Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Vote here for your favorite performance from the 2019 Turn on the Talent event. Fans can vote once every 12 hours. Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 19.
Milwaukee Recreation’s before- and after-school programming emphasizes family, and on Wednesday, April 24, those tight-knit bonds were on full display.
Dozens of students from six after-school groups performed routines in front of their peers, family, school mentors, and MPS officials at Milwaukee Recreation’s 13th annual Turn on the Talent showcase. Four additional after-school groups attended the event to support their fellow students at Audubon Middle/High School. You can watch the full event here!
“For youth in [Community Learning Centers, Camps, and Safe Places], Turn on the Talent offers a unique opportunity to shine and be recognized," Recreation supervisor Beth Kurtz said.
Fratney CLC – last year’s TOT champion – led off the 2019 festivities by returning to what proved so successful last season, rolling out a well-coordinated Latin dance performance that paid homage to Puerto Rico’s heritage.
Doerfler CLC and Hayes CLC brandished their own distinctive Latin dance acts later in the event, while the Lloyd Barbee Montessori Camp and OW Holmes CLC countered with up-tempo hip-hop dances. Kluge CLC, who mimicked a performance from the musical “The Wiz” in 2018, once again stood out with a unique show, this time diving into the song “When I Grow Up” from “Matilda.”
“I like coming to CLC because it’s a great place for kids to have fun, make friends, and have more opportunities to grow socially and academically,” Doerfler fifth-grader Tamara Anderson said prior to her after-school group’s performance.
At the end of the event, the celebrity judges named Fratney CLC, Hayes CLC, and Lloyd Barbee Montessori Camp as its top-three Turn on the Talent performance groups. All three after-school programs automatically receive an additional 500 votes, but they are not the official winners yet! Last year, Fratney CLC finished outside the top-three on event night, but rallied enough community support to win the top prize with nearly 32,000 votes. Turn on the Talent performers earned over 100,000 votes during the 2017 and 2018 voting windows combined.
Head to this voting website to vote for your favorite performance of the evening! The voting window is open until 11:59 p.m. on May 19; fans can vote once every 12 hours. The final top-three performances will be announced on Monday, May 20 here at MilwaukeeRecreation.net or at facebook.com/MilwaukeeRecreation.
The winning school will receive $1,000 to work with a community partner of its choice to design their own after-school arts program. Second place will earn $750 for their own arts/cultural workshop or field trip. The third place team will receive $500 to purchase art supplies or equipment to enhance its after-school programming.
Thanks to everyone who participated in Turn on the Talent this year. We look forward to seeing you in 2020!
Share the voting link with family and friends: milwaukeerecreation.us.launchpad6.com/