Brandan Newman, owner and director of Fitness Arts Center in Madison was recently awarded a scholarship to the Dance Studio Life conference.

The national contest asked students how a teacher has made a difference in their lives and in the community.

A total 38 people were nominated across the nation and in Canada. From those 38, the nominations were narrowed down to 18 by the highest number of votes on Facebook. The list was then narrowed down to the 11 winners in Round 3. Newman is the only winner from the state of Alabama.

“I feel very honored and loved by my students who took the time and effort to nominate me,” Newman said. “As a teacher, I don’t always get to hear straight from the mouths of those I’ve influenced, and it feels great to know how much they truly appreciate me.”

Newman will spend four days at the 2011 DanceLife Teacher Conference.

Dance Studio Life is a national publication for dance professionals and holds an annual summer conference for teachers and studio owners to increase their teaching and business skills.

Click here to watch Newman’s nomination video.