Murdered teacher honoured at Sanfest

The Sixth Form student of Pleasantville Secondary not only moved some members of the audience to tears with his dramatic presentation, but captured hearts of the judges who crowned him Mr Sanfest 2016. The teenager’s performance to the Michael Jackson song “Gone to Soon” was accompanied by a slide show of images of Yearwood- Marchan in happier times.

The teenager wept as he garlanded a wooden cross that was on the stage with a colorful wreath in her memory.

Mohammed said Marchan was more than a dance teacher to him she was his mentor, mother and friend and he was learnt valuable life lessons from her. On August 3, the charred remains of Marchan, 45, a dance teacher of the La Romaine High School and her husband Peter Marchan, 48, a civilian mechanic at the Mon Repos Fire Station were found in the couple’s pick-up van in Forres Reserve Road in Fyzabad.

The couple had become estranged after 15 years of marriage.

The deaths were treated as a case of murder/suicide. Putting in a solid performance was Shipharah Lewis, 13, of Arima North Secondary School who was crowned Miss Sanfest 2016 with her powerful and convincing dance routine “Just Stand” performed to Donnie Mc- Clurkin’s gospel hit “Stand”.

The petite dancer told her story in dance about someone after losing hope and struggling to find that peace within. Mohammed and Lewis were among a talented field of ten teenagers who brought their ‘A” game to the table on the day.

Other competitors were Moriah Santana (Tabaquite Secondary School), Ilori Waithe ( Bishop Anstey High East), Megan Cox (Asja Girls College, San Fernando) and Makela Edwards (San Fernando Central) Leeum Quan Kep (San Fernando Central Secondary), Jelani Borrel (Presentation College, San Fernando), Kareem Swan (Princes Town West Secondary) and Neakel Lewis (Arima North Secondary). Sanfest which is now in its 46th year is a presentation of the San Fernando Arts Council and National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago. The theme this year is “Sanfest - the divine alternative to...”