Polk County Public Schools
Stepping Out for Education is a "Dancing with the Stars" type dinner/dance event where six "celebrities" from around Polk County will train, and then compete, with a professional dance partner, performing two ballroom dances before professional judges. Each will receive twenty dance lessons prior to the event. This event is done in conjunction with Lakeland Ballroom. Go to bottom of this page to see the 2010 Stepping Out for Education photo gallery.
This year's dancers were:
Mistress of Ceremonies, Cindy Price - TECO
Special performances by 2010 dancers: Jerry Miller, Progress Energy; Tracy Porter, PSC; Bonnie Parker, SunTrust Bank; and Dr. Gail McKinzie, former Polk County School Superintendent.
The first annual Stepping Out for Education event was held on Friday, June 18, at the Lakeland Yacht and Country Club. Over 250 guests watched as local “celebrity” dancers, leaders in the Polk County community, strutted their stuff ballroom-style. For the last ten weeks the dancers had been taking professional dance lessons from Lakeland Ballroom and then performed at the event with their professional dance partner. Jerry Miller from Progress Energy took first place in the competition with his professional partner Vicki Seaton. They performed the Tango and the Swing. Bonnie Parker from Sun Trust Bank and her professional partner Todd Staley took second place.
They performed the Tango and the Salsa. Dr. Gail McKinzie, Superintendent of Polk County Schools, placed third. She and professional dance partner, Gene Kallenborn, performed the Quick Step and the Jitterbug. Tracy Porter, Executive Director of Polk State College Foundation and professional dance partner Bill Bryant performed the Waltz and the Cha Cha. Tim Harris and Ariel Trazaskos danced the Tango and Rumba. Ariel, a trained dancer from Lakeland Ballroom, is a 2010 graduate of Lakeland High School and received a scholarship from the Polk Education Foundation this year.
Click here to view the Stepping Out For Education 2011 Photo Gallery
Click here to view the Stepping Out For Education 2010 Photo Gallery