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Instructor Spotlight: Faye Hung

Faye Hung brings a wealth of experience and accolades to the danceroom floor. Specializing in standard and Latin ballroom dances, she and her former dance partner were not only finalists in top-level dance sport competitions around the world (think World Championships, World Cups, Asia Cups and Grand Slams), they were also the Hong Kong national standard champions for 10 years straight. “Then in 2014 we won the bronze medal at the WDSF World Championship in Italy,” says Hung,

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Instructor Spotlight: Bing Zhao

It’s not every gymnastics coach who can say they helped a Canadian athlete make it to the Olympics. For Kerrisdale Community Centre instructor Bing Zhao, one of her career highlights was seeing student Kate Richardson successfully compete in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The then-20-year-old athlete made history by becoming the first Canadian woman to qualify for an Olympic final in women’s gymnastics. “I was so happy to have had a chance to coach Kate Richardson, who had been at the top of the Canadian

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A Donation from the Heart

Barbara Eveline Burman was a career elementary school teacher, avid gardener and Kerrisdale Community Centre patron. She was also a generous donator to causes close to her heart, which ranged from children’s health and education to the underprivileged and seniors. The only child of English immigrants Joe and Dorothy Burman, Eveline (the name she went by) was born and raised in Kerrisdale. Single throughout her life, she would go on to live alone in her childhood home on Cypress St. well into her later

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Instructor Spotlight: Ed Fong

It all goes back to the likes of The Terminator and Superman. Indeed, when asked what first prompted him to pursue a career in personal fitness training, Ed Fong replies: “Too many muscle-flexing action movies and superhero comic books.” While he still appreciates the aesthetic benefits of being fit, Fong encourages his clients to look at the health benefits as the overarching guiding factor. “I want fitness hopefuls to have a balanced, healthy view on the cosmetic

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All-Candidates Meeting: Speakers Confirmed!

Meet these Vancouver-Quilchena candidates and ask questions at our All-Candidates Meeting this Thursday. Get informed before heading to the polls on October 19! • Callista Ryan, NDP • Michael Barkusky, B.C. Green Party • Dallas Brodie, Conservative Party of B.C.Unfortunately, the Conservative candidate is no longer able to attend. Moderated by Mo Amir (This is VANCOLOUR host and CBC Vancouver political commentator). WHEN: 7-9 p.m., Thursday, September 26, 2024WHERE: Kerrisdale Community Centre, 5851 West Boulevard,

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Instructor Spotlight: Mohammad Reza Atashzad

Watercolour artist Mohammad Reza Atashzad never goes anywhere without his painting supplies. “My life is filled with paintings that reflect my memorable experiences [see Marine Building and Sound of Glory paintings below, l-r]. Through my art, I document and write my life story,” says Atashzad, who has been teaching art classes at the Kerrisdale Community Centre for the last nine years. Drawing and painting as a child, he was influenced by both his mother, a handicraft artist,

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Thank you, Keiko!

Longtime volunteer Keiko Honda was recognized for her contributions at the Kerrisdale Community Centre Society’s summer social in late July. After 14 years of dedicated service, the last 12 of which she sat as the Community Engagement Committee chair, Honda is stepping down from her society role. “Volunteering has introduced me to an incredible diversity of people,” she says. “Together, we’ve brought to life exciting projects like the community e-zine Kerrisdale Playbook and The Opera Zone.” Honda remains dedicated to fostering community through

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Instructor Spotlight: Dr. Katarina Vavrovicova

Upon witnessing just how much hearing aids can improve a person’s life, Dr. Katarina Vavrovicova set out to pursue a career in audiology. Growing up in Bratislava, Slovakia, she went on to graduate from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania with a doctoral degree in audiology in 2006. Since then, Vavrovicova has been working with physicians and the medical community in the Vancouver area, all the while gaining extensive experience in the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of hearing disorders.

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Instructor Spotlight: Ginny Chiu

After volunteering in an elementary classroom while in high school, and encouraged by her mentors, Ginny Chiu knew she wanted to pursue a career in education. “Almost everything we do revolves around some form of reading and writing, so teaching students to read, write and think critically is an important skill set to have – not only in school, but in life,” says Chiu, who has both a BA in English and BEd from UBC. Teaching

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Instructor Spotlight: Tanya Hillson

Teaching Zumba classes at the Kerrisdale Community Centre for 13 years, Tanya Hillson draws deeply from both her Caribbean heritage and Latin dance background. “My family comes from Trinidad and Tobago, which is the birthplace of soca and calypso music, the steel drum and limbo, and home to the world’s largest Caribbean carnival,” says Hillson, who was born and raised in Vancouver but frequently visited Trinidad as a child and teen. “Latin dance is also popular on the

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