Meet Our Instructors
Gina Komanac
SEATED YOGA
Gina holds a Certificate in Hatha Yoga Teacher Training from Sunshine Yoga (2011) and has completed 200 hours of meditation, relaxation, and limbering of the joints and glands. She teaches gentle Hatha yoga stretches, deep breathing, and meditation at various community centres, including Confederation Park. Her classes focus on back and core strength, balance, mobility, and overall wellbeing, with meditation and chime bowl exercises to calm the mind.
Anessa Norman
GENTLE FITNESS
With over 15 years in the fitness industry, Anessa brings experience from personal competition and coaching a wide range of clients. A nine-time bodybuilding competitor and Miss Bikini Alberta, she founded her own fitness business ten years ago, offering in-person and online training. Her expertise spans functional fitness, weight loss, seniors’ fitness, and group classes, focusing on sustainable, transformative results.
Sara Monadizadeh
ACRYLIC PAINTING WORKSHOPS
Sara is a Calgary-based visual arts instructor and illustrator with nearly a decade of experience teaching adults and seniors. She currently teaches at City of Calgary arts centres and leads community-based programs. Her classes combine traditional techniques with playful exploration, encouraging creativity, stress relief, and social engagement.
Frances Bonner-Parker
55+ BALLET
Frances has loved ballet since age five and has taught dancers of all ages, including adults, at the Royal Academy of Dancing and the School of Russian Ballet. She is also a National Certified Coach in Artistic Swimming. Since joining Confederation Park, she has rekindled her passion for dance and now shares her experience and love of ballet with seniors.
Julian So
LINE DANCE INTERMEDIATE
Julian has 24 years of dance experience, including seven in ballroom and 17 in line dancing, and has taught line dance since 2018. She emphasizes individual growth, helping students learn challenging steps safely while enjoying the music. Dancing with Julian can improve confidence, memory, and stress relief.
Christine Tao
TAI CHI AND QIGONG
Christine is a Tai Chi and Qigong instructor with over 20 years of Tai Chi practice and a decade of teaching experience. Certified in Intermediate and Advanced Tai Chi for Health, she teaches Yang Tai Chi, Chen Tai Chi, weapon forms, and Qigong exercises. Her classes focus on safe, individualized instruction to improve balance, vitality, and inner calm in a supportive environment.
Paula Bickford
CLOGGING AND ZUMBA GOLD
Paula’s dance career started at the age of 5 when she started Highland Dancing at the Varsity Community Centre. Paula Highland danced for a total of 15 years and spent many of those years as competitive dancer winning many titles including an Alberta Championship.
In 1996, Paula moved to Edmonton where she started dancing with the Strathcona School of Dance with a Canadian Step-Dancing Group. She was hooked instantly and continued her studies in Step-Dancing.
In 200 Paula decided to start teaching Step-Dancing to adults back in Calgary. this is when her teaching career took off. Paula then become certified in May 2009 as a Zumba Instructor and is certified in Zumba Gold. She has also recently been certified in Essentrics. Paula has been teaching line dancing no for 15 years.
Paula currently teaches a variety of styles and classes and teaches Zumba Gold and Clooging for Confederation Park 55+.
She believes it’s never to late to start dancing and she welcomes everyone to try her classes!!
Rachael Seupersad
ACRYLIC ART CLASS
Rachael Seupersad holds a BA and BFA, blending a rich academic foundation in studio art, art history and museum studies with extensive practical experience
She dedicated many years to instructing adults in painting, drawing and ceramics at the City of Calgary’s art centres, driven by a core mission to integrating art into daily life.
After contributing to broader roles within Art & Culture, she is now semi-retired and delightedly returns to her studio practice and her passion for teaching
Garth Roberts
JUST WRITE - SHARE YOUR STORIES
Master the art of clear communication with Garth Roberts. With three decades of experience as an award-winning broadcast writer, producer, director and educator, Garth specializes in transforming complex writing processes into simple, powerful techniques you can apply immediately.
Pat Harding
THE WORX
My fitness journey is fueled by a simple mission: to make strength, brain health and vitality accessible and enjoyable for older adults. As an AFLCA-certified specialist, I have designed and delivered programs in assisted living (since 2018) and for the City of Calgary (since 2019), focusing on holistic wellness. I now bring that same commitment to safety, effectiveness and fun to community center classes across Calgary
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