NiaMoves

NiaMoves is still the great studio it has always been. The new owner Angie is working hard with her staff and all of the NiaMoves teachers and community to keep the eclectic and holistic energy and is doing a beautiful job!
This is one of the great studios. There is something for everyone.

Here for a spiritual workshop. It’s a nice, clean, and peaceful space. Easy to find a good size parking lot.

I take beginning belly dance here on Wednesday nights. The instructor is very clear, helpful, and fun! This is my new favorite dance workout. I look forward to coming here every week.

NiaMoves was a great space to host my Intro to Thai massage class. The back space was intimate and provided us amenities like a fridge and oven if we needed those. The floors were laminate and perfect for our class and the space was quiet and provided pillows and blankets needed for my students.
I’ll definitely rent here again and found the staff easy to work with.

Star quality instructors here. I do the 6am Nia class a couple times a week and it is an awesome way to get my day started. I also love how the owner has built NiaMoves as part of The Heights community: there is always something outside of regular classes going on, from a Holiday Bizarre to free workshops and kids/​family concerts. It’s a. Open and inviting environment and a great addition to the neighborhood. They offer various different types of classes like Nia, Hoola hoop, belly dance, meditation, Melt, and great kids classes like music, yoga, and Nia for tots. Definitely check them out!

A friend organized a group yoga class for another friend’s birthday. It was a slow flow class. A bit too slow for my taste, but I did get a really nice stretch out of it. My back and hamstrings thanked me for it.
The staff was super helpful and friendly. This might be a good place if you’re looking for a low impact slower paced class.

Loved this place to practice with joy and non-​judgement!

Went to a contact improv class/​jam here last night. Had a great time and would recommend it to anyone!

Typically I limit my work outs to distance running and plyometric programs such as Insanity. Nia is far different than anything I have ever experienced but boy am I glad I found it. I would describe Nia as a mixture of dance, martial arts and cardio. I have added Nia to my weekly routine as well as a Pilates class offered at the studio. It is so awesome that Studio NiaMoves offers all sorts of fitness classes. Pilates, African Dance, Contact Improv, Belly Dancing and Hoop classes are the few I can remember off the top of my head but I know there are lots more.
The studio is so inviting. Its not stuffy and filled with pretentious mirror hoggers like your typical gym. The staff is amazing. Co-​owners Kristie and Helen are both super and their classes are fantastic. Studio NiaMoves is a true gem.
I suggest everyone take advantage of their generous 30 classes for $ 30 in 30 days. You will be hard pressed to find a deal that great anywhere.

I’ve been taking belly dance classes with Sahira with a couple of my friends for 8 weeks now and I LOVE it. Sahira is very thorough and she’s great at explaining moves. She’s very helpful and extremely FUN! Her beginner sessions come in packs of 4. Each class you learn something new (all 4) with the last one recapping the first 3 weeks and then putting everything together in an improv «showdown». The beginner classes does 5 month rotations with you learning a new move every week. After 5 months, the classes will repeat. I highly recommend taking belly dancing with Sahira at Niamoves, she’s awesome :)

I have always hated exercise… Until a good friend recommended NiaMoves. Right from the get go I felt welcome and comfortable. There are clients in NiaMoves classes of all shapes, sizes, ages, and physical capabilities.
I started with a class with Helen on Saturday morning and I loved it. So high energy and fun, and I was able to get through the whole class even though I hadn’t exercised in years. The great thing about NiaMoves is that there are varing levels to each move so the beginning student and the advanced student can get a great workout. Additionally, it’s fun! I never thought I would say that about exercise.
One thing I did was try several classes, times, and instructors. Over time I certainly found the ones I felt most comfortable in and I always recommend to new students that they try as many of the classes as they can to find what works for them. I still love Nia, but another one of my favorites is Hoop. It’s one hour of hula hooping (with an adult size hoop) that works you out AND lets you feel the joys of being a kid again. I also enjoy the Zumba classes — great high energy workout!
Honestly, this was such a great find. I highly recommend it! I am grateful for NiaMoves and I hope that if you try it you will be too.

I hate to be the lone dissenter in the group… I am usually up to try anything. I went to the studio several months ago for a tibetan gong massage event, and picked up a flier. It was a 2 week trial at NiaMoves for free. I’ve been hanging onto the flier until I had time really use the 2 weeks.
I went to the studio and presented my flier, and they said they couldn’t honor it because it was no longer their special. I pointed out that there was no expiration date on the flier, so the check in girl let me do the class for free. She said she had emailed the owner and they will get back to me regarding the 2 weeks. This was a Monday. By Wednesday, I hadn’t heard, so I looked up their info and reached out to the company. It’s been over a week now and I still haven’t heard from them.
This is bad form for a business. — if you are going to put your contact information out there, you should have some way to attend to it. A simple email just to let me know they can’t honor the coupon would be better than silence.
As for the class itself — I tried Nia. It was fun and I love to dance, I just don’t think it’s for me (in terms of a workout). The class is only 55 minutes and much of that was warm up and cool down. I would have liked to try more classes and maybe incorporate Nia as a complement to my exercise repertoire. By itself, I would judge that it’s not enough of a workout. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to try any of their other classes…

LOVE NiaMoves! Great place that has all the mind/​body movements that I love — Nia and Yoga. Nia allows you to dance! It is a low impact aerobic workout that is done barefoot:) The teachers are fun, and put thier personalities into the dance routines. Lots of happy movements, like wagging your tail, and being silly. NiaMoves feels like a community. All are welcome… come as you are… be yourself… have fun while moving. It works.
I attended one of the extra classes last month — healing crystal bowls… lovely.

I moved to Houston this summer, and during my internet search for dance studios, I feel so lucky to have come across Studio NiaMoves. I just finished my new client pass (two weeks free!), and I’ve already decided that NiaMoves will be one of my «home studios,» even though it’s not a dance academy.
Over the last two weeks, I’ve taken 14 classes including Nia, yoga, Pilates, and Zumba (Karen defines her class as Z Belly Bolly). My instructors have been Kristie, Yvonne, Karen, Kym, Claudia, Cay, Sharon, Kay, Elisabeth, and Jody. I loved all of my classes. Every class included modifications depending on skill and flexibility, so everyone could always participate. In my opinion, if you don’t feel like you got a good work-​out, you didn’t push yourself enough.
I had never taken Nia. It seemed maybe too hippy and free-​flowing for me at first, but I’ve found how it works for me. I grew up in dance and theatre, and I was trained to execute and «hit» every move. Nia challenges me to really let loose and do whatever happens in that moment. I get to focus more on my body and how it feels with every movement instead of what my body alignment looks like in the mirror and performing. I think it would be a fascinating contrast for dancers/​performers/​actors.
I love how grounded the studio is. It’s about each individual being «his/​her best» instead of people trying to be «the best.» It’s a safe space, and I’m so comfortable there! Everyone is welcome, no matter what your age, shape, size, or skill level.
I highly suggest buying one of the class packages to get the lower class rate ($ 10−13/class instead of $ 15 for a single class). It is a barefoot studio (or indoor-​only dance shoes) with a sprung wood floor, so be prepared to kick off your shoes. Yes, even for Zumba! If you’re looking for a studio with a variety of classes, a great environment, good pricing, welcoming instructors, and a good sweaty work-​out, look no further.

After my first trial of Nia class with Helen, I love it and immediately signed up for their «New Clients 30 Classes in 30 Days for $ 30». I have been to Nia at least 5days per week ever since. The best thing is I don’t have to be self-​conscious about my body since the classes consists of all ages and body shapes. I like their instructor, especially Helen. She makes her class so fun, lively and full of energy. Kristie is wonderful too! I wish they will have the monthly unlimited classes with no commitment-​renewable like Your Body Center.

I love that Nia is the kind of workout that truly fits every body. I am high-​energy most days, really looking to sweat. Some days I come in tired and looking for a gentle energy boost. Nia does the trick. The teachers demo «levels 1, 2, and 3 of moves so that each participant can vary the workout according to his/​her needs and abilities. It’s a blend of dance, martial arts, and healing arts (think yoga). Teachers emphasize «freedom within the form», so everyone is moving in unique, yet unified, ways. Pretty cool, and very comforting if you’re a newbie who is just catching on and doesn’t want to stick out. I enjoy Nia so much that I signed up for the white belt intensive. Having just completed it, I love Nia even more! I highly recommend taking the intensive if you really want to learn about anatomy and apply it to movement in creative, practical ways.
I also really like the other classes at the studio, particularly Belly-​robics (belly-​dance inspired cardio) and Zumba. The class pass will get you into these, Nia, Pilates, and Yoga, so you can mix it up easily.
Teachers at the studio are all laid-​back and friendly. The space is clean and I love the sprung wood floors (though it can be a bit tough on bare feet initially). The community as a whole is kind and enthusiastic about holistic health.
Some classes have free child care available. Oh, and newbies get 2 weeks of free unlimited classes!

I have been going to classes at NiaMoves for over a year now and I love it!!! I take Zumba, which is possibly the most fun you can have with your clothes on! :-) It’s a Latin dance/​exercise class. The instructor Karen is wonderful and she makes the class fun and lively. I have no coordination and if I can do, so can you!
I also take Nia classes with Kristie. She’s awesome. Lots of great energy and the class really helps get the kinks out. It helps me feel more physically and spiritually alive. I highly recommend it.
I’ve also been taking a Buddhist meditation class there and I can honestly say, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. It’s helped me be calmer, happier, more content and more compassionate.
NiaMoves is really a blessing and I’m so happy to have discovered it. If you’re looking for a safe place to explore your body, mind and spirit and have some fun while you’re doing it, NiaMoves is the place for you.

I had been taking Pilates classes (Sharon rocks!) for a few months when I found out I was pregnant. I freaked out because I had just paid for a Frequent Flier pass which is an automatic monthly renewal for 6 months! I thought I was screwed and I would be paying for a workout that I wouldn’t even use, but I was wrong! All it took was a simple email to the co-​owner Kristie. She froze my account without question or pressure. I just emailed her this week to un-​freeze the account and she was so awesome. She even asked if I wanted to apply the payment I already made to a different set of classes or stay with the Frequent Flier program. I am now back to taking Pilates three times a week and while it is kicking my post-​baby butt… I need it and love it!
Try getting that kind of support or attention at a big gym!

Last night I tried out the Zumba class with Karen at NiaMoves. This morning… I feel refreshed and energized! The class was great and the NiaMoves studio on Houston Ave. had a really positive vibe.
Cool group of ladies, all ages and levels of Zumba ability. Can’t wait to try it out again this Thursday!

My high heels need therapy. Instead of adorning my feet and complimenting my wardrobe, they lay idly day in day out in my closet. I should have known we wouldn’t be compatible; I bought with my eyes instead of with my comfort. The Feldenkrais Center of Houston and NiaMoves co-​hosted a 3 hour heel camp on «How to Walk in High Heels» today.
When I first read «How to Walk in High Heels» event on Facebook,
it caught my attention. Surely I knew how to walk in heels. I also knew my limitations (I tend to avoid 3″ or higher). Still, with taking the class, there was a possibility I could reconcile my love of pretty high heels with my comfort.
Down to earth, warm, non judgmental, and generous are the words that describe Mary Beth, the high heel guru. She made the comfort of everyone her first priority. Her directions were very clear, so there were very few instances where she needed to help others with their poses. As she explained the various feet, leg, and body movements, she encouraged feedback, questions, and assessed our progress.
We learned about how muscle groups, stretching, and self awareness can help our bodies minimize the effects of high heels on the body. The ball of my foot and my ankles definitely felt more comfortable in heels after learning the strategies. I wasn’t as tense either.
By giving us handouts on what we covered and by sending us audio files on how to improve from this point forward, MaryBeth went above and beyond to ensure that we truly benefit from these strategies and build upon what we’ve learned.
If you see black slacks and purple glitter nail polish on Mirror Mirror, those are my toes. ABC was at NiaMoves filming for an upcoming episode for Mirror Mirror. The show will air on TV Fall 2009.
$$$ TIP: Register online at
and you can get two weeks free in your choices of pilates, Tai Chi, Yoga, Nia, and Zumba Classes. Isn’t free great?!
There is no sign of high heels ever going out of style. This class has given a renewed sense of purpose to those lonely heels of mine. My high heels and I are on good terms now.