Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Nicolle.
Sean, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Republic of Movement began as a project for sharing our obsession with physical movement. We had learned that we could pursue movement in a bigger and more general way by cultivating a movement practice (as opposed to a specific practice, for example, gymnastics, dance, or yoga) – from Ido Portal. We traveled all over the world to learn from Ido – Berlin, Singapore, Thailand, Israel, and more.
To better understand the enormous topic of movement, we educated ourselves also academically – a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology, certifications in Strength and Conditioning, etc.
And through all of this, our relationship with Ido evolved to the point that we were invited to work in a much closer capacity, taking him as our mentor.
At first, we were teaching classes in the park, sometimes renting out a room from a gym – preparing the ground for an eventual movement culture here in Miami. We reached a point where we exceeded what parks and rented rooms could allow us, and so we turned to Wynwood, converting a carwash and auto-repair into the movement facility it is now.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Even something as simple as teaching a class in the park presents unique challenges – unpredictable scenarios, weather, equipment, etc. One of the positive moments was when we had a class in the park and it began raining heavily – but everybody stayed. That’s when we knew we had built up a good group.
When we opened the space in Wynwood, many new challenges presented themselves – the most prominent was the massive leaks from heavy rains that nearly destroyed our new floor. We often had to stay late at night mopping so as to protect the floors. To this day, every time it rains, I become fearful and anxious until I get to the space and confirm that there are no leaks.
That being said, it has been a lot of fun!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Republic of Movement – what should we know?
We teach movement classes. Usually the first thing somebody asks when they hear that is… “what’s a movement class?”. So we explain, the movement idea is about going between disciplines (rather than becoming a fighter or a dancer or a yogi…) and creating a practice for yourself that improves your ability to move. And being able to move…
Well, it might sound simple, but it means that you need to work on being strong and flexible, you need to refine your muscular control and coordination, you need to be able to learn new movement patterns quickly. It means you can actually move the body in very many ways, whether it’s alone, with a partner, quickly or slowly… it’s not the kind of thing you’re good at in one month or even a year.
Classes are a bit of a journey, weaving through different topics, tasks, games, challenges. In one moment you might be precisely copying a movement pattern, and the next moment you’ll be doing some serious strength work. To rest you might work on improving how you move your spine and back. Afterwards, you could be inverting, rolling, and crawling, or playing a game between two partners. In the end, you might do some somatic work so you can recover, or maybe sit still and go into a meditative state.
What sets us apart is our results. Not to brag, but… our students are strong. Nobody who comes to us walks away unable to perform multiple chinups, for example. And it’s not because they walk in strong: we have a meticulous process for making people strong. And most, after a few months with us, is capable on the gymnastic rings. Our students are mobile – they can move the spine, they can squat, they can hang comfortably, they can put the body into many different shapes and be comfortable with it. Our students are able to hold handstands, flow, improvise, react quickly and intelligently. They can walk into dance classes and look like they belong, even if they never did dance before.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
As mentioned, Ido Portal is our mentor. He’s the man most known for and associated with the word “movement”. We meet with him frequently to learn from him and stay current on materials (there are 4 other schools in the U.S. that have this particular relationship to Ido: they are in Boulder, SF, NYC, and Santa Cruz).
We have the unique opportunity to be mentorship students of Ido Portal (inside of the Ido Portal mentorship program). From this mentorship, we’ve received firsthand instruction not only on how to practice but also how to share this practice.
It’s a true blessing to have been along this journey with Ido for so long. The program has fundamentally driven why, how, and what we teach.
Pricing:
- Drop-in – $30
- First month unlimited classes – $100
- 10-pack – $180
- 3 times per week – $185 / month
- Unlimited classes – $200 / month
Contact Info:
- Address: 2021 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL 33127
- Website: republicofmovement.com
- Phone: 786-470-7509
- Email: sean.nicolle@republicofmovement.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/republicofmovement
- Facebook: facebook.com/republicofmovement
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/republic-of-movement-miami-2
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
