"These men and women are merely players who understand the sentiment of their instrument and what it was meant to play. Let us play."
- Shayla Love
Director @krisleedrums
Cinematography @chaficsaad
Written by @highshaylalove
Performed by @jnious
Music by @molodilive
#stepping #bodypercussion #bodymusic #eatmoreart #gimmesomemo #letusplay #blackhistorymonth ❤🖤💚
Meet Jason Nious, a performing artist, director, and arts integration specialist. 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 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.
He serves as an arts integration consultant with Focus 5 Inc., and 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.”
Check out his episode on YouTube-link in bio!
IG: @jnious , @molodilive
Special thanks to @jordancestudios
#lasvegas #stepdance #business #artist #local
“Echoes of Heritage” (excerpt)
These movement excerpts are from this Springs Production of a devised theatre-dance work created and directed by Kishema Pendu Malik and Jason Nious.
The story follows Ayana, a young African American college student who has roots in Latin and West Atrican culture. Deeply connected to all three worlds yet fully claimed by none, she is overwhelmed by her competing identities
Staged by: Pendu Malik
Choreography:
Ashley Martinez, Aaron Sullivan, Pendu Malik
Music Composer:
Aamashep (Shep) Nekhi Khemshemneter
Monologue: Ayana Garcia
Costume Design: Ange Cruza
Scenic Design: Brighton Schmitt
Cast:
Veronica Gutierrez, Lealani Burns, Kai Edison, Ayana Garcia, Jasmine Lane, Naoma Wickert, Trinity Anderson, Moe Cotton, Jayvon Smith, Aaron Sullivan, Ashley Maritnez, Priscilla Flores, Kelly Lee Willams, Luna Villami,
Aamashep (Shep) Nekhi Khemshemneter
CSN Spring Formal Dance Concert 2026
Meet Jason Nious, a performing artist, director, and arts integration specialist. 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 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.
He serves as an arts integration consultant with Focus 5 Inc., and 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.”
Check out his episode on YouTube-link in bio!
IG: @jnious , @molodilive
Special thanks to @jordancestudios
#lasvegas #stepdance #dance #artist #local art stomp business
It's been more than a pleasure to work as a guest director on Echoes of Heritage at CSN Performing Arts Center. This original, devised work is a collaboration between the @csnnlvtheatre and @csndanceprogram .
I love doing this type of work in theatre, helping artists bring out their authentic voices through, characters, stories, dance and music. And I've learned through this process that the students and community of North Las Vegas definitely have lots of stories to share!
Big shout out to @pendudance ,
@ddwdancecollective , Professor Shaffer for this opportunity.
Join the party at CSN Cheyenne Campus. Now through April 18th. #csntheatre #csndance #devisedtheatre
25 years ago Molodi and the Rhythm Cartel were created on the UNM campus. It's an honor to still be creating body percussion decades later, and extra special to share the Molodi stories with a new generation of students and friends back where it all began!
Old friends new friends yeah we like how that sounds... shonuff on the get down! 💯🙌🏾 #gimmesomemo
Looking back as we move forward.🎉
Spring 2024 @sfmoma with @sfusdarts and IMOD artists in residence, @molodilive@antwan.davis@jnious
This Educator PD used body percussion as a tool for communication, storytelling, educator/student connection, and community building.
#museumofdance #sfmoma #molodi
The highlight of that day arrived at golden hour. ALL of us were tired,and completely windswept from a whole day shoot by the ocean air from the bay. The co-founders of MOLODI, (our Artists in Residence from 2021–2024), stayed with us until the very end of the shoot. Their soul-filled body percussion rocked all of us, and reminded us exactly why our mission matters.
@molodilive left us certain of the work ahead: to create a new museum, where everyone gets to experience the joy of dance. @jnious@antwan.davis@ian.earth
