Broward County's 28th Annual Arts Teacher of the Year Announces Winners

Broward County's 28th Annual Arts Teacher of the Year Award Ceremony, held on November 6 at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, showcased Broward's talent, celebrated winners in arts education and welcomed groundbreaking numbers of guests in local business people, government officials and the arts and academic community.

With the winners still unknown as the evening commenced, the schedule unfolded into an Oscar-like theme, with a finalist from each category being announced throughout the evening as the winner was named and the vocal audience erupted in cheers.

The winners are:

Theater - Jason Zembuch, South Plantation High, Plantation
Visual Arts - Keri Porter, Wingate Oaks Center, Lauderhill
Music - John Nista, Ramblewood Middle School, Coral Springs
Dance - Toranika Washington, University School at Nova Southeastern University, Broward
Teaching Artist Award - Timothy Leistner, artist, writer, educator

In between each winner announcement, there were arts performances. Senior Jennifer Luechauer, South Broward High, enchanted the audience with a soothing, folksy yet classical flute number, followed by Parkway Middle School of the Arts' Davion Jones, the 8th grade theater major who silenced and stunned the audience with his controlled and powerful solo vocal performance. Dancers from the Awareness Dance Ensemble, Innovations Dance Theatre at University School of Nova stilled the audience with a though-provoking dance routine on the lives of fictional homeless characters; a subject apropos to the Broward community.

The show opened and ended with Speaking Volumes and Cultural Division's Director Earl Bosworth showcasing his artistic ability as the bass playing member; and some of the local artists in attendance included George Gadson, Darby Hayes and Timothy Leistner, all nominated for that exclusive Teaching Artist award.

Through a partnership among Broward Cultural Division, the School Board of Broward County, Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Business for the Arts of Broward and sponsorship from Florida Power & Light, as well as, AutoNation; BBX Capital; Broward College; Gibraltar Private Bank and Trust; Kopelowitz Ostrow Ferguson Weiselberg Keechl; Publix Super Market Charities; and Cruise Voyant; the Broward County Arts Teacher of the Year provides an opportunity for arts students to gain valuable experience performing in a high quality, professional, performing arts institution; and the Broward community a chance to see that Broward's got talent!

Pictured: Winners: Keri Porter; Toranika Washington, Jason Zembuch, Timothy Leistner and John Nista.

To post a comment, you must register and login.