Nia News

Well, big decision made- and Yippee! I feel free and untied. 

I have felt very tied up and confused and at a crossroads about what to do with my Nia practice. And after talking about it this weekend with Eric I realized what I want-

 I am not going to be leading any more Friday or Saturday classes at the Pink Cloud Creative Space.  

I have decided to discontinue my membership/ certification/ teacher status. Because I have always wanted to just be in a Nia class- not be a teacher. And now there is a teacher, a White belt trained teacher in Norman who is starting classes in March! Yippee! 

I will be going once a week at least!

Here is a link to her page and schedule

 -http://www.facebook.com/events/198290576962196/?fref=ts

I also want to take other dance classes! I want to tap and roller blade and go to Gloria's Zumba class at the N.Side Y. 

I just finished a "Yoga 101" eight class commitment that was wonderful! Here's  a link to the very sweet teacher, Trinity that will be doing more of those in March and April and teaches higher levels of Yoga as well.-http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trinityyogini-Mays/190848327615003?fref=ts

But to those of you who did come Nia at the Pink Cloud- I am so grateful to you all for trying it out with me! I had a blast! Every single time, no matter how many of us, or how I felt before the class- always after- I felt so much better. I felt lighter, more open, more accepting and I felt connected to each one of you, to my body, to a power greater than myself. And that is wonderful! 

I hope we get to move or talk or see and connect with each other in some way soon!

With huge gratitude and freedom and a happy heart,

Kari

Art Expands Your Soul

Painting, singing, dancing, acting, writing, sculpting-
using your imagination to create expands your soul. 
This is what I heard today from our friend; actor, director, writer Linda McDonald.  She was speaking about Art and spirituality at the Morning Star Community Center in Norman, OK. 

I have also been thinking about music and acting and the local community of musicians and actors in OKC because we lost a local rhythm and blues legend, Basile Koliopoulos this week. 

Steve Hill wrote so beautifully -

Rhythm and Blues grabbed you by the lapels and left you all shook up and never more alive. Lightning flew from the amps, and the crowd caught it and threw it right back. Then the house lights come up: a harsh, florescent reminder that there’ll be no encore tonight. Not tonight.

The Fortune Tellers (Basile Kolliopoulos, second from left)               And so you walk into the cool night air with nothing but memories and a ringing in your ears. Against the dull buzz, you hear your heart beat.Thump. Thump. Thump. It sounds like a backbeat. It sounds like rhythm.

And you smile because you know that, while the show’s over, the rhythm’s still there. It’s Robert Johnson and Howlin’ Wolf coursing through your veins. It’s James Brown, Johnny Cash, Eddie Cochran, Elvis and Keith Moon pounding in your heart. 

It’s Basile Kolliopoulos and every person who’s ever strapped on a guitar and counted off, “One ... two ... three ... four ...”

He’s part of that rhythm now. Always will be.

Steve Hill, chief of staff to Mayor Mick Cornett, was a music columnist for Oklahoma Gazette throughout most of the 1980s. 

Thirteen years ago Jef Fontana,  http://newsok.com/entertainer-touched-many-local-actor-remembered-in-big-way/article/2671571 my husband's friend and enormously talented actor passed away and the collective sadness and heaviness in the theatre community was very much like the feeling this week with the musicians and fans of The Fortune Tellers and The Reverb Brothers.

In honor of those insanely talented and courageous artists who put it all out there on stages for us to experience- I feel this gratitude under all the sad and heavy- which connects me to sparks and energy and life to keep creating, producing, directing, writing, dancing, whatever I feel moved to do not because I will be noticed or recognized or famous or god forbid I make any money at it but because it expands my soul. And then I am a part of the rhythm too, part of life and what makes it fun. and exciting. and memorable. and full.


I will be leading the Nia Class this Friday morning 9:30-10:30am and Saturday is our Second Saturday of Month Saturday morning Jam Class 10-11am So please feel free to bring a friend and check it out. (first class always free) at the Pink Cloud Creative Space
www.pinkclouok.com

"Get up offa that thing... Lets dance . C'mon"

Words of the late great JAMES BROWN.
I was moved to share this post today on facebook and cannot get enough of this ...
can you click on this Youtube link and see the awesomeness? 

Come to Nia this Saturday if you feel like dancing! 
I promise we will have fun 
might even throw in a little James Brown 
somewhere in the mix! Yeow!! 
Second Saturday Nia Dance 10am -11:00 
@ The Pink Cloud Creative Space, 
2909 N. McKinley, 73106
www.pinkcloudok.com

True Story- I danced with James Brown! Oh Yes I did.  
In San Francisco, 1986, at the Venetian Room in the Fairmont Hotel . We had just moved out there- Margaret, Holly, Millie, Kate, Van, Derek, Dale,  and I. I was 22 years old and got tickets to this James Brown concert  as a Valentines Day gift  from my Uncle Danny and I took my new acting class scene partner, comedian friend, Matt Weinhold. 
    From 1947 to 1989, the Venetian Room at the Fairmont Hotel rated high among American         supper clubs. It was there that Tony Bennett introduced his signature song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," and show business notables like Ella Fitzgerald, Marlene Dietrich, Tina Turner, Joel Grey, Bobby Short, James Brown, Vic Damone and Nat "King" Coleheld forth to the martini-and-cigarette crowd. 
There were chandeliers and it was round tables with 10 seats all the way up to the stage. No dance floor! No standing in front of the stage!  We were young and stupid and underdressed. We did not bring tip-the-host money and so we were seated against the back wall. We were the youngest in the audience by far. Mid way throught he show, about  5 of us young'uns were the only ones who got up "offa seats to dance COME ON!" and we were sort of dance/walking toward the stage , me leading, of course, dork with no fear, and we were ambling toward the stage when he sees us and makes eye contact with me and reaches his hand out to beckon us closer still. I look back rocking & smiling to the others who were with me way back at the back of the room and who are all now... gone..... seated.... vanished... Just me, in my stupid outfit, boxy white blouse with shoulder pads and black mini skirt (I wasn't TOTALLY underdressed- just no hat or fur stole like the fancy ladies wore) and I was CAUGHT mid-audience- arms up= dance/walking, like a fool. I looked back, saw my friend, Matt , waaaaaaay back, standing on his seat,  motioning me to keep going forward. And my life flashed before my eyes, all my friends in OKLA, my Uncle Danny who gave me the tickets, my self-conscious, dorky dancing at clubs and concerts, Prairie Dance Theatre modern dance classes,Central Innovative High School dance classes, my roommates back at the house in San Francisco who were so jealous we got to go....  I    COULD    NOT    STOP    I was getting helped ONTO  the stage with THE GODFATHER OF SOUL and FUNK and DANCE CAPTAIN of the WORLD ! And there I was dancing WITH JAMES BROWN and he was touching my love handles (blech) and spun me around and then I looked at his face and he had so much sweat pouring down from the top of his head and makeup runnning off his cheeks that it was shocking and I must have looked surprised because he smiled that HUGE big smile 

                 
and I laughed and there was applause as he helped me offstage and I walked all jelly-legged back to the back of the room to my friend.  He, who helped me retell the story to my roomies later that night and everyone else I came in contact with for the next few years. 
That was a great TRUE STORY of my dance history ! YEOW!

12/12/12

Looking out and up. Not in and down. 

New schedule for NiaOKC: 

• NO MORE NIA THURSDAY NIGHTS AT CITY ARTS CENTER

• YES still Fabulous Fridays 9:30-10:30am @ Pink Cloud Creative Space, Dec. 14, 21, 28, 2012- come and bring a friend or your mom! 

• NEW-Second Saturday-SWEET! 2013-  January 12                            NIA JAM Dance Class 10-11am                                                @ The Pink Cloud Creative Space

Happy High Vibrational Holidays to everyone who reads this and everyone has ever come to my class- you have filled me with joy of movement - I am SO GRATEFUL!
Together--- is where it's at. I don't do it alone.

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!

This week NOV 12 - 18

The next 2 week's schedule is: No Nia....
Wed, Thurs, or Friday. I am having a little tiny surgery but still need to take it easy. And then next week is Thanksgiving week!!!! So No Nia again until:

Nov 29 Thurs, 6-7pm              @ City Arts Center

Nov 30 Fri,  9:30-10:30am      @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Dec 6 Thurs, 6-7pm              @ City Arts Center

Dec 7 Fri,  9:30-10:30am      @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Dec 13 Thurs, 6-7pm              @ City Arts Center

Dec 14 Fri,  9:30-10:30am      @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Dec 21 Fri,  9:30-10:30am  FAMILY NIA  @ Pink Cloud 

I am thankful for my health today and have best friends who are going through major health stuff right now.  
Shit happens.. yeah, but also and more important to me now to know--
Healing happens.
There is help and support and comfort here for us...
Hopefully our daughter's broken bone has healed and she will get her cast off her little arm today!

So I am going to keep affirming this and I will send healing love and light everyday specifically to those I know and love and big blanket generally to all who are suffering inside or outside with their health. 


I wish everyone a healthy and happy week! 
Kari

HOLISTIC DANCE FITNESS CLASSES (nia)

Welllllll shoot- No Nia w/Adelle this weekend.

I am SO SORRY to say, the special Nia classes with Adelle, from San Antonio, that were scheduled this Fri and Sat, Nov 9 & 10 @ Range of Motion Studio 

have been CANCELLED

And wow.... with this I realize and breathe.... and create some space inside... then I smiled instead of grrrrrrrimaced... I am learning....my Nia experience is about  FLEXIBILITY and PATIENCE and RIGHT TIMING not MY TIMING... 

It is just not right now for her to come to OKC but she will come again and I will let you all know. 

But you can still come Friday 9:30-10:30am @ Pink Cloud Creative Space -

always a beautiful, connecting experience. 

I'm still having Thursday 6-7pm @ City Arts Center for a while longer...

And I am dropping the Wednesday noon class for now. 

Here is the revised schedule for Nov/Dec

Nov 8 Thurs, 6-7pm               @ City Arts Center

Nov 9 Fri,  9:30-10:30am        @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

no classes this week- i'm having minor, out-patient surgery- but need to recover-
then THANKSGIVING...favorite holiday...gratitude...pie...glorious weather...

           

Nov 29 Thurs, 6-7pm              @ City Arts Center

Nov 30 Fri,  9:30-10:30am      @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Dec 6 Thurs, 6-7pm              @ City Arts Center

Dec 7 Fri,  9:30-10:30am      @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Dec 13 Thurs, 6-7pm              @ City Arts Center

Dec 14 Fri,  9:30-10:30am      @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Dec 21 Fri,  9:30-10:30am  FAMILY NIA  @ Pink Cloud 

Also want to ask you what you think of my calling the classes "Holistic Dance Fitness Classes" (www.nianow.com)? I was talking with a 10 year yoga studio owner, husband, friends, and we think it might be a good idea to call my classes this with nia in parentheses instead of the other way around like I have been doing... what do you think? 

XOXOXOXOX 
Kari

Thank you, Gabrielle Roth

I must share this beautiful tribute:

Yesterday October 22nd 2012; The world, our world, lost a gifted teacher, sage, guide, teacher, and master of the art of living and moving in the body. Gabrielle Roth was a woman of great vision who changed my world and our world by asking us to dance the rhythms of life. In doing so, I, and many others discovered new and enlightened pathways to self discovery. We fell in love with free, unstructured dance and found our body and made a sacred connection to something greater, something that made us feel vital, alive, connected to self, to music, to movement, to others, to divinity. Beyond the veils of spoken language Gabrielle taught us to communicate through the body in motion and in stillness. She taught us to experience movement as a way to understand how we interact with the people and events of our lives. She taught me that using the fleeting moments of now is a profound way to discover a universal force that naturally shines through and illuminates what is to make it, something bigger. This "something" is a part of humanity and spirit, that Gabrielle knew could never be fixed in form, or in language. But more as "something" given quietly, like the gift of a next breath. This is the many gifts Gabrielle has left behind for us all, the breath, a motion, and Gabrielle’s vision. Gabrielle was one of the brave ones she was committed to a life of change and discovery. I and multitudes around the world will continue to dance in her light. Using the resonance of our dance, may we do our part to carry her into her new world, where she is bound to dance for eternity as she danced for and through life.

I ask you to help me celebrate and honor the life of Gabrielle Roth,

 ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrielle_Roth ) one of the world’s leaders in somatic education and movement. Talk about Gabrielle’s life to 10 people you know this week. Dedicate your class dance to Gabrielle. Take a moment to give gratitude for Gabrielle her art full life and the positive impact her life had and will continue to have till the end of days.

"To sweat is to pray, to make an offering of your innermost self. Sweat is holy water, prayer beads, pearls of liquid that release your past. Sweat is an ancient and universal form of self healing, whether done in the gym, the sauna, or the sweat lodge. I do it on the dance floor. The more you dance, the more you sweat. The more you sweat, the more you pray. The more you pray, the closer you come to ecstasy." - Gabrielle Roth

Love,
Debbie Rosas
Nia Technique Co-creator and Founder

wow. 

How grateful I am for women who gone before me and like Debbie living fully, lives of creativity and courage. I am inspired to do it too. I hope you will too with whatever you want to do and go out and be great at it -because that what the universe wants you to be doing- what you love! There you have my permission.

Go! 

Current Nia  OKC Calendar-

Oct 26  Fri,  9:30-10:30am        @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Oct 27 Sat, 10:30-11:30am       @ Pacer Fitness Center

Oct 31 Wed     BOO! its halloween!    Nia CANCELLED

Nov 1 Thurs, 6-7pm               @ City Arts Center
Nov 2 Fri,  9:30-10:30am       @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Nov 7 Wed, 12-1pm               @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Nov 8 Thurs, 6-7pm               @ City Arts Center

Nov 9 Fri,  9:30-10:30am        @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Nov 9 Fri, 7-8pm                    @ Range of Motion Studio-with Black Belt Trainer/Teacher Adelle Brewer

Nov 10 Sat, 9:30-10:30am      @ Range of Motion Studio-with Black Belt Trainer/Teacher Adelle Brewer

Nov 14 Wed, 12-1pm             @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Nov 15 Thurs, 6-7pm              @ City Arts Center

Nov 16 Fri,  9:30-10:30am      @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Nov 21Wed 12-1 FAMILY NIA @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Nov 23Fri 9:30-10:30FAMILY NIA @ Pink Cloud Creative

Nov 28 Wed, 12-1pm             @ Pink Cloud Creative Space

Nov 29 Thurs, 6-7pm              @ City Arts Center

Nov 30 Fri,  9:30-10:30am      @ Pink Cloud Creative Space