Friday marks the 25th anniversary of New Hanover County Schools’ annual Best Foot Forward talent show. Despite more than two decades of students singing and dancing, past and present Best Foot Forward participants say the show still meets its most important mission: shining a bright stage light on arts education.
“You might get the one kid in a million that makes it to Broadway,” Chenault said. “This creates an experience that most of these kids will never be able to duplicate anywhere else.”
Best Foot Forward began in 1989 as a way for students to win money for their schools. Dianne Avery, the district’s former community relations director, worked with parents, local businesses and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce to fund a mini-grant program. Teachers could receive $500, for example, to pay for a special class project.
But Avery and her team needed a way to decide who would get the money. So Best Foot Forward was born.
“The children would have a way to show their talents and what they did,” Avery said. “Teachers and students would get the opportunity to have some funding for a project that they couldn’t do unless they had some extra cash.”
“The kids made the money that helped the teachers do the special projects,” Avery said. “We made a point of telling them that.”
