Fremont woman moves from dancing to yoga

Ann Lallman is a dancer. It’s as much a part of her as any other role she plays -- wife, mother, grandmother, friend.

Lallman grew up in Fremont as Ann Jakeman. She first studied dance under Mary Frances Brooks, who taught dance in her home.

It was love at first plie.

She went on to study dance at Colorado College and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, graduating with that as her major field of study. It was at the university that she met the man she would later marry, Keith Lallman.

Like many artists, Lallman wanted to pass to others the joy she found in dancing. As she talks about dancing, her eyes glow, her passion for the form is obvious.

As the Lallmans began to raise their family, her interest turned to teaching, specifically teaching young children. She developed a philosophy that would guide her teaching throughout her active career.

Under Virginia Tanner, founder of the Utah Repertory Dance Theater and credited as one of the pioneers of creative dance for children, Lallman studied for six summers, refining how she was to approach teaching the young dancer.

“I don’t like costumes,” she says.

Some who remember her infrequent class recitals recall little girls in Jenny dresses (think Little House on the Prairie styles) moving to their own internal metronome. Lallman never encouraged competition between her students, rather she wanted each child to work toward the peak of their abilities.

Lallman taught with Norma Vrana in Vrana’s home for a number of years. She taught dance in the basement of her husband’s office building on East Military and lastly, in the basement of their home on 10th and H streets.

She is still teaching.

A group of adults are scattered across the floor of the basement dance studio. Male and female, youngish and oldish, they wait patiently for their teacher to begin. On another day, a different bunch of adults sit on chairs facing three women also sitting in chairs. This group is more senior, residents of Nye Square. It is quiet. A short greeting, the placing of a CD on the player, and the instructions begin.

This is yoga. An ancient discipline of movement designed to build and retain flexibility, agility and mental focus as the body is directed to assume classical postures and forms.

“Yoga is different than dance,” Lallman explains. “When I started yoga, nobody knew what it was. I became interested in it because I just wanted to dance, to move in a structural manner, to engage the body and mind so that the structured movements benefit and strengthen both.”

She took classes from renowned teachers so to evolve the methods she uses today.

“I have found two professional associates (Edie Legg and Mitzi Monovitz) capable of taking over the classes when I am out of town or unavailable,” Lallman says.

When yoga meets in the Wellness Center at Nye Square, Monovitz and Legg position themselves on chairs in front of the group to give all the participants a clear view of the forms. At the East Military location, they are a part of the group on mats facing the teacher.

The emphasis on each individuals abilities and uniqueness that formed Lallman’s understanding of teaching the very young has translated seamlessly into teaching adults the practice of yoga.