DIANE AGNEW:505.615.4085,Email Diane,Diane's Website
Diane Agnew discovered Nia a year and a half ago and it has been love ever since. She holds a Masters Degree in Hydrology from New Mexico Tech and has always loved combining her passion for science with her craving for creativity and body health. Diane is a certified Nia White Belt instructor, who decided to take the training order to enrich her Nia practice. The training was a life-altering experience and Diane made the choice to become at teacher with the intent of sharing Nia, and the many joys associated with practicing the Nia Technique, with others. Diane brings a fresh edge to Nia that will energize and transform in an enhanced group experience.
PAM ARENELLA:505.363.2838,Email Pam
From the day she took her first Nia class in 2004, Pam has known that Nia was going to be an important part of her life. The joy and playfulness that she experienced in that first class, was so inspiring to her that she wanted to continue to come to class and to learn more about Nia. Trained as a singer and musician, she has always appreciated the relationship between music and movement. As a physician and psychiatrist, she believes passionately in the ‘mind body connection,’ and feels that Nia’s self healing properties can be helpful for both emotional and physical health. She attended her White Belt training in February of 2008 with the intention of deepening her own relationship to Nia, and the thought that ‘someday’ she would like to teach Nia. Since completing the training, she has felt a compelling desire to share her passion for Nia with others.
JUDY CATES: 505.265.1918, Email Judy
Judy has been a Nia White Belt Teacher for two years, since 2006. She has been picking up momentum during the past 15 months in her classes, teaching and enriching students in the Art, Science and Spirit of Nia. She will take her next step into her Nia experience soon by planning toward attending a Nia Green Belt Intensive training within the next 12-15 months, and a Blue Belt Intensive soon after, both of which promise to enhance her connection with her students in many new and unexpected ways. Judy is a business woman with an MBA, who lives in the Albuquerque area. She is a family woman, past grassroots activist, and a dancer. Besides dancing, she loves people and music; likes to read, garden, bike, hike, and embark on new adventures. Current adventure: NIA!
ELIZABETH CERVANTES: Elizabeth Cervantes holds a Masters Degree in Water Resources from the University of New Mexico. She currently works for the State Engineer in the field of water rights administration. She is a certified white belt Nia instructor, who has studied and loved dancing since she was a child. Through the white belt intensive experience she learned that she has only scratched the surface of the Nia experience and she would now like to deepen that experience by studying and teaching Nia. She discovered Nia over five years ago and has been an avid Nia dancer since that time. She is also a golfer and has found that her Nia practice allows her to maintain the flexibility and strength necessary to play golf. Nia has given Elizabeth an avenue to experience the joy of dance in everyday life with the benefits of fitness and healing and she would like to share that experience with others.
ERIN DAMOUR: 505.459.3628, Email Erin
I have been "dancing through life" with Nia for over seven years and am a licensed certified Nia blue belt. My mother has shared that I never stopped moving, skipping, dancing, jumping, and running through my childhood. I enjoy celebrating the body as a place for fun, expression, exploration, and creativity. In addition to a BA in Anthropology and Sociology, 200 hours of training in hatha yoga, and owning CreativeWren Design and Dance, I have interests in international health and travel, photography and graphic design. As a teacher, I bring calm and supportive energy to my classes which are spirited and filled with my own raw curiosity for sharing Nia and its lessons. Come join me for a playful, non-competitive hour of pleasure! I currently teach at Sway on Wednesday nights at 7pm and in the College of Education's Department of Physical Education at UNM on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30pm.
MICHELE DIEL: 505.265.6748, Email Michele
I love to dance. It is a perfect way for me to express my emotions, to connect with other people, to exercise, to celebrate being alive. Come dance with me to Jewish folk music from Eastern Europe. I have taught Klezmer dance at the Albuquerque Folk Festival, and led the dancing at Winning Coffee House, the Los Alamos County Fair, Globalquerque, the Albuquerque TriCentenial Celebration, and Nahalat Shalom. I am also a white belt in NIA and CPR certified. I look forward to dancing with you!
ANA EDWARDS: 505.417.7062, Email Ana
Ana Edwards has been practicing Nia on a daily basis for two years. She completed her Nia White Belt training and became a Licensed Nia Teacher in October, 2006. Her intent is to share holistic healing and body harmony via the Nia technique with all those who dream of experiencing the joy of movement through the body's innate sense of dance. Ana's Nia experience is supported by an extensive music education, a Masters Degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and many years of Modern Dance training. "Nia is delicious, intense and life-altering. Be powerful, be flexible, stay young - try Nia!"
JUDY GREEN: 505.281.4533, Email Judy
I've been a yoga practitioner most of my life. Searching out ways to combine the practice with dance movement, I followed a path that led through Feldenkrais, Pilates, Nia, and other movement works. Eight years ago, I began classes with Naomi Dunn in Santa Fe. Her 35-year experience as a dance/movement therapist changed and greatly benefited my life. Three years ago I was certified by Naomi to teach her work. It is my intention to share this very beneficial bodywork. Mindful Movement is a life-quality commitment for our classes, full of joy. This class activates deep core awareness and full body strength. Exercises flow continuously using linear and spiraling motion, with a focus on alignment and balance. Judy teaches Naomi's bodywork locally, and in Santa Fe when Naomi is traveling.
ELIZABETH JOHNSON: 505.699.9608, Email Elizabeth Elizabeth's Website
Elizabeth has been dancing through life since childhood. At 5, she started weekly tap, ballet and jazz classes mixed with roller skating, bike riding, swimming, climbing trees, horseback riding and gymnastics. After two years of Nia classes as a student, Elizabeth cofounded a Nia center in Asheville, NC. She then promptly completed her White Belt Training with Black Belt Teacher Trainer, Jane Pagano. Elizabeth received her Blue Belt Certification in 2003, Brown Belt Certification in July 2005 and Black Belt Certification in July 2006 from the Nia originators, Debbie Rosas and Carols Rosas. Elizabeth teaches regular classes in the Albuquerque area and leads a variety of specialty Nia "Play"shops. She enjoys teaching anyone seeking joy, wellness/healing, fitness, recovery, weight loss, strength, grace, mobility and a sense of well being. Elizabeth's students include dancers, healers, at-risk youth, college students and professors, doctors, recovery and therapeutic groups, and lots of regular people. She holds a BA in Psychology, an MBA in Business and is working towards a PhD developing a learning model which includes movement.
LISA MAYNES: 505.331.7026, Email Lisa
Lisa has been a life-long “dancing nerd”, balancing her passion for all forms of dance with her high-tech profession. She began dancing during childhood, and for 25 years studied and performed jazz dance, modern dance, gymnastics and ballet. About 15 years ago, she began exploring partner dance—West Coast Swing, Hustle, country/western and ballroom—in which she now competes. Nerd-wise, Lisa holds a B.A. in Physics, an M.S. in Computer Graphics, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science, and co-founded a startup software company, where she develops engineering software. Lisa discovered Nia three years ago and it was immediate love. Here was a place to move in the big, expansive, self-directed ways that she loved from jazz and modern, but that partner dance didn’t permit. Better yet, here was movement as a way to play, to self-heal, to get in touch with one’s own sensations and emotions, and to connect with others! This was something that Lisa felt compelled to share, so she became a licensed White Belt Nia instructor. Lisa strives to deliver clarity, playfulness, and unabashed joy. She hopes that her classes impart the whole range of modes available through Nia—from reverent calm to funky athleticism.
MARGO MORADO: 505.294.0000 or 617.388.3952, Email Margo
I have been a dancer for most of my life. When the aerobics boom started, I joined it - at least I could support myself without a "day job". Gradually, I moved away from teaching and performing dance. Ultimately, hard core aerobics damaged both my body and my sensibility for expressive movement. When I returned to dance it was a painful experience - I could not find the dancer I had once been. Then I discovered Nia: all of the joy and none of the pain. I could dance without self-judgement (well, almost) and feel pleasure on such a deep level. And that's what I hope you experience in my class - the profound pleasure and wisdom that's right there in your own body, mind, emotions, and spirit. The pleasure that is uniquely yours. I am a Nia Blue Belt teacher who is also certified to teach group fitness by AFAA. Prior to moving to Albuquerque I founded and directed CasaNia, a Nia-focused studio, for four years in Cambridge, Ma. I am delighted and honored to be part of Studio Sway, my new dance home in my new home town.
BETH O'NEALL: 505.244.9157, Email Beth Beth's Website
Beth O'Neall, M.Ed., has been teaching Nia since 2000 and brings experience, humor, emotion, and power to her classes. She is a certified Nia black belt and a first degree black belt in Aikido. Her classes are stimulating, motivating, and transformative. Students come to dance Nia each week with Beth because they love the music, the class energy, the physical challenge, and the group experience.