please contact [email protected]

✅ Supported by TD Ready Commitment

Embodied Social Justice with guests Teresa Myers & Jennifer Hicks

08/04/2023

So thrilled to share with you the most recent episode of the podcast (with Jennifer Moorman Bolanos & Raquel Howard).

In it Teresa Myers & I share our work with Nia and Embodied Social Justice. We discuss how being embodied is not only beneficial for us as individuals but how it helps us afford that same respect and humanity towards others. Thank you to Teresa who continually inspires me to do the work to be a better human. 💗

Enjoy!

Embodied Social Justice with guests Teresa Myers & Jennifer Hicks This week Raquel and Jennifer speak with Teresa Myers and Jennifer Hicks. Teresa and Jennifer are Nia Technique Teachers and Trainers who teach somatic fitne...

08/03/2023

🎤 Today I had the privilege of sharing the creative work I do with my business partner Robin Harris Gertin in the field of . We were interviewed for Mosaic Home Care & Community Resource Centre’s podcast called “Life In Canada”.

🌀 Stay tuned for the episode where we discuss inclusive arts-based programming, destigmatizing dementia & our work with Reimagining Dementia: A Creative Coalition.

Photos from Dance Fitness with Jenn Hicks's post

07/11/2023

🌀What is mindful movement?

👣 Moving mindfully means paying attention and staying in the present moment. When we bring mindfulness to our movement, we are letting go of distractions and are aware of our bodies.

👍🏻If I’m being mindful when I move I am in my present-day body and listening to the messages that it is giving me in real time. This results in me making movement choices that can help me feel better.

📖 Learn more about mindful movement through Nia by clicking through the images or read a full post about it at https://jennhicks.ca/2023/06/how-to-move-mindfully/

07/10/2023

It’s a week full of movement opportunities with 20 min, 60 min, seated/gentle classes & more.

Beginners welcome - we can’t wait to meet you!

www.jennhicks.ca

07/08/2023

Are you someone who processes feelings and emotions through movement? I love using Nia to do that - it makes everything feel so much less complicated.

Join us to move some energy in person
TOMORROW (Sunday)
10-11am
Joy of Dance Centre
Everybody is welcome!

07/07/2023

Last week I had a a rich conversation with Marie-Pier Pitre-D’Iorio, Registered Dietician and founder of The Balanced Practice.

We discussed what it means to move mindfully and how you can enjoy an approach to exercise that prioritizes pleasure over extreme workouts and pain. I shared parts of my own story discovering mindful movement through Nia and gave tips about starting to slowly come home to your body through mindful movement during recovery from an eating disorder.

Have a listen!

https://jennhicks.ca/2023/07/embracing-mindful-movement-moving-in-ways-that-feel-good-to-you/

07/02/2023

Hoping Nia has the same healing effect on my mom’s plants as it does for me!

06/30/2023

Thank you for the reminder: my specialness deserves protection. Our uniqueness matters and we need to uphold that in ourselves and each other!

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Location

Toronto

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Telephone

+14165734911

Website

http://www.jennhicks.ca/

Address

95 Danforth Avenue, 3rd Floor
Toronto, ON
M4K1N2