Monday, May 20, 2019
While the Golden State Warriors cruise towards their fifth straight NBA Finals appearance and potential fourth NBA title, a budding dynasty is similarly emerging in the heart of Miwaukee. No, not the Bucks; we're talking about the Fratney Community Learning Center dance team!
For the second straight spring, Fratney CLC (right) used a late voting push to tip the scales and win the grand $1,000 Turn on the Talent prize. Below are the final voting tallies for each participating before- and after-school group:
- Fratney CLC: 40,428
- Hayes CLC: 39,850
- Lloyd Barbee Camp: 5,456
- Kluge CLC: 625
- OW Holmes CLC: 452
- Doerfler CLC: 352
Even though only six schools entered this year's event, the 13th annual Turn on the Talent showcase still resulted in record voting participation numbers. The six schools, led by Fratney and Hayes (left) in a three-week back-and-forth battle, totaled over 88,000 votes, topping last year's previous high of roughly 73,000. Turn on the Talent participants have totaled about 190,000 votes over the past three events.
Last year, Fratney stormed from behind on the final weekend to top Greenfield CLC with 31,631 votes. This year, Fratney and Hayes surrendered the lead to one another on an almost daily basis, with Fratney ultimately holding the crown when the buzzer sounded at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 19.
Fratney will receive $1,000 to work with a community partner of its choice to design their own after-school arts program. Hayes will earn $750 for its own arts/cultural workshop or field trip. Lloyd Barbee will receive $500 to purchase art supplies or equipment to enhance its after-school programming. Fratney, Hayes, and Lloyd Barbee all received an additional 500 votes after finishing in the top-3 on the day of the event, as deemed by the celebrity judges' panel.
Fratney's 2018 performance featured a moving tribute to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the catastrophic Hurricane Maria. In 2019, the Fratney team stuck with what worked, blending the school's surrounding Afro-Cuban-Puerto Rican cultures into its performance. You can see the full event - including Fratney's winning Latin dance performance - here.
Congratulations to the winning schools! We hope to see another great turnout at next year's showcase!