“DeAnna is the hardest working ATS dancer/teacher I know and is fully committed to continually increasing and fine tuning her relevant skills. I’m honored to have been her teacher and fellow dancer since 2004”. - Megha Gavin
"I genuinely felt so much more aware of and in touch with my muscles and movement. It was challenging, engaging, and enjoyable. Your yoga classes make me feel capable and welcome, and I leave feeling successful for having found my edge, rather than thoughtlessly pushed past it for the sake of looking successful." - From anonymous attendee of Conditioning and Yoga for ATS®
"DeAnna Freeman is a teacher’s teacher. She loves her subject so completely, that even when she is sharing her own deep-researched and practiced expertise, she is constantly in the state of learning. That pure joy is infectious – it makes her students want to dig deeper, to push past their edge (as she would say). I’ve had the great fortune to take numerous workshops with DeAnna, including her shimmy workshop three times! And each time I’ve learned something fresh, because she is constantly revising, improving, exploring. DeAnna blends her geeky love of the systems of the body, with the spirituality of yoga, with the poetry of dance. She offers a holistic practice of study – one that I know I’ll keep returning to for more depth and through which I find generosity and inspiration." - Suzanne Szucs
"When you came to Des Moines for the first Mission Improvisational, you were amazing! I learned not only how to move but the science behind it. You were encouraging and enthusiastic and FUN! You never made me feel like I was less when I had questions." - Rita
"The deep dive into undulations was incredible. I found my body responding to the instruction and increasing my stamina for undulations. While it was a workout, there was no pain to be had. This was an incredibly body conscious- apply right now- workshop with immediate results!" - From anonymous survey for Ultimate Undulations
"This was the most profound workshop for me. As eye opening as it was for the dance itself, it brought a whole new level of awareness and depth to the dance. Bringing in prana to my dance and not just breathing was a small but powerful shift in my dance. And for me felt so right across all planes." - from anonymous survey for Prana for ATS®
"This workshop was genius! It was a logical yet deep dive into all things shimmy. I have never been able to shimmy like I was able to in this workshop. It has totally changed my shimmy game on all fronts!" - from anonymous survey for Shape up Your Shimmies
"Shimmy workshops are some of the hardest classes to manage, execute, and make successful. Despite being the move everyone knows, in shimmy classes the energy is high, excited, tense, frustrated, and low in turns. I love pushing myself in shimmy classes, and this one was so fun. I loved it, I thought it was well-done, exciting, intense, and I felt SO successful at the end with the ASWAAT--I looked so good it almost felt like an accident or random luck! You've definitely polished your teaching method for this and it's awesome." - from anonymous survey for Shape Up Your Shimmies
"DeAnna is an amazing dancer and teacher. She gave me new insights into yoga poses I have been doing for years that were "aha" moments. Her incorporation of yoga and ATS® is truly incredible and has made a difference for me already in my life." - from anonymous survey
"DeAnna is one of the best teachers, dancers, and human beings I have ever been lucky enough to know. I can take her workshops again and again, and still learn more from her. She will find ways to help me better myself. Her classes are fascinating, welcoming, exciting, and filled with laughter!" - from anonymous survey
"DeAnna’s knowledge for ATS® is evident in all her teachings. But her love for ATS® adds a whole new level of learning that is utterly life changing. As excited as I was about dance before DeAnna’s workshops, I'm even more crazy excited now. Learning from DeAnna was an absolute gift and I cant wait to do it again!" - from anonymous survey
"Your workshops always give me a deeper and better understand of my own body and its movements. I always love getting to engage and feel muscles I hadn't noticed were there before and understanding how the use of all those muscles can make the dance that much more rewarding. And I also love that everything learned in your workshops always can and always do get applied to my life and health and happiness outside of dance. Thank you for always providing the best workshops I have ever taken and I can't wait to take more of your workshops!" - from anonymous survey
"Deanna is a superb teacher; patient, knowledgeable, always open to learning more, continues to grow in her art form and practice, and so generous in sharing her knowledge. She imparts enthusiasm for the subject and the students, and is a joy to learn from." - from anonymous survey
"I have taken several ATS® workshops with DeAnna. I have found her to be a very knowledgeable, inspiring teacher. Her instructions are clear and precise, emphasizing correct posture and alignment. She is also a certified Yoga Instructor, and she frequently includes yoga practices which help to prepare the participants for dancing. Her workshops are always well planned and thought out, as well as being lots of fun! She provides a relaxed, yet focused atmosphere that is very positive, welcoming, and engaging. Her dedication and enthusiasm is apparent and contagious! I unreservedly recommend her." - Marie Geever, Living Rainbow Tribal Dance, FCBD® Sister Studio
"I never pass up a chance to take a workshop with DeAnna, whether it is about yoga, anatomy, belly dance, or any other topic. DeAnna is such a professional instructor, bringing years of experience and dozens of hours of preparation to each class. She conducts research, compiles data, creates lesson plans, and so much more. She does not take her role as an instructor lightly, and I know I will always learn something valuable from her. The information in DeAnna's classes is also very versatile, and I've applied what I've learned to my dance life, my yoga life, and my "I want to keep moving for as long as I can" life. I think what is most important to me, though, is that DeAnna is genuinely an amazing, caring, funny, and compassionate human being. I don't care how much you know about a subject; if you're not kind, I would prefer to spend my time elsewhere. I have NEVER felt unwelcome in DeAnna's presence, which is a HUGE deal for me. I love that I can "geek out" with DeAnna over human anatomy and its relationship to dance and yoga, but that I can also ask ALL THE QUESTIONS without being made to feel judged. In fact, DeAnna LOVES ALL THE QUESTIONS! She knows a TON about dance, yoga, anatomy, and functional movement. If she doesn't know the answer, she is happy to find it. In addition to being a phenomenal instructor, DeAnna is also a forever student, and I appreciate this SO MUCH because it means that the answers I get from her are accurate and well-researched. In every class I've taken with DeAnna, she has made me feel like she is truly invested in my dance and yoga journeys. She teaches specific ways to move that can enhance your dance, protect your body from injury, and keep you moving for years to come. I have recommended her to so many other dancers, including my own students, and everyone (including myself) keeps going back because she is AMAZING!" - Krista Spaeth
ATS(r) Belly Dance Instructor and FCBD(r) Sister Studio in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Troupes: Lasa Anahata Tribal (director: Dana Dachel) & Darshana Tribal (director: Terri Allred)
www.lasaanahatatribal.com