Keegan brings energy, enthusiasm and experience to his role as the Director of Programs at Connaught Skating Club. He is a Level 2 Certified Coach and is also a Technical Specialist and a former International competitor. His background gives him a particularly good understanding of the current judging system.
Marilyn is a CFSA Gold Medallist in Figures, Freeskate & Dance. She has been coaching 32 years at the Connaught Skating Club as well as 2 years at the prestigious Sun Valley Arena in Concord, California. NCCP Level III Certified. She has coached Gold Medallists in Figures, FreeSkate, Dance, Artistic and Skills as well as competitive skaters from regional through to National Championship levels.Marilyn has also coached skaters compete at Central California and Pacific Coast events in the US. Private lessons in Freeskate, Skills, Dance & Choreography.
Amy Lambert has been coaching singles the past 12 years with 11 of those years full-time in the United States.Amy founded the FSC of Augusta and was the Skating Director for the first four years of its existence. Amy has coached all levels of skaters and had over 200 passing USFSA tests, from Pre-Preliminary to Senior, and had skaters compete in Regional and Sectional qualifying events. Amy is a USFSA Gold Medalist in Figures, Moves in the Field , Dance, and Freestyle. She competed at US Nationals, the US and American Open Professional competitions and skated professionally with Dorothy Hamill’s IceCapades shows. She was the Choreographer of the 2003 Skate America Closing Ceremonies in Reading, PA, which was aired nationally on ABC.Private lessons in Freestyle and Choreography.
Leah has been coaching learn to skate programs for 4 years and has just recently begun coaching in the CanSkate Program. She is a recent graduate of the Langara Recreation Dipolma Program where she continued to build on her passion for sport through her education. She has been a member of the Connaught Skating Club for 15 years and is a Skate Canada Gold Medallist in Freeskate, Dance, Skills and Interpretive. NCCP Level 1 Theory Certified and NCCP Level 1 Practical Trained. Leah is also the Intro – Gold Dryland Jump instructor.
Melanie Pudlas has been involved in dance in B. C. for 45 years. As a student she studied with Wynne Shaw in Victoria, Norbert Vesak, Diane Miller, Anna Wyman, and the Goh Ballet in Vancouver. Ms. Pudlas’ training is in the Russian Vaganova style and The Royal Academy of Dancing in which she received her Advanced Certificate with Honours at age 16. She successfully auditioned for the National Ballet School as well as spending two summers at The Banff School of Fine Arts on full scholarship. At age 17 Ms. Pudlas was awarded a Canada Council B Grant to study dance in Germany and England.
At the beginning of her professional career Ms. Pudlas was invited to join the Joffrey Ballet of New York and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. She chose instead to stay in B. C. and dance with the Anna Wyman Dancers as a lead dancer for 3 years touring Canada, the U. S., and Germany.
As a much sought after teacher, Ms. Pudlas has taught in Fort St. John, Quesnel, Vancouver Island, Vancouver, Richmond, and Burnaby 8 Rinks. Since 1985 she has developed and taught the dance program at the Richmond Arts Centre. She is responsible for producing, choreographing, and directing an annual dance recital for 500 students. Her love of teaching dance has been rewarded with a loyal following of students ranging from 3 years old to adults. In 1998 and 2007 Ms. Pudlas was nominated for “Woman of the Year in Arts” in the community of Richmond.
In 1997, skating coach Tina Leininger invited Ms. Pudlas to work weekly with her senior skaters. The Connaught Figure Skating Club then asked her to develop an off - ice weekly ballet program. This program has proved to be invaluable. As the students have improved in their ballet technique and awareness of performance, their skating has been greatly enhanced. As well as the off - ice ballet, Ms. Pudlas coaches all levels of Connaught skaters on - ice. Working as the club’s stylist alongside the coaches, she develops the artistry, musicality, line, and upper body awareness so needed in figure skaters.