Nevada Arts Council

Jason Nious

City of residence: Las Vegas
  • Dance
  • Theatre
  • Folk & Traditional Arts
Tracks: Community, Education
Program Types: Classes, Community Building/Community Art, Event, Exhibit, Family Friendly, Festival, Performance, Professional Development, Reception, Residency, Virtual Event, Workshop, Webinar, Conference
Language Proficiencies: English
Audiences: Young Adult (18-26), Adult, Older Adult (50+), Individuals with Special Needs/Disabilities, ESL/ELL, Military and Veterans, Grades K-5 (Elementary School), Grades 9-12 (High School), Grades 6-8 (Middle School)
Capacity: 30
Venues: Business, Community Facility, Concert Hall, Convention Center, Creative Space, Event Space, Festival, Gallery, Higher Education, Historical Venue, Hotel, Justice Facility, Museum, Resort, School, Senior Center, Theater
Willing to Travel: Statewide, Northern Nevada, Southern Nevada, Rural Nevada, Carson City, Churchill County, Clark County, Douglas County, Elko County, Esmeralda County, Eureka County, Humboldt County, Lander County, Lincoln County, Lyon County, Mineral County, Nye County, Pershing County, Storey County, Washoe County, White Pine County

Jason Nious is a performing artist, director, and arts integration specialist. His background competing in NCAA gymnastics and conducting step teams in high school, church, and college launched his career in the arts. He has performed extensively with Molodi, Cirque du Soleil, Stomp, Usher, and Step Afrika. He's created award-winning choreography and worked as a cultural ambassador in Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe. He served as assistant choreographer, dancer, and stunt double for the film "Stomp The Yard: Homecoming." He has performed in dozens of films and regional theater productions throughout his career. Highlights include performing at the Kremlin Palace, Radio City Music Hall, The Kennedy Center, and the Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.

As the founder and director of Molodi, an award-winning body percussion ensemble based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nious directs new touring productions and facilitates Molodi's arts education program, reaching over 20,000 students per year. He serves as an arts integration consultant with Focus 5 Inc. He is an Artist in Residence with the International Museum of Dance, designing a multimedia dance exhibition called "ROOTS: The Legacy of Black Percussive Dance in America."

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School & Community Workshops

Step It Up: Teamwork & Self Expression Through Stepping (Grades 3 and up) – Get ready to stomp, clap, and get on the beat as you learn how to create a dynamic and cooperative step team. Learn body percussion basics, time-keeping exercises, ensemble rhythm techniques, a blend of contemporary and traditional stepping choreography and tools to create your steps!

Body Percussion for Actors (Grades 6 and up) – Theater students will learn how body percussion can be used to strengthen ensemble-building, enhance musical and spatial awareness, activate nonverbal communication, and design story-enhancing soundscapes using only their bodies as instruments. This workshop will help ground your body, focus your mind, and challenge your musicality.

The Rhythm of Belonging: Professional Development for Educators and Arts Facilitators (Adults) – In today’s educational landscape, fostering a collaborative classroom environment where students feel a sense of belonging and recognize the importance of their voices is essential. The practice of stepping provides an ideal framework for achieving this. Discover how the key components of teamwork—such as nonverbal communication, leadership, and creative problem-solving—are woven into the stepping process, all while promoting social and emotional development.

Jason Nious’s Work

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