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South Bay Accent - Feb/Mar 2015

70 South Bay Accent TK TK TK TK TK TK TK TK TK TK TK TK DANCE MEETS MARTIAL ARTS Dance fitness programs usually incorporate several different elements within routine workouts, everything from calisthenics to intricate choreography. For those who like to keep fit with a bit of sport, there are even options for a fusion of dance and martial arts. If swift kicks and jabs appeal to you, check out these two programs. CAPOEIRA The history of Capoeira is not entirely clear, but the generally accepted story is that several hundred years ago, African slaves in Brazil created the art of mixing fighting and dancing as a way to build martial arts skills right in plain sight of their white masters. Since their hands were often bound, the slaves practiced graceful and forceful kicks, set to music played by others circled round. According to Wagner Bueno, known as “Mestre Vaguinho,” master teacher in San Jose, “Capoeira can be martial arts; you can see it as a sport, you can see it as a dance form, you can see it as a folkloric activity as well. It’s part of our Brazilian culture—a combination of many different things all going on at the same time.” Bueno says the “many faces” of Capoeira is what makes the program fun and accessible for newcomers. “We don’t have an expectation that people will be physical, athletic or have any other experience in martial arts—it’s pretty much like learning how to dance.” Capoeira is also known as a “jogo,” the Portuguese word for “game,” and the players who face off in the circle are focused more on moving in concert with one another, improvising as the dance progresses. Bueno calls it a “conversation of body motion.” Students not only learn the art form, they also learn how to play the instruments, with every member of the community taking turns in all aspects of the Capoeira game. Originally from Brazil, Bueno has taught Capoeira for 30 years, 25 of them in the U.S., as well as in workshops around the world. He says his classes are about half men and half women, covering all ages. There is a ranking system, where students can earn “cordaos,” different colored ropes for each level achieved, 11 in all. NIA Nia was created in the early 1980s, making it a newbie compared to the age-old Capoeira. Nia’s dance component, including time for free dance, makes it attractive mainly to women, but it does include strong martial arts elements. Creators Debbie Rosas and Carlos AyaRosas took a martial arts class and decided to completely change the way they taught traditional aerobics classes, eschewing shoes for bare feet, turning away from high-impact cardio to low impact and counseling students to seek pleasure instead of pursuing a “no pain, no gain” attitude. Originally Nia stood for nonImpact aerobics, but today the company says it’s simply “Nia.” The company also references the Swahili word Nia, meaning “with purpose,” and says Nia teaches students to move with purpose in a fusion of dance arts, martial arts and healing arts. It can be pursued purely for fitness, or more serious students can train in Nia, earning belts similar to martial arts. Nia devotees say it’s even a way of life. San Jose instructor Terre Pruitt calls Nia a cardio dance exercise class but also describes it as a “holistic” fitness practice, as some might think of yoga and Pilates. “I really want people to participate in Nia, so I often try to mold it to their desire and what they want: If they’re a dancer I tell them it’s really dancey; if they’re a sporty person I tell them its really sporty, because it’s all of those things.” With Nia trainer Kevin VerEecke, a class performs the ‘standing’ move, used to practice self-healing conditioning and alignment.


South Bay Accent - Feb/Mar 2015
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