StudioNia

I have danced at Studio Nia for 2 years now. I love Nia but this studio is very pretentious and looks down upon anybody not dressed in their $ 200 signature outfits. Debbie Rosas a co founder of nia has looked me up and down with disgust in the elevators more than once. The only reason I continued going there was that there were 2 exceptional instructors Allison Wright and Vickie Saito. Recently one got fired for a disagreement over lighting during one of the classes. The studio did not tell us that this had happened and tried to lead us to believe that the instructor was ill. Not only does the Studio Nia staff there make me feel uncomfortable and give me judgemental looks, now both of my favorite teachers are gone. I will likely never dance there again. Really sad, nia is really cool but the folks running Studio Nia are awful.

I’ve walked by this studio several times over the course of a year, but I’ve never stopped in.
I’m currently recovering from a concussion and pretty restless. In looking for easy-​going, low impact things to do, I stumbled upon StudioNia’s «Moving to Heal» class this week. They are meant for those with mobility limitations, illnesses, short-​term issues, etc.
I didn’t really know what to expect– the class ended up being three elderly women and myself. It was a very enjoyable experience for me. I smiled a lot throughout. There was a lot of encouragement for free expression and flow. The class was healing, silly, fun, and overall very positive.
They’ve very welcoming and the space has a great vibe. I’ll be back to take another class in the future!

Nia is for Every Body! it’s a healthy workout for the mind, body and spirit. It’s a healing, uplifting full body workout where I never get hurt — (unlike Zumba) I always leave feeling nurtured, alive and ready to embrace my day and the people I have to encounter, with a new patience and compassion. Classes at the lovely, cool StudioNia are extremely fun and joyful and the world-​music is great. I go on Saturday mornings at 10:15am, and sometimes during the week at 5:45 pm. It’s easy to do, the teachers and students are welcoming and friendly. It’s really a place for any age body. I’m hooked!

I love Nia!!!
It’s a great type of exercise, makes me feel joyful & peaceful & fluid & flexible. All body types and ages are here, and even, increasingly, men!
The space is gorgeous, with warm douglas fir floors and high ceilings & enormous old windows looking out on director’s park. Always very nice & gracious people at the desk, and they sell great Nia work-​out clothes for ½ off their regular prices.
The instructors are great, the music is great, the work-​out is great. My only complaint is often I can’t hear the instructor because the music is pretty loud. New students should arrive early & try to get a spot right behind the instructor.
Ask about 2 weeks free for new clients, such a deal!

I’m former fitness instructor and know a good class format when I experience it. First of all the Nia Studio is in a beautiful historic building and the place itself gives off good energy and I feel immediately relaxed the moment I walk in. It is a low impact format and done in bare feet. It imparts a mind/​body experience through simply choreographed dance and maritial arts movements, followed by bouts of free form expression. Unlike many cardio classes where you learn «trial by fire» and are lost the first 4 times, with Nia you catch on quickly, it really is for everyone! There is emphasis on creating audible breath sounds which made me feel like I was releasing stress. There was also an emphasis on touch and hand +hand/​eye movements. While not the calorie burner that say, Zumba or step class is, you do work up a sweat and feel terrific afterward! I can’t get enough of it!

I’ve actually been at this form of fitness for 25 years. My wife dragged me into it back when it first started in the San Francisco Bay Area. One of the great benefits of moving to Portland in the last few years has been the direct access to a wide selection of world-​class NIA trainers, including one of the founders, Debbie Rosas, and many other inspired leaders.
I am also into Zumba, and want to explain the difference between NIA and a routine like Zumba. Zumba is all about energy and movement, and can be a great deal of fun. NIA is quite a bit deeper, although if you want to simply approach it as a form of exercise-​with-​music, that’s OK too. It is more about mind/​body unity and total fitness. It does have its very energetic moments, and you can always work up a sweat, but NIA is far more thought out than something like Zumba. First, the sequence of movements and exercises build up in a well-​designed manner, so you’re not thrown right into frantic movement with cold muscles. Second, all routines are symmetrical, with equal movement on left and right sides (Zumba ignores this simple rule, over and over again.) Finally, without being preachy, NIA gently incorporates opening the mind as well as the body.
So, in a word, if you give NIA a chance you will be addicted as I am. It is not as obviously «fun» as something like Zumba, but it is far more nourishing. That’s why it has sustained me for more than two decades. You might think that a practice that incorporates aspects of yoga, martial arts, dance, aerobics and more might be a disorganized pastiche of movement, but exactly the opposite is true. The entire enterprise is grounded in a tightly organized structure that underlies all the routines.
Finally, the studio in downtown Portland is a gorgeous, open, bright space that’s ideally suited to its purpose. And the sound system is superior!

I don’t want scare anyone away, but this place will change your life. Nia is a fitness, practice but also so much more. And Studio Nia is the mothership of the Nia community. This is a welcoming place for anyone who wants to develop a life-​long practice of physical fitness and well-​being. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Come and try it out!

This is one of my favorite places on earth to be! It has the most amazing dance space and fabulous Nia teachers. If you’ve never been, you must go. It you’ve ever considered taking Nia, you must go. For whatever reason you found your way to this page, you must go. I promise — you will love it. But beware — I also promise that you will be hooked, on the practice of Nia and StudioNia!

Nia is such a fun and creative workout that always makes me smile as much as I sweat! Studio Nia is a special place — classy, clean, and such strong sense of community and joy… oh and the complimentary hot towels after class make me feel just like the teacher says to feel in class ~ with pleasure and comfort. Ahhhh…

Ok I guess it is time.
I am involved with many dance and fitness forms over many years. When I attended a dance class in Port Townsend, led by Alison, I said, «I am getting trained in this». I then found out it was NIA. I had long ago discarded much hope for NIA as I had taken it years ago and been told that I was too vigorous! Well, teachers are all different.
I read a lot about it. Asked around, got my application for a yoga teacher training lost and then MIRACLE a training for NIA was happening in Portland! I went! I love the high energy which is a part of NIA.
It is a blend of 9 different movement forms which all have deep foundations in knowledge of body mechanics, safety and health and self– awareness and growth. I recommend the NIA classes of Debbie and Carlos in Portland
In Seattle, my gym, the Olympic, has an outstanding teacher Sunday and Wed. mornings. West Seattle has the NIA Divas– and my friends who got trained will have their classes soon.

I found studio Nia and the Nia method accidentally, when my mother moved to Portland a little over 1 year ago. I am a dancer and Yoga/​Pilates instructor in Los Angeles and was looking for an activity while visiting the city. My instructor, Carlos (the studio’s co-​founder), managed to incorporate the best of all worlds; we danced, stretched, punched and kicked (martial arts style), yelled, sweat our butts off, and peacefully meditated. The constant flow of choreography and movement were a great physical and mental challenge, but I noticed people modifying the class from a variety of ages and ability levels. I was hooked and got a free class pass for my entire first 2 weeks! Every instructor thus far has been great, adding their own flare to the «method». Not only do I take class every time I’m in town, but plan to learn to teach Nia in LA soon.
Enjoy!

I tried a free temporary membership at this Nia studio to get taste of this one of a combine gym which manages to combine dance, aerobics, and yoga into something innovative called Nia – «mind and body fitness»
More a studio than a gym, this space is fancy! Picture velvet curtains in lieu of your usual locker room.
The classes were fun, good exercise, and a little strange.
I definitely enjoyed going for free, so if they’re still offering trial memberships, it couldn’t hurt to check it out.