How To Choose a Swimsuit For My Beauty Pageant Contest?
How do I pick the perfect swimsuit?
Depending upon which pageant system you enter there may not be a swimsuit competition or the pageant may choose to supply the swimsuit for all the contestants in order to get a uniform look.
If you are in a pageant that expects you to provide your own swimsuit here are some things to keep in mind:
Your swimsuit should make your figure look well proportioned and fit, camouflage figure flaws, create a winning image and help you stand out from the crowd.
If you are competing at a national level you are going to want to go to a specialty shop to find the right suit – a swimsuit which is designed especially for beauty pageants. If you are competing locally you will need to shop carefully to find a suit with all the right characteristics – but it can be done!
Start with the fit. What many people don’t think about is that you can alter a swimsuit just like you can alter a dress. A good fit is not loose but neither is it so tight that the suit cuts into the shoulder, arms, legs, back or bust. A well fitted suit should create a sleek look and mold against the body with no wrinkles.
The seat should smoothly cover and support the derriere with no cheeks showing. The brassiere part should not be so tight that the bust appears to be popping out. Always do fittings with any padding you plan to use in the pageant.
Next choose a suit to camouflage figure flaws. Whatever the flaw, emphasize the opposite. The eye will follow the line of the suit, vertical lines lengthen and slenderize, and horizontal lines shorten and broaden. The finish on the fabric can also make a big difference. Shiny fabrics reflect light and look bigger. If you wrap yourself in a shiny swimsuit you are going to look bigger.
You can also use color to camouflage some flaws. Dark fabrics can cause judges to notice the contrast spot where fabric meets flesh. If you have larger thighs you do not want to draw the judges’ eye there with a dark suit.
A better choice would be a medium shade like peach, pastel blue or green, or a rose color. These are closer to skin tone and will create more of an uninterrupted look. The goal is to get the judges eye to travel from top to bottom without stopping anywhere.
A suntan also helps create a winning image in the swimsuit competition because it makes you look slimmer, healthier and more athletic. Intense stage lighting washes out normal skin coloring so many contestants rely on a tan to help them look better onstage. Remember there is a risk of skin cancer from sun-tanning and consider the use of self-tanning creams or sprays.
Pay attention to the bustline. Although you do not have to be busty to win, padding and taping to create a larger bustline have become commonplace in most pageants. A good bustline is important because it balances your hips to help you achieve the evenly proportioned figure judges look for.
Foam rubber push-up pads work well in swimsuits because they have no tell-tale seams. External silicone pads are also popular.
Many contestants use taping techniques to create cleavage and shape the bustline. Some prefer surgical adhesive tape available in drugstores and others prefer easy to remove clear packaging tape. It’s less painful to get off than masking tape or surgical tape and it does just as good a job for the length of time you need to wear it.
Never ever use duct tape or regular adhesive tape because it will take your skin off when removed. Always perform a pre-test to check for allergic reactions and ease of removal.
To tape the bust for cleavage: take a piece of tape about 12 to 14 inches long, bend forward at the waist without bra on, stick the piece of tape to the outside of one breast. Pull your breasts together as close as you can with one hand and stretch the tape across underneath the bottom of the breast then stick it to the other side. Add a little padding to the side and you are done.
Nothing is more embarrassing than a swimsuit that rides up and shows your cheek. Many contestants use a product called Firm Grip, an aerosol spray adhesive, to keep their bathing suit in place.
If you choose this option remember to lift the suit away from your skin, spray and then let the adhesive dry a little before you put the bathing suit in place. It needs to become tacky to work; otherwise the suit will just absorb it.
Judges look for these things when judging the swimsuit competition:
• First Impressions. Oftentimes you will present your swimsuit in a group rather than individually. You need to stand out.
• Beauty of face and figure
• Well-proportioned body
• Good muscle tone
• Poise, posture, carriage
• Graceful walk and modeling
• Proper swimsuit fit
• Confidence
• Energy and charisma
• Overall presentation
============
I took out this article from my "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant" course. Want more? Get the full course!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Beauty Pageant History
Beauty Pageant History
Each year there are an estimated 700,000 beauty pageants being held in the United States alone. How did this phenomenon start – and how did it grow to be such a major part of our culture?
In 1921 a group of hotel owners in Atlantic City were looking for a promotional gimmick to entice summer tourists to stay in town past Labor Day. They decided to stage a fall festival and include a "National Beauty Tournament" on the beach to select "the most beautiful bathing beauty in America". Eastern newspaper editors were invited to run photo contests to pick winners to represent their communities at the new pageant.
Eight contestants competed for the first Miss America title which was won by a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl named Margaret Gorman, representing the nation's capital as Miss Washington D.C. The “bathing beauty” image remained throughout the 1920’s and Miss America was crowned wearing her bathing suit and smiling at the ever increasing numbers of spectators.
During the 1930’s the contest added an optional talent competition as a reflection of the nation's growing fascination with Hollywood. Winners received Hollywood screen tests and Hollywood agents scoured the pageant looking for potential starlets. Some contestants made it to Hollywood including Dorothy Lamour (1935) who later co-starred with Bob Hope in the Road Picture series. In 1938 the talent competition became a mandatory category of the pageant.
In 1932 Marian Bergeron, a 15-year-old policeman’s daughter, won the pageant and became the first winner to be crowned in an evening gown rather than a swimsuit.
During the 1940’s pageant officials considered discontinuing the Miss America Pageant for the duration of World War II, but the decision was made to allow it to continue since it was felt that the pageant strengthened the American spirit. In 1945 Lenora Slaughter, the first female director of the Miss America Pageant, began a scholarship program to help contestants attend college. Miss New York, Bess Myerson, won the title and the first
scholarship.
The evolving pageant hit a milestone during the 1950’s when the new Miss America Yolande Betbeze (1951) refused to pose in a swimsuit, insisting that she was a classical singer, not a pin-up. Officials supported her decision and one of the major sponsors of the pageant, Catalina Swimwear, discontinued its sponsorship and began planning its own promotional vehicle, the sexier sister pageants, "Miss USA" and "Miss Universe."
Another important benchmark was the inauguration of the first Miss World Pageant in 1951 held to promote the Festival of Britain. Miss Sweden, Kiki Haakonson, won. The new contest adopted the slogan "Beauty with a Purpose" and aligned itself with Variety Clubs International to raise funds for world charities.
Catalina held the Miss USA-Miss Universe sister pageants together in Long Beach, California in 1952. Thirty American women competed for the first Miss USA title and twenty nine international contestants competed for the first Miss Universe title.
In 1954 the first live coast-to-coast broadcast of the Miss America Pageant aired on television. Lee Meriwether was awarded the crown by a panel of judges that included movie queen Grace Kelly.
Television personality, Bert Parks was hired as the Miss America Pageant's master of ceremonies in 1955. He sang Bernie Wayne's tune, There She Is for the first time on national TV. A legend was born.
In 1958 Jaycees began the America's Junior Miss Pageant, a scholarship program to recognize outstanding achievement by high school seniors. Contestants were judged on talent, poise, community service, and school grades. Rather than present the teenagers in swimsuits, officials substituted a choreographed physical fitness competition.
Corrine Huff made history in 1960 when she won the Miss Iowa-USA title and became the first black woman to win a state title and compete in a major national pageant, the Miss USA Pageant.
Children’s Beauty Pageants were introduced in 1960 when the first international pageant for children was staged in Miami, Florida--"Little Miss Universe." The contest was discontinued in 1966.
The "Little Miss America Pageant" contest started in New Jersey in 1961, affiliated with Palisades Amusement Park. That was also the year the Miss Teenage America Pageant was founded as a program to honor young women’s achievement. Following the example of America’s Junior Miss, the scholarship pageant had no swimsuit competition.
In the year 1968 the first Miss Black America Pageant was held in Atlantic City as a protest against the absence of black women in the Miss America Pageant. Two years later Cheryl Browne won the Miss Iowa title and became the first African-American woman to compete in the Miss America Pageant.
Another controversy surfaced in 1968 when The Women's Liberation Front protested the Miss America Pageant as FBI anti-riot squads kept them under surveillance. The picketers tossed symbols of the beauty culture into a "freedom trash can" and infiltrated Convention Hall during the pageant creating a commotion that was audible during the telecast.
The 1970’s saw the inauguration of several new contests: The Miss National Teen-Ager Pageant was founded in 1971 as a scholarship pageant, the Miss United Teenager Pageant began in 1974 as well as a children’s scholarship pageant named after a favorite fairy tale, The Cinderella Pageant. The Miss Teen All America Pageant began in 1977 and The Mrs. America Pageant was revived as a glamorous televised beauty pageant for married women.
Feminists returned to Atlantic City in 1974 where they staged a feminist conference and protested the Miss America pageant.
In the year 1973 the Miss Universe Pageant began a tradition of televising from exotic locales around the globe when it was broadcast live worldwide via satellite for the first time from the Parthenon in Athens, Greece.
'TEEN Magazine acquired the rights to the Miss Teenage America Pageant from the Dr. Pepper Company in 1981 and transformed it into a nationwide mail-entry contest celebrating teen achievement. Finalists are judged on grades, community service, and intelligence. The winner serves as a ‘TEEN columnist and spokesperson
Marking the most important racial milestone in pageant history in l983, Vanessa Williams became the first African-American to win the Miss America title. In another racial breakthrough, 1985 became the year of the Latina beauties. Laura Martinez Herring, a naturalized Mexican-American, was named Miss USA, making her the first Hispanic to win a major U.S. pageant title. Deborah Carthy-Deu, Miss Puerto Rico, won the Miss Universe title that same year.
Kaye Lani Rafko, an oncology nurse from Michigan, won the 1988 Miss America title and voluntarily devoted part of her year of service to advocating hospice care and promoting the nursing profession. This new precedent of social activism for titleholders was so positively received by the public, that the pageant began developing an official "platform" through which future titleholders could be role models for public service. In 1992 The Miss Teen of America Pageant was founded. Macy Jarrett, of Kansas, won the first title.
After performing a ballet to music she could not hear and interviewing with Regis Philbin on live national television in 1994, Heather Whitestone became the first woman with a physical handicap to win the Miss America title. An inspiration to Americans, the profoundly deaf Miss America was the first national titleholder interviewed on a Barbara Walters' special. In response to perennial demands that the swimsuit competition be eliminated, the Miss America Pageant put the matter to a public vote in 1994. Viewers called in to vote on whether or not the Miss America swimsuit competition should be kept or eliminated. By a 3-1 margin, callers voted for the swimsuits to stay with 73% voting in favor of keeping the traditional category.
Business tycoon Donald Trump purchased the Miss Universe system which consists of the "triple crown"--the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA, and Miss Universe pageants in 1997.
In 1998 Virginia's Nicole Johnson, who is a diabetic who wears an insulin pump on her hip, became the first woman with a long term physical illness to win the Miss America title. She championed diabetes awareness as her platform and inspired millions of Americans.
Odd Pageant Happenings
Beauty Pageants have provided their share of scandals, disasters and other odd events over the years.
Only hours after Margaret Bergeron received her crown at the 1932 Miss America pageant it was stolen from the queen's hotel suite.
In 1937, again only a few hours after being crowned Miss America, Bette Cooper disappeared with her bachelor chaperone, Lou Off, in the middle of the night. The next morning when she was a no-show for a photo shoot, a statewide police search ensued and newspapers published photos of an empty throne surrounded by runners-up. Rumors about the disappearance included the supposition that, like King Edward, who had abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, the American beauty queen had abandoned her throne for love. Actually, Bette, who wanted to return to school, had called her chaperone and asked him to smuggle her out of her hotel and back home.
The newly-crowned Miss USA 1957, Leona Gage, resigned after her mother-in-law informed the press that 18-year-old Gage was not only married to an Air Force sergeant, but was also the mother of two small sons. Teary-eyed titleholder Gage explained that she entered the competition to earn prize money to supplement her family's military salary.
In 1968 Pageant chairman, Albert Marks, attempted to dump the Miss America coronation song There She Is, but after a public uproar, the decision was reversed. Fourteen years later, in 1982, There She Is was replaced by Look at Her and Miss America, You're Beautiful after a contract dispute between pageant officials and songwriter Bernie Wayne. There was so much public outrage over the change however, that There She Is was soon returned by popular demand.
Marjorie Wallace, the first American to be named Miss World (in 1973), was stripped of her title after rumors of affairs with a string of famous bachelors.
In 1974 Philippine First Lady, Imelda Marcos spared no expense to host the Miss Universe Pageant, only to have the event threatened by an approaching typhoon. Marcos called in the military to seed monsoon clouds in an effort to diffuse the storm. Amparo Munoz, Miss Spain, won the crown.
Moments after the credits rolled at the end of the 1979 Miss Universe Pageant in Australia, the stage collapsed as 200 reporters and contestants rushed forward to congratulate the winner, Maritza Sayalero, of Venezuela. Eight contestants plunged through the stage floor to the concrete beneath and Miss Malta and Miss Turkey were hospitalized for minor injuries after rescue workers pulled them from the debris.
Media frenzy erupted in 1984 after reporters revealed that Miss America, Vanessa Williams, posed for sexually explicit pictures before her victory. When Penthouse magazine published the photos, pageant officials requested that Vanessa step down. She resigned during a nationally televised press conference and was replaced by her first runner-up, Suzette Charles, who became the second African-American woman to hold the title.
The Lone Star state achieved a monopoly on the Miss USA title when Texans won the national crown for five consecutive years from 1985-1989. All five women prepared for the pageant under the tutelage of Richard Guy and Rex Holt, the flamboyant founders of GuyRex, Inc. The pair later joined the Miss USA organization as staff members.
After appearing as a celebrity guest at the Miss Black America Pageant in 1991, world heavy weight boxing champion Mike Tyson was arrested for raping a contestant, Desiree Washington, during pageant week. After the national winner and other contestants claim he groped them, the pageant’s director labeled the boxer a "serial buttocks fondler” and sued for damages. The case created a media frenzy and Tyson was later convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison.
As Hurricane Andrew threatened to hit the site of the Miss Teen USA Pageant, Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1992, producers decided to hold the contest early. To maintain suspense, they taped the crowning of two winners, Miss Iowa and Miss Oklahoma, and kept the name of the actual winner a secret. Later that night, the pre-taped pageant aired and Miss Iowa, Jamie Solinger, was revealed as the new Miss Teen USA.
Miss Colombia, Andrea Noceti, threatened to sue David Letterman, host of the famous late night talk show in 2001, for quipping that her talent performance would include swallowing bags of heroin. "I don't know if you've seen a beauty pageant lately, but you know what's really gotten very impressive; the talent competition...For example, Miss Colombia ... swallowed 50 balloons full of heroin." Letterman later apologized.
Due to security concerns, Miss Israel, Ilanit Levy, an 18-year-old soldier from Haifa, wore a bulletproof dress studded with rhinestones at the Miss Universe Pageant competition, in Puerto Rico in 2001.
Oksana Fyodorova, a police lieutenant from St. Petersburg, became the first Miss Russia to win the Miss Universe title when judges selected her as Miss Universe 2002. She was stripped of her title on September 23rd, 2002 for failing to fulfill her duties. Fedorova claimed that no one informed her of the demanding schedule she would face if she won the international title. Justine Pasek of Panama assumed her duties as Miss Universe.
At the 2002 Miss Universe Pageant, Miss Lebanon, Christina Sawaya, dropped out of the competition after stating that she would not compete in a pageant with Miss Israel. That contestant, Yamit Har-Noy hesitated to wear her Miss Israel titleholder sash in public due to security concerns.
At the beginning of 2005 Donald Trump offered to buy the Miss America pageant after ABC-TV decided to drop it from their broadcast channel. Pageant followers worried that combining the pageant with the Miss Universe pageants could result in less diversity among the contests.
We are coming close to 100 years of young women competing for the chance to wear a crown. Perhaps this is YOUR year to become part of this fabulous tradition!
============
This is an excerpt from my "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant" course. Check it out!
Each year there are an estimated 700,000 beauty pageants being held in the United States alone. How did this phenomenon start – and how did it grow to be such a major part of our culture?
In 1921 a group of hotel owners in Atlantic City were looking for a promotional gimmick to entice summer tourists to stay in town past Labor Day. They decided to stage a fall festival and include a "National Beauty Tournament" on the beach to select "the most beautiful bathing beauty in America". Eastern newspaper editors were invited to run photo contests to pick winners to represent their communities at the new pageant.
Eight contestants competed for the first Miss America title which was won by a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl named Margaret Gorman, representing the nation's capital as Miss Washington D.C. The “bathing beauty” image remained throughout the 1920’s and Miss America was crowned wearing her bathing suit and smiling at the ever increasing numbers of spectators.
During the 1930’s the contest added an optional talent competition as a reflection of the nation's growing fascination with Hollywood. Winners received Hollywood screen tests and Hollywood agents scoured the pageant looking for potential starlets. Some contestants made it to Hollywood including Dorothy Lamour (1935) who later co-starred with Bob Hope in the Road Picture series. In 1938 the talent competition became a mandatory category of the pageant.
In 1932 Marian Bergeron, a 15-year-old policeman’s daughter, won the pageant and became the first winner to be crowned in an evening gown rather than a swimsuit.
During the 1940’s pageant officials considered discontinuing the Miss America Pageant for the duration of World War II, but the decision was made to allow it to continue since it was felt that the pageant strengthened the American spirit. In 1945 Lenora Slaughter, the first female director of the Miss America Pageant, began a scholarship program to help contestants attend college. Miss New York, Bess Myerson, won the title and the first
scholarship.
The evolving pageant hit a milestone during the 1950’s when the new Miss America Yolande Betbeze (1951) refused to pose in a swimsuit, insisting that she was a classical singer, not a pin-up. Officials supported her decision and one of the major sponsors of the pageant, Catalina Swimwear, discontinued its sponsorship and began planning its own promotional vehicle, the sexier sister pageants, "Miss USA" and "Miss Universe."
Another important benchmark was the inauguration of the first Miss World Pageant in 1951 held to promote the Festival of Britain. Miss Sweden, Kiki Haakonson, won. The new contest adopted the slogan "Beauty with a Purpose" and aligned itself with Variety Clubs International to raise funds for world charities.
Catalina held the Miss USA-Miss Universe sister pageants together in Long Beach, California in 1952. Thirty American women competed for the first Miss USA title and twenty nine international contestants competed for the first Miss Universe title.
In 1954 the first live coast-to-coast broadcast of the Miss America Pageant aired on television. Lee Meriwether was awarded the crown by a panel of judges that included movie queen Grace Kelly.
Television personality, Bert Parks was hired as the Miss America Pageant's master of ceremonies in 1955. He sang Bernie Wayne's tune, There She Is for the first time on national TV. A legend was born.
In 1958 Jaycees began the America's Junior Miss Pageant, a scholarship program to recognize outstanding achievement by high school seniors. Contestants were judged on talent, poise, community service, and school grades. Rather than present the teenagers in swimsuits, officials substituted a choreographed physical fitness competition.
Corrine Huff made history in 1960 when she won the Miss Iowa-USA title and became the first black woman to win a state title and compete in a major national pageant, the Miss USA Pageant.
Children’s Beauty Pageants were introduced in 1960 when the first international pageant for children was staged in Miami, Florida--"Little Miss Universe." The contest was discontinued in 1966.
The "Little Miss America Pageant" contest started in New Jersey in 1961, affiliated with Palisades Amusement Park. That was also the year the Miss Teenage America Pageant was founded as a program to honor young women’s achievement. Following the example of America’s Junior Miss, the scholarship pageant had no swimsuit competition.
In the year 1968 the first Miss Black America Pageant was held in Atlantic City as a protest against the absence of black women in the Miss America Pageant. Two years later Cheryl Browne won the Miss Iowa title and became the first African-American woman to compete in the Miss America Pageant.
Another controversy surfaced in 1968 when The Women's Liberation Front protested the Miss America Pageant as FBI anti-riot squads kept them under surveillance. The picketers tossed symbols of the beauty culture into a "freedom trash can" and infiltrated Convention Hall during the pageant creating a commotion that was audible during the telecast.
The 1970’s saw the inauguration of several new contests: The Miss National Teen-Ager Pageant was founded in 1971 as a scholarship pageant, the Miss United Teenager Pageant began in 1974 as well as a children’s scholarship pageant named after a favorite fairy tale, The Cinderella Pageant. The Miss Teen All America Pageant began in 1977 and The Mrs. America Pageant was revived as a glamorous televised beauty pageant for married women.
Feminists returned to Atlantic City in 1974 where they staged a feminist conference and protested the Miss America pageant.
In the year 1973 the Miss Universe Pageant began a tradition of televising from exotic locales around the globe when it was broadcast live worldwide via satellite for the first time from the Parthenon in Athens, Greece.
'TEEN Magazine acquired the rights to the Miss Teenage America Pageant from the Dr. Pepper Company in 1981 and transformed it into a nationwide mail-entry contest celebrating teen achievement. Finalists are judged on grades, community service, and intelligence. The winner serves as a ‘TEEN columnist and spokesperson
Marking the most important racial milestone in pageant history in l983, Vanessa Williams became the first African-American to win the Miss America title. In another racial breakthrough, 1985 became the year of the Latina beauties. Laura Martinez Herring, a naturalized Mexican-American, was named Miss USA, making her the first Hispanic to win a major U.S. pageant title. Deborah Carthy-Deu, Miss Puerto Rico, won the Miss Universe title that same year.
Kaye Lani Rafko, an oncology nurse from Michigan, won the 1988 Miss America title and voluntarily devoted part of her year of service to advocating hospice care and promoting the nursing profession. This new precedent of social activism for titleholders was so positively received by the public, that the pageant began developing an official "platform" through which future titleholders could be role models for public service. In 1992 The Miss Teen of America Pageant was founded. Macy Jarrett, of Kansas, won the first title.
After performing a ballet to music she could not hear and interviewing with Regis Philbin on live national television in 1994, Heather Whitestone became the first woman with a physical handicap to win the Miss America title. An inspiration to Americans, the profoundly deaf Miss America was the first national titleholder interviewed on a Barbara Walters' special. In response to perennial demands that the swimsuit competition be eliminated, the Miss America Pageant put the matter to a public vote in 1994. Viewers called in to vote on whether or not the Miss America swimsuit competition should be kept or eliminated. By a 3-1 margin, callers voted for the swimsuits to stay with 73% voting in favor of keeping the traditional category.
Business tycoon Donald Trump purchased the Miss Universe system which consists of the "triple crown"--the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA, and Miss Universe pageants in 1997.
In 1998 Virginia's Nicole Johnson, who is a diabetic who wears an insulin pump on her hip, became the first woman with a long term physical illness to win the Miss America title. She championed diabetes awareness as her platform and inspired millions of Americans.
Odd Pageant Happenings
Beauty Pageants have provided their share of scandals, disasters and other odd events over the years.
Only hours after Margaret Bergeron received her crown at the 1932 Miss America pageant it was stolen from the queen's hotel suite.
In 1937, again only a few hours after being crowned Miss America, Bette Cooper disappeared with her bachelor chaperone, Lou Off, in the middle of the night. The next morning when she was a no-show for a photo shoot, a statewide police search ensued and newspapers published photos of an empty throne surrounded by runners-up. Rumors about the disappearance included the supposition that, like King Edward, who had abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, the American beauty queen had abandoned her throne for love. Actually, Bette, who wanted to return to school, had called her chaperone and asked him to smuggle her out of her hotel and back home.
The newly-crowned Miss USA 1957, Leona Gage, resigned after her mother-in-law informed the press that 18-year-old Gage was not only married to an Air Force sergeant, but was also the mother of two small sons. Teary-eyed titleholder Gage explained that she entered the competition to earn prize money to supplement her family's military salary.
In 1968 Pageant chairman, Albert Marks, attempted to dump the Miss America coronation song There She Is, but after a public uproar, the decision was reversed. Fourteen years later, in 1982, There She Is was replaced by Look at Her and Miss America, You're Beautiful after a contract dispute between pageant officials and songwriter Bernie Wayne. There was so much public outrage over the change however, that There She Is was soon returned by popular demand.
Marjorie Wallace, the first American to be named Miss World (in 1973), was stripped of her title after rumors of affairs with a string of famous bachelors.
In 1974 Philippine First Lady, Imelda Marcos spared no expense to host the Miss Universe Pageant, only to have the event threatened by an approaching typhoon. Marcos called in the military to seed monsoon clouds in an effort to diffuse the storm. Amparo Munoz, Miss Spain, won the crown.
Moments after the credits rolled at the end of the 1979 Miss Universe Pageant in Australia, the stage collapsed as 200 reporters and contestants rushed forward to congratulate the winner, Maritza Sayalero, of Venezuela. Eight contestants plunged through the stage floor to the concrete beneath and Miss Malta and Miss Turkey were hospitalized for minor injuries after rescue workers pulled them from the debris.
Media frenzy erupted in 1984 after reporters revealed that Miss America, Vanessa Williams, posed for sexually explicit pictures before her victory. When Penthouse magazine published the photos, pageant officials requested that Vanessa step down. She resigned during a nationally televised press conference and was replaced by her first runner-up, Suzette Charles, who became the second African-American woman to hold the title.
The Lone Star state achieved a monopoly on the Miss USA title when Texans won the national crown for five consecutive years from 1985-1989. All five women prepared for the pageant under the tutelage of Richard Guy and Rex Holt, the flamboyant founders of GuyRex, Inc. The pair later joined the Miss USA organization as staff members.
After appearing as a celebrity guest at the Miss Black America Pageant in 1991, world heavy weight boxing champion Mike Tyson was arrested for raping a contestant, Desiree Washington, during pageant week. After the national winner and other contestants claim he groped them, the pageant’s director labeled the boxer a "serial buttocks fondler” and sued for damages. The case created a media frenzy and Tyson was later convicted of rape and sentenced to six years in prison.
As Hurricane Andrew threatened to hit the site of the Miss Teen USA Pageant, Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1992, producers decided to hold the contest early. To maintain suspense, they taped the crowning of two winners, Miss Iowa and Miss Oklahoma, and kept the name of the actual winner a secret. Later that night, the pre-taped pageant aired and Miss Iowa, Jamie Solinger, was revealed as the new Miss Teen USA.
Miss Colombia, Andrea Noceti, threatened to sue David Letterman, host of the famous late night talk show in 2001, for quipping that her talent performance would include swallowing bags of heroin. "I don't know if you've seen a beauty pageant lately, but you know what's really gotten very impressive; the talent competition...For example, Miss Colombia ... swallowed 50 balloons full of heroin." Letterman later apologized.
Due to security concerns, Miss Israel, Ilanit Levy, an 18-year-old soldier from Haifa, wore a bulletproof dress studded with rhinestones at the Miss Universe Pageant competition, in Puerto Rico in 2001.
Oksana Fyodorova, a police lieutenant from St. Petersburg, became the first Miss Russia to win the Miss Universe title when judges selected her as Miss Universe 2002. She was stripped of her title on September 23rd, 2002 for failing to fulfill her duties. Fedorova claimed that no one informed her of the demanding schedule she would face if she won the international title. Justine Pasek of Panama assumed her duties as Miss Universe.
At the 2002 Miss Universe Pageant, Miss Lebanon, Christina Sawaya, dropped out of the competition after stating that she would not compete in a pageant with Miss Israel. That contestant, Yamit Har-Noy hesitated to wear her Miss Israel titleholder sash in public due to security concerns.
At the beginning of 2005 Donald Trump offered to buy the Miss America pageant after ABC-TV decided to drop it from their broadcast channel. Pageant followers worried that combining the pageant with the Miss Universe pageants could result in less diversity among the contests.
We are coming close to 100 years of young women competing for the chance to wear a crown. Perhaps this is YOUR year to become part of this fabulous tradition!
============
This is an excerpt from my "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant" course. Check it out!
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Teen Beauty Pageants Can Help Build Confidence
Teen Beauty Pageants Can Help Build Confidence
While beauty pageants have gotten a bad name over the years, there are some great pageants out there that help women further their academic aspirations. The California Teen Scholarship Pageant is one such pageant that isn't all about beauty or modeling, it's about helping women further their education, build confidence, and even give them a leg up on helping in their local community. These pageants really are much different than your traditional teen pageant or beauty pageant and are worth looking into for every woman.
The great thing about scholarship pageants is that they don't focus on beauty alone. Of course, judging does include beauty and poise, but it's not just about beauty. In fact, these scholarship pageants usually do not have a swimsuit or talent judging, which is a load off of most girls' minds.
In fact, pageants like the California Teen Scholarship Pageant usually judge on grade point average, poise, beauty, and overall personality and aspirations. This means that every teen, whether she has been in pageants all of her life or this is her first one.
In fact, teen pageants such as the California Teen Scholarship Pageant encourage young women from all backgrounds and all experience levels to get involved. Most of the teens that get involved with these scholarship pageants are first time pageant competitors.
California pageants report that many of the girls compete once and come back the next year with a couple friends so that they can all compete and hopefully win a scholarship to help them to go the school of their choice. The great thing about this is that good portions of the teens are on an even playing field, so that anyone truly can win. You don't have to be the most beautiful teen in the state to win this pageant, because it's about so much more than that.
Most of the teen scholarship pageants allow girls to register for the competition online or through the mail. You'll usually be required to send a picture and an essay or completed questionnaire in ahead of time and then a judging panel will determine who will go on to compete in the actual pageant.
Teens that do not get into the pageant the first time they apply should not be deterred; instead they should plan to apply again the following year. These scholarship pageants really are a great way to help pay for school, which we all know is extraordinarily expensive.
If there is a teen in your life that needs to build some self-confidence or could use some help paying for college, a pageant such as the California Teen Scholarship Pageant is a great idea. This pageant is all about rewarding the girl that is going places, to make college more affordable and reward her for all of her hard work.
The most traditional aspect of these pageants is the evening gown round, which only requires that the teens wear a long dress. The teen can pick any type of dress that she wants, so she feels comfortable and is able to portray her personality. The evening gown round is done to help the judges determine the teen that is able to carry herself well in every situation.
Many teens are looking for a way to get noticed, to pay for college, and help build their resume and self-confidence. Pageants such as the California Teen Scholarship Pageant can help a teen do all of these things, and more.
These scholarship pageants really are a confidence builder, and can be the one thing that catapults a young woman to a place where she can succeed and do the very best at whatever it is she wants to do.
============
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about California Teen Scholarship Pageant or Majon's Health and Beauty directory.
While beauty pageants have gotten a bad name over the years, there are some great pageants out there that help women further their academic aspirations. The California Teen Scholarship Pageant is one such pageant that isn't all about beauty or modeling, it's about helping women further their education, build confidence, and even give them a leg up on helping in their local community. These pageants really are much different than your traditional teen pageant or beauty pageant and are worth looking into for every woman.
The great thing about scholarship pageants is that they don't focus on beauty alone. Of course, judging does include beauty and poise, but it's not just about beauty. In fact, these scholarship pageants usually do not have a swimsuit or talent judging, which is a load off of most girls' minds.
In fact, pageants like the California Teen Scholarship Pageant usually judge on grade point average, poise, beauty, and overall personality and aspirations. This means that every teen, whether she has been in pageants all of her life or this is her first one.
In fact, teen pageants such as the California Teen Scholarship Pageant encourage young women from all backgrounds and all experience levels to get involved. Most of the teens that get involved with these scholarship pageants are first time pageant competitors.
California pageants report that many of the girls compete once and come back the next year with a couple friends so that they can all compete and hopefully win a scholarship to help them to go the school of their choice. The great thing about this is that good portions of the teens are on an even playing field, so that anyone truly can win. You don't have to be the most beautiful teen in the state to win this pageant, because it's about so much more than that.
Most of the teen scholarship pageants allow girls to register for the competition online or through the mail. You'll usually be required to send a picture and an essay or completed questionnaire in ahead of time and then a judging panel will determine who will go on to compete in the actual pageant.
Teens that do not get into the pageant the first time they apply should not be deterred; instead they should plan to apply again the following year. These scholarship pageants really are a great way to help pay for school, which we all know is extraordinarily expensive.
If there is a teen in your life that needs to build some self-confidence or could use some help paying for college, a pageant such as the California Teen Scholarship Pageant is a great idea. This pageant is all about rewarding the girl that is going places, to make college more affordable and reward her for all of her hard work.
The most traditional aspect of these pageants is the evening gown round, which only requires that the teens wear a long dress. The teen can pick any type of dress that she wants, so she feels comfortable and is able to portray her personality. The evening gown round is done to help the judges determine the teen that is able to carry herself well in every situation.
Many teens are looking for a way to get noticed, to pay for college, and help build their resume and self-confidence. Pageants such as the California Teen Scholarship Pageant can help a teen do all of these things, and more.
These scholarship pageants really are a confidence builder, and can be the one thing that catapults a young woman to a place where she can succeed and do the very best at whatever it is she wants to do.
============
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about California Teen Scholarship Pageant or Majon's Health and Beauty directory.
Beauty Pageants For Teens And Pre-teens
Beauty Pageants For Teens And Pre-teens
How can my eleven year old daughter improve on her modeling? She's been in thirteen pageants, so we need a little more pageant modeling tips.
Five things to remind pre-teen girls:
• SMILE ! A good facial expression shows personality.
• If you forget part of your routine, just keep going, nobody knows what is supposed to be happening other than you, so just keep smiling and don't get discouraged, it happens to everyone.
• Always be confident in yourself, believe that you can do it. That alone will make you shine on stage.
• Have fun; don't do a routine or a pageant that you don't like. The judges can tell if you’re bored.
• No matter what happens, remember that you are beautiful. When you enter a pageant, you're not asking if you are beautiful, you are showing people that you are.
There are specific modeling tips later in the book that you can adapt for preteen contests.
I've been doing pageants for a couple of years and if I do sportswear, I seem to win in the overall division. I do not like to dance like the little girls. My question is: How do older girls do their sportswear? (Miss division and up)
For sportswear in the older divisions try to develop a theme that is not really a dance. Instead, make up a routine with a theme that goes well with the outfit you choose.
If your daughter has braces at age thirteen, is that a problem?
It depends on which pageant you enter. Although no pageant will tell you not to enter at all if you have braces there are pageants where it will matter less than others. Most judges in the Natural pageants will look at a thirteen-year-old contestant with braces and think it is to be expected at that age and no big deal. Judges for the Glitz pageants are generally searching for a more glamorous look and could consider braces uncomplimentary.
What should I do when I feel like throwing a temper tantrum?
Don’t ! You would be surprised at how many people are watching you at all times when you are competing in a pageant – even if you are not “onstage” at the moment. You are not going to make a favorable impression if you are behaving badly. And anyway, throwing temper tantrums does not get you what you want – which is generally relief from some extreme emotion like fear, frustration or fatigue.
Here are some tips to try the next time you feel like throwing a temper
tantrum:
• Breathe. Slowly. Count to ten while you breathe. Yes, seriously.
• Distract yourself. If you are frustrated with a situation, or tired, it can help to “go away” for a minute. If you can - step into another room or at least a quieter part of the room you are in. Close your eyes and breathe. If you can not do this literally you can still do it inside your head. Picture a beach. Or a treehouse. Or a rock star. Go away from the competition for just a moment and “think lovely thoughts” as Peter Pan would
say.
• If you absolutely HAVE to shout to let it all out then do something goofy. Jump up and down in place while yelling the alphabet. Turn a cartwheel and whistle as loudly as you can. Give the person next to you a huge smooch on the cheek and scream “I LOVE THE WORLD!” It will have the same effect on you physically as screaming and crying to get the tension out. People will also probably think you are strange. But at least you won’t be throwing a temper tantrum.
Do I really have to be overly, sincerely nice to all the other girls?
I know I should be polite, but I compete for a reason and, I'm not trying to be mean, but I'm not there for the other girls involved.
Think of it as training for the future.
You sound like a young lady who has plans for moving on in the world of pageant competition. If that is so then you will eventually find yourself competing in pageants in which the winner is expected to go out into the community, or the state, or the whole country and serve as a representative of the pageant for an entire year after she is crowned. Guess what she is expected to do as representative of that pageant?
Be sincerely nice to other people.
Whether she is talking to the press, speaking at a luncheon, meeting fans for an autograph session or helping out at a local school or shelter, a beauty queen needs to be able to relate to all kinds of people – all of the time. Use situations in which you would rather not be bothered as practice time to hone your public relations skills.
This doesn’t mean that you have to be fake or work excessively hard trying to be voted “Miss Congeniality” if that is not your real personality. Be the true you – behaving like a queen.
What is the best way for my daughter to stand out for the Judges in a pre-teen pageant?
Encourage her to always speak loud enough for people to hear her when she speaks. Facial expressions are a great thing – smile! But don't force the smile, think of something that's funny, smile from your heart.
Self confidence makes a girl stand out. Generally pre-teens don’t think of making eye contact with the audience. See chapter nine for tips on how to do this successfully and help your daughter practice them.
How can my eleven year old daughter improve on her modeling? She's been in thirteen pageants, so we need a little more pageant modeling tips.
Five things to remind pre-teen girls:
• SMILE ! A good facial expression shows personality.
• If you forget part of your routine, just keep going, nobody knows what is supposed to be happening other than you, so just keep smiling and don't get discouraged, it happens to everyone.
• Always be confident in yourself, believe that you can do it. That alone will make you shine on stage.
• Have fun; don't do a routine or a pageant that you don't like. The judges can tell if you’re bored.
• No matter what happens, remember that you are beautiful. When you enter a pageant, you're not asking if you are beautiful, you are showing people that you are.
There are specific modeling tips later in the book that you can adapt for preteen contests.
I've been doing pageants for a couple of years and if I do sportswear, I seem to win in the overall division. I do not like to dance like the little girls. My question is: How do older girls do their sportswear? (Miss division and up)
For sportswear in the older divisions try to develop a theme that is not really a dance. Instead, make up a routine with a theme that goes well with the outfit you choose.
If your daughter has braces at age thirteen, is that a problem?
It depends on which pageant you enter. Although no pageant will tell you not to enter at all if you have braces there are pageants where it will matter less than others. Most judges in the Natural pageants will look at a thirteen-year-old contestant with braces and think it is to be expected at that age and no big deal. Judges for the Glitz pageants are generally searching for a more glamorous look and could consider braces uncomplimentary.
What should I do when I feel like throwing a temper tantrum?
Don’t ! You would be surprised at how many people are watching you at all times when you are competing in a pageant – even if you are not “onstage” at the moment. You are not going to make a favorable impression if you are behaving badly. And anyway, throwing temper tantrums does not get you what you want – which is generally relief from some extreme emotion like fear, frustration or fatigue.
Here are some tips to try the next time you feel like throwing a temper
tantrum:
• Breathe. Slowly. Count to ten while you breathe. Yes, seriously.
• Distract yourself. If you are frustrated with a situation, or tired, it can help to “go away” for a minute. If you can - step into another room or at least a quieter part of the room you are in. Close your eyes and breathe. If you can not do this literally you can still do it inside your head. Picture a beach. Or a treehouse. Or a rock star. Go away from the competition for just a moment and “think lovely thoughts” as Peter Pan would
say.
• If you absolutely HAVE to shout to let it all out then do something goofy. Jump up and down in place while yelling the alphabet. Turn a cartwheel and whistle as loudly as you can. Give the person next to you a huge smooch on the cheek and scream “I LOVE THE WORLD!” It will have the same effect on you physically as screaming and crying to get the tension out. People will also probably think you are strange. But at least you won’t be throwing a temper tantrum.
Do I really have to be overly, sincerely nice to all the other girls?
I know I should be polite, but I compete for a reason and, I'm not trying to be mean, but I'm not there for the other girls involved.
Think of it as training for the future.
You sound like a young lady who has plans for moving on in the world of pageant competition. If that is so then you will eventually find yourself competing in pageants in which the winner is expected to go out into the community, or the state, or the whole country and serve as a representative of the pageant for an entire year after she is crowned. Guess what she is expected to do as representative of that pageant?
Be sincerely nice to other people.
Whether she is talking to the press, speaking at a luncheon, meeting fans for an autograph session or helping out at a local school or shelter, a beauty queen needs to be able to relate to all kinds of people – all of the time. Use situations in which you would rather not be bothered as practice time to hone your public relations skills.
This doesn’t mean that you have to be fake or work excessively hard trying to be voted “Miss Congeniality” if that is not your real personality. Be the true you – behaving like a queen.
What is the best way for my daughter to stand out for the Judges in a pre-teen pageant?
Encourage her to always speak loud enough for people to hear her when she speaks. Facial expressions are a great thing – smile! But don't force the smile, think of something that's funny, smile from your heart.
Self confidence makes a girl stand out. Generally pre-teens don’t think of making eye contact with the audience. See chapter nine for tips on how to do this successfully and help your daughter practice them.
Friday, April 27, 2007
All About Beauty Pageant Gowns
All About Beauty Pageant Gowns
What kind of evening gown is the best for pageant competition?
The winning evening gown will combine the best color and style for your individual hair color, skin tones and complexion; it will make you look your prettiest under harsh stage lights, fit flawlessly and convey the image of a winner to the judges. That’s a lot to expect a dress to do - so be very, very picky when choosing it.
Like the other events during the competitions, the evening gown category differs from pageant to pageant. Pageants that emphasize scholarship tend towards classically beautiful gowns, elegance, grace and composure. Pageants that put more emphasis on beauty tend more towards glamorous, fashionable gowns, glitz, charisma and poise.
If you are looking for a glamorous gown think high fashion, curve hugging gowns in luxurious crepes, beaded fabrics, French laces with crystals, sparkling brocades, gold or silver metallic or rich velvets trimmed with rhinestones.
For scholarship or family-oriented pageants the emphasis should be on the fabric itself rather than on beading. Tulle, chiffon, georgette, crepes, and velvets are good choices. Elegance rather than glamour is the goal.
In teen pageants formalwear should be appropriate for the age. Floor-length, simple, clean-cut, youthful dresses are favored over “glamorous” gowns although recently more glamorous dresses have started appearing on younger contestants. The America Junior Miss look is generally described as “debutante.”
Whatever kind of gown you decide to wear be original in your choice. Copying a previous winner’s gown in the hopes that it will be a winner for you too is one of the worst moves you can make. Once a gown has been worn by a major winner it is copied and copied and copied at other pageants. You don’t want to look like everyone else.
One of the secrets to capturing the crown is to wear an evening gown that is so gorgeous and different that you stand out and the judges can’t help but notice you. Have confidence in your choice and dare to wear a unique gown that truly flatters you.
Make sure your gown fits properly. It should look as though it was tailored just for you. This is possible even if you choose to buy a gown off the rack instead of having it made. You can always have the gown altered to flatter your figure. The dress should lay flat against the body, especially around the bodice and waist. There should be no wrinkles or puckers evident as you walk.
The hemline is particularly important. A too-short hemline looks as though you have outgrown the gown, one that is too long and touches the floor can trip you onstage. The hem should just kiss the top of the toe to be the right length. Be sure to wear the shoes that you will be wearing at the pageant to all your gown fittings.
When choosing your gown remember that intense stage lighting can change the way the gown color looks onstage. That, in turn, can change the way those colors affect a contestant’s skin tones and hair color. If at all possible test gown colors under stage lighting conditions.
There are pageant supply shops with state of the art “lighting rooms” equipped with lighting systems to test wardrobe colors. If you don’t happen to have access to one of these shops you can do the same thing in your local high school auditorium with a little bit of planning effort beforehand.
When choosing gown colors keep in mind that girls with warm-toned skin colors, that is, those with a “golden” undertone (check your wrist to see this) look better in warm shades such as peach and red; while cool-toned skin colors (a bluish undertone) look better in cool shades like pink or royal blue.
A secret that will enable you to wear any color is in finding the right shade of that color. One contestant might look positively awful in an orange-red shade while a deep wine red will be beautiful on her. Another contestant might not look good in the wine red shade but crimson red makes her glow. It’s all about finding the correct shade to go with your hair and skin color.
Try out a variety of colors, preferably under stage lighting. You can buy swatches of material in various shades of different colors, go to the local high school auditorium and drape them, one by one, across your shoulder and neck area. You will know you have found the right shade when a color brings a healthy glow to your face, minimizes shadows, makes your eyes and teeth appear bright and flatters your hair color. Take the swatches that do that for you along when you go dress shopping.
And finally, always keep in mind the image that you want to project during the pageant. A contestant in black looks sophisticated, glamorous and mature; light colors convey a younger image, red tends to make a strong assertive statement. White creates the image of purity and ladylike beauty.
The lines of the gown also make a style statement. A strapless gown with a straight skirt gives a different message than does a dress with a full skirt and long flowing sleeves. Keep the image of your particular pageant in mind as you are choosing the best gown to compete in.
.......................
Judges look for these things in judging the evening gown competition:
• First impressions. How does the gown make you look? And does
how you look match the pageant image?
• Beauty of Face and Figure
• Poise
• Grace
• Composure
• Personality
• Charisma, stage presence
• Posture, carriage, walk
• Modeling technique
• Proper fit
• Good grooming
• Overall appearance
Other things the judges may take into consideration include: is the gown appropriate for the contestant’s age, do the gown and girl compliment each other, is the gown in good taste or too suggestive.
============
This excerpt has been taken from my "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant" course. If you want to get it all - check it out!
What kind of evening gown is the best for pageant competition?
The winning evening gown will combine the best color and style for your individual hair color, skin tones and complexion; it will make you look your prettiest under harsh stage lights, fit flawlessly and convey the image of a winner to the judges. That’s a lot to expect a dress to do - so be very, very picky when choosing it.
Like the other events during the competitions, the evening gown category differs from pageant to pageant. Pageants that emphasize scholarship tend towards classically beautiful gowns, elegance, grace and composure. Pageants that put more emphasis on beauty tend more towards glamorous, fashionable gowns, glitz, charisma and poise.
If you are looking for a glamorous gown think high fashion, curve hugging gowns in luxurious crepes, beaded fabrics, French laces with crystals, sparkling brocades, gold or silver metallic or rich velvets trimmed with rhinestones.
For scholarship or family-oriented pageants the emphasis should be on the fabric itself rather than on beading. Tulle, chiffon, georgette, crepes, and velvets are good choices. Elegance rather than glamour is the goal.
In teen pageants formalwear should be appropriate for the age. Floor-length, simple, clean-cut, youthful dresses are favored over “glamorous” gowns although recently more glamorous dresses have started appearing on younger contestants. The America Junior Miss look is generally described as “debutante.”
Whatever kind of gown you decide to wear be original in your choice. Copying a previous winner’s gown in the hopes that it will be a winner for you too is one of the worst moves you can make. Once a gown has been worn by a major winner it is copied and copied and copied at other pageants. You don’t want to look like everyone else.
One of the secrets to capturing the crown is to wear an evening gown that is so gorgeous and different that you stand out and the judges can’t help but notice you. Have confidence in your choice and dare to wear a unique gown that truly flatters you.
Make sure your gown fits properly. It should look as though it was tailored just for you. This is possible even if you choose to buy a gown off the rack instead of having it made. You can always have the gown altered to flatter your figure. The dress should lay flat against the body, especially around the bodice and waist. There should be no wrinkles or puckers evident as you walk.
The hemline is particularly important. A too-short hemline looks as though you have outgrown the gown, one that is too long and touches the floor can trip you onstage. The hem should just kiss the top of the toe to be the right length. Be sure to wear the shoes that you will be wearing at the pageant to all your gown fittings.
When choosing your gown remember that intense stage lighting can change the way the gown color looks onstage. That, in turn, can change the way those colors affect a contestant’s skin tones and hair color. If at all possible test gown colors under stage lighting conditions.
There are pageant supply shops with state of the art “lighting rooms” equipped with lighting systems to test wardrobe colors. If you don’t happen to have access to one of these shops you can do the same thing in your local high school auditorium with a little bit of planning effort beforehand.
When choosing gown colors keep in mind that girls with warm-toned skin colors, that is, those with a “golden” undertone (check your wrist to see this) look better in warm shades such as peach and red; while cool-toned skin colors (a bluish undertone) look better in cool shades like pink or royal blue.
A secret that will enable you to wear any color is in finding the right shade of that color. One contestant might look positively awful in an orange-red shade while a deep wine red will be beautiful on her. Another contestant might not look good in the wine red shade but crimson red makes her glow. It’s all about finding the correct shade to go with your hair and skin color.
Try out a variety of colors, preferably under stage lighting. You can buy swatches of material in various shades of different colors, go to the local high school auditorium and drape them, one by one, across your shoulder and neck area. You will know you have found the right shade when a color brings a healthy glow to your face, minimizes shadows, makes your eyes and teeth appear bright and flatters your hair color. Take the swatches that do that for you along when you go dress shopping.
And finally, always keep in mind the image that you want to project during the pageant. A contestant in black looks sophisticated, glamorous and mature; light colors convey a younger image, red tends to make a strong assertive statement. White creates the image of purity and ladylike beauty.
The lines of the gown also make a style statement. A strapless gown with a straight skirt gives a different message than does a dress with a full skirt and long flowing sleeves. Keep the image of your particular pageant in mind as you are choosing the best gown to compete in.
.......................
Judges look for these things in judging the evening gown competition:
• First impressions. How does the gown make you look? And does
how you look match the pageant image?
• Beauty of Face and Figure
• Poise
• Grace
• Composure
• Personality
• Charisma, stage presence
• Posture, carriage, walk
• Modeling technique
• Proper fit
• Good grooming
• Overall appearance
Other things the judges may take into consideration include: is the gown appropriate for the contestant’s age, do the gown and girl compliment each other, is the gown in good taste or too suggestive.
============
This excerpt has been taken from my "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant" course. If you want to get it all - check it out!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
How To Be A Beauty Pageant Winner
How To Be A Beauty Pageant Winner
From the first moment you set a foot on the stage you want to appear confident, composed, and energetic. Your attitude should say “look at me – I’m going to be the winner!”
The first impression you make on the judges will set the tone for the entire rest of the onstage portion of the pageant. Make sure you choose that first impression carefully and work to perfect it.
How do you make a great first impression? Like all the other secrets, the trick is to plan ahead.
Most pageants introduce contestants with some kind of “parade of contestants” during which the girls walk the stage wearing suits or evening gowns. Sometimes a more casual style of outfit is chosen. Whatever the parade format, choose an absolutely stunning outfit that makes you feel as if you look spectacular and is just slightly different from what the other entrants will be wearing.
For instance: if the designated first outfit is a suit; don’t choose a typical business suit like all the other contestants will be wearing. Choose something slightly dramatic like a velvet suit or something romantic like pale linen with a chiffon blouse and lots of ruffles.
Just remember, there is a fine line between unique and eccentric. You want to create a positive first impression with the judges. It’s an opportunity to catch their eye and stand out from the crowd.
Some pageants stage an opening production number with contestants dressed in costumes which represent their state, community or organization.
If you are participating in one of these kinds of pageants remember one important secret to standing out in a costume parade – you need to act the costume. Don’t let the costume wear you by walking around in it as if you were wearing jeans and a sweater. USE the costume and make it come to life. You need to present it in a way to get the most out of that costume and once again, stand out in the judges’ minds.
Whether you first appear onstage in a duck costume, an elegant evening gown or a refined business suit remember that from a judges’ point of view there are suddenly a lot of girls walking towards them and they must react quickly. Judges don’t have a lot of time to think during the initial parade and impressions are made quickly – make sure yours is an exceptional one!
As with other aspects of pageant preparation, make sure your image matches the image of the pageant and then strive to stand out. Look like you are the pageant winner from the very first moment you put a foot on the stage.
How can one build, or at least display, self-confidence in the midst of a huge, rowdy crowd? I don't normally get nervous in front of people, but when I'm in a pageant I totally freak out.
How do I calm my nerves before a pageant?
There are some secrets to controlling your nerves in a performance situation. One of the most important is called “SELF TALK.” If you go into the pageant telling yourself that you will be nervous, guess what will happen.
Henry Ford put it best. He said “Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you are right.”
Before the pageant starts you need to begin working on how you talk to yourself inside your head. Think about what you will do to succeed, make a list of your strengths, where you know you are better than the other contestants, think about how well you have prepared.
If you feel yourself starting to get nervous recite that list. Tell yourself that you are unique, beautiful and have done the best you can to prepare for this moment. You will succeed.
A second trick is to give yourself something else to CONCENTRATE on instead of your nerves. Maybe it is eye contact with the judges and audience. Instead of standing there waiting to go on and feeding your nerves with thoughts of freaking out, review in your brain what it is you will do to
make eye contact. Concentrate on something else and let the nervous thoughts go. You have to make a genuine effort to do this – but it can be done.
The third thing you can do is BREATHE. When we get nervous our body reacts physically. You automatically start taking more rapid, shallow breaths. If you consciously force yourself to take deep, slow breaths you can actually turn around this physical response and that in turn can help to alleviate the feeling of nervousness.
Fill your lungs deeply and slowly and think about what you are going to concentrate on in your coming time onstage. It will help!
How do I walk properly?
This is one of the two most important things you can learn in order to do well in all aspects of the pageant. Whether you are walking in the parade of contestants, the evening gown competition or wearing your swimsuit, how you present yourself is all important.
The way you walk is one of the first and most important things the judges will observe about you. Carriage is especially important since they will be scoring based on how graceful, poised and composed you appear.
This is a skill that you can practice prior to actually doing it at the pageant. When you are competing and using what you have practiced you will find that it can help you actually feel poised and composed.
The first consideration is speed. SLOW DOWN. No matter how uncomfortable you are feeling the answer is not to walk quickly and get it over with. Take your time; it is impossible to look graceful if you are speeding down the runway.
How you move is the next important element. Try to GLIDE. It should look as though you are hovering about a half inch above the floor and skimming along the surface. No bouncy movement, no choppy steps. But be careful not to take steps that are too big. Smaller, smoother steps will give you the carriage you are looking for.
Next concentrate on your POSTURE. Think of a string that stretches from the small of your back, up through your spine and out the top of your head. Six feet above your head someone is pulling that string tight and your body alignment should follow the string up and up and out. Think taller.
Stretch your spine, neck and everything connected to them to reach up and out.
Finally, the secret to a winning walk and the second of the two most important things you can learn to do in order to do well in all aspects of the pageant is to SMILE. A beautiful radiant smile will make people look at your face not your feet. And that is what you want.
How do I get a genuine smile? I always feel so fake smiling at the Judges.
An attractive smile is one of the strongest statements you can make in any portion of the competition. Your smile is more than just attractive teeth and pretty lips. It comes not only from your mouth but from your eyes as well. If your eyes do not “sparkle”, if they do not share the smile with your lips, then turning up the corners of your mouth will look phony. And a pasted-on smile will surely lose you points with the judges.
You want to smile every time you are on stage – but you do not want to smile the same smile every time. After awhile it begins to look insincere.
Try on different kinds of smiles at home. Relax your mouth and use just your eyes to convey the warmth of an inner smile. Try smiling with your mouth but keep it relaxed with your lips parted just slightly. Be careful never to smile so big your gums show or to draw your lips in over your teeth when you smile.
If you find that nerves make your mouth look frozen or your lips quiver try this trick: touch the tip of your tongue to the back of your two upper front teeth and push gently. This action helps to control your mouth muscles and actually lifts the corners of your mouth.
The best way to make your smile look genuine is to really mean it.
Use positive self-talk to remind yourself how much fun the pageant is, how you have achieved your dream by being here and how being in this place at this time is special. Tell the audience how much you love them with your smile. Combine that with eye contact and you will certainly stand out onstage.
What's the best way to grab the judges’ attention when there's only the beauty walk? (No interview, swimwear, or sportswear.)
Take a look at the above section on “How to Walk.” Then add this last secret ingredient that nearly all new contestants fail to do – make EYE CONTACT with the Judges.
You want to look directly into the Judges’ eyes for a brief moment and SMILE warmly. Make each judge feel as if you have a special thought just for them, that they are the one most important person in the audience. They will respond by thinking that you are the one most important person on the runway!
If the concept of eye contact terrifies you use this secret that some professional speakers use. Instead of looking directly into the judges’ eyes look at a spot just above the eyes (on the forehead) or at the bridge of their nose. It will appear that you are looking directly into their eyes. Practice this with someone at home to make sure you are “acting” with your face and not delivering a blank stare. Smile!
============
I took out this excerpt from "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant". Click here to get the whole course.
From the first moment you set a foot on the stage you want to appear confident, composed, and energetic. Your attitude should say “look at me – I’m going to be the winner!”
The first impression you make on the judges will set the tone for the entire rest of the onstage portion of the pageant. Make sure you choose that first impression carefully and work to perfect it.
How do you make a great first impression? Like all the other secrets, the trick is to plan ahead.
Most pageants introduce contestants with some kind of “parade of contestants” during which the girls walk the stage wearing suits or evening gowns. Sometimes a more casual style of outfit is chosen. Whatever the parade format, choose an absolutely stunning outfit that makes you feel as if you look spectacular and is just slightly different from what the other entrants will be wearing.
For instance: if the designated first outfit is a suit; don’t choose a typical business suit like all the other contestants will be wearing. Choose something slightly dramatic like a velvet suit or something romantic like pale linen with a chiffon blouse and lots of ruffles.
Just remember, there is a fine line between unique and eccentric. You want to create a positive first impression with the judges. It’s an opportunity to catch their eye and stand out from the crowd.
Some pageants stage an opening production number with contestants dressed in costumes which represent their state, community or organization.
If you are participating in one of these kinds of pageants remember one important secret to standing out in a costume parade – you need to act the costume. Don’t let the costume wear you by walking around in it as if you were wearing jeans and a sweater. USE the costume and make it come to life. You need to present it in a way to get the most out of that costume and once again, stand out in the judges’ minds.
Whether you first appear onstage in a duck costume, an elegant evening gown or a refined business suit remember that from a judges’ point of view there are suddenly a lot of girls walking towards them and they must react quickly. Judges don’t have a lot of time to think during the initial parade and impressions are made quickly – make sure yours is an exceptional one!
As with other aspects of pageant preparation, make sure your image matches the image of the pageant and then strive to stand out. Look like you are the pageant winner from the very first moment you put a foot on the stage.
How can one build, or at least display, self-confidence in the midst of a huge, rowdy crowd? I don't normally get nervous in front of people, but when I'm in a pageant I totally freak out.
How do I calm my nerves before a pageant?
There are some secrets to controlling your nerves in a performance situation. One of the most important is called “SELF TALK.” If you go into the pageant telling yourself that you will be nervous, guess what will happen.
Henry Ford put it best. He said “Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you are right.”
Before the pageant starts you need to begin working on how you talk to yourself inside your head. Think about what you will do to succeed, make a list of your strengths, where you know you are better than the other contestants, think about how well you have prepared.
If you feel yourself starting to get nervous recite that list. Tell yourself that you are unique, beautiful and have done the best you can to prepare for this moment. You will succeed.
A second trick is to give yourself something else to CONCENTRATE on instead of your nerves. Maybe it is eye contact with the judges and audience. Instead of standing there waiting to go on and feeding your nerves with thoughts of freaking out, review in your brain what it is you will do to
make eye contact. Concentrate on something else and let the nervous thoughts go. You have to make a genuine effort to do this – but it can be done.
The third thing you can do is BREATHE. When we get nervous our body reacts physically. You automatically start taking more rapid, shallow breaths. If you consciously force yourself to take deep, slow breaths you can actually turn around this physical response and that in turn can help to alleviate the feeling of nervousness.
Fill your lungs deeply and slowly and think about what you are going to concentrate on in your coming time onstage. It will help!
How do I walk properly?
This is one of the two most important things you can learn in order to do well in all aspects of the pageant. Whether you are walking in the parade of contestants, the evening gown competition or wearing your swimsuit, how you present yourself is all important.
The way you walk is one of the first and most important things the judges will observe about you. Carriage is especially important since they will be scoring based on how graceful, poised and composed you appear.
This is a skill that you can practice prior to actually doing it at the pageant. When you are competing and using what you have practiced you will find that it can help you actually feel poised and composed.
The first consideration is speed. SLOW DOWN. No matter how uncomfortable you are feeling the answer is not to walk quickly and get it over with. Take your time; it is impossible to look graceful if you are speeding down the runway.
How you move is the next important element. Try to GLIDE. It should look as though you are hovering about a half inch above the floor and skimming along the surface. No bouncy movement, no choppy steps. But be careful not to take steps that are too big. Smaller, smoother steps will give you the carriage you are looking for.
Next concentrate on your POSTURE. Think of a string that stretches from the small of your back, up through your spine and out the top of your head. Six feet above your head someone is pulling that string tight and your body alignment should follow the string up and up and out. Think taller.
Stretch your spine, neck and everything connected to them to reach up and out.
Finally, the secret to a winning walk and the second of the two most important things you can learn to do in order to do well in all aspects of the pageant is to SMILE. A beautiful radiant smile will make people look at your face not your feet. And that is what you want.
How do I get a genuine smile? I always feel so fake smiling at the Judges.
An attractive smile is one of the strongest statements you can make in any portion of the competition. Your smile is more than just attractive teeth and pretty lips. It comes not only from your mouth but from your eyes as well. If your eyes do not “sparkle”, if they do not share the smile with your lips, then turning up the corners of your mouth will look phony. And a pasted-on smile will surely lose you points with the judges.
You want to smile every time you are on stage – but you do not want to smile the same smile every time. After awhile it begins to look insincere.
Try on different kinds of smiles at home. Relax your mouth and use just your eyes to convey the warmth of an inner smile. Try smiling with your mouth but keep it relaxed with your lips parted just slightly. Be careful never to smile so big your gums show or to draw your lips in over your teeth when you smile.
If you find that nerves make your mouth look frozen or your lips quiver try this trick: touch the tip of your tongue to the back of your two upper front teeth and push gently. This action helps to control your mouth muscles and actually lifts the corners of your mouth.
The best way to make your smile look genuine is to really mean it.
Use positive self-talk to remind yourself how much fun the pageant is, how you have achieved your dream by being here and how being in this place at this time is special. Tell the audience how much you love them with your smile. Combine that with eye contact and you will certainly stand out onstage.
What's the best way to grab the judges’ attention when there's only the beauty walk? (No interview, swimwear, or sportswear.)
Take a look at the above section on “How to Walk.” Then add this last secret ingredient that nearly all new contestants fail to do – make EYE CONTACT with the Judges.
You want to look directly into the Judges’ eyes for a brief moment and SMILE warmly. Make each judge feel as if you have a special thought just for them, that they are the one most important person in the audience. They will respond by thinking that you are the one most important person on the runway!
If the concept of eye contact terrifies you use this secret that some professional speakers use. Instead of looking directly into the judges’ eyes look at a spot just above the eyes (on the forehead) or at the bridge of their nose. It will appear that you are looking directly into their eyes. Practice this with someone at home to make sure you are “acting” with your face and not delivering a blank stare. Smile!
============
I took out this excerpt from "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant". Click here to get the whole course.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
3 Important Beauty Pageant Tips
3 Important Beauty Pageant Tips
There is a myth that one “look” wins beauty pageants. All you have to do is to glance at photographs of winners over the past few years in order to see the fallacy of that statement. There is no one exact “winning look” that is guaranteed to succeed.
One of the reasons that a “special look” won’t always win a beauty pageant is that pageants are not all the same. Each pageant has its own distinct “look” and image. The secret is to find the balance between being yourself and conveying the image of the title you hope to win
Winning the pageant means you will be representing that pageant for the next year and you must “look the part.” Understanding the pageant’s image will help you develop the most suitable look for the competition. Different pageants have different looks. You should tailor your hairstyle, makeup and wardrobe to look your best and to fit the general image of the pageant you are entering.
The image of the Miss America pageant calls for classic beauty, an elegant evening-gown look, usually mid-length or upswept hair and a wholesome figure. Contestants are generally between 5’3” and 5’11” in height.
Miss USA contestants tend to be taller, between 5’6” and 6’0” in height; and the pageant calls for more of a supermodel look, gorgeous face, glamorous evening gown, long or upswept hair, sexy, busty, leggy figures.
Miss Universe is a multi-ethnic look, a classically beautiful face, oftentimes a regal look, hair worn down over the shoulders or upswept, pretty but not necessarily a voluptuous figure. Heights tend to be in the Miss America range.
In the major teen pageants it is becoming increasingly difficult to match the “wholesome” factor with today’s media-inspired “glam” look.
America’s Junior Miss and Miss Teen of America look for that girl next-door image, a pretty face, healthy body and simple, pretty evening gown look. The Miss T.E.E.N. pageant is a very similar wholesome image but with a slightly more glamorous look, a “teenage Miss America” look.
The Miss Teen USA image is probably the most glamorous of the teen pageants with a youthfully pretty look, glamorous but simpler evening gowns and a well-toned figure.
I really want to win. It would be smart to look like last year’s winner, wouldn’t it?
Not necessarily. While you want to reflect the overall image of the pageant that you enter you don’t want to be a “clone” of last year’s winner.
The secret is to balance the look of the pageant with your own, unique beauty. Be original, not a copy of someone else. Try to fit the image of the title you are trying to win but make sure you remain an individual and the best you that you can be.
Are "Big Hair" and "White Dresses" a sure bet to win a pageant?
While it is true that more pageant winners have worn white dresses than any other color, almost as many past winners have worn other colors as there are colors of the rainbow. Specific colors that have done very well in the winner’s circle include black, red, pink, royal blue, turquoise, lilac, metallic silver or gold, pastel blue or aqua, beige or skin tones, yellow, ivory or cream, peach, greens, and even prints and designs.
Colors that do NOT do well include brown, gray, camel, rust, mustard, olive green, navy blue, dark purple, orange and stripes. It would probably be best to stay away from those colors when selecting an evening gown. But otherwise – anything goes! Choose a color that YOU look good in.
“Big Hair” is also a feature that many pageant winners share but your haircut and style should be both the most flattering style for your face and a look appropriate for the pageant you are entering. Although there is a “winning look” for hair – feminine, natural, and flowing - it is uniquely different for each girl.
Should a pageant contestant get dental veneers?
Once again the answer depends on the girl and the pageant. At the national level a winning smile is absolutely one of the most important aspects of a contestant’s appearance. At the local level and in the younger age ranges it becomes less important.
High tech cosmetic dental procedures are putting the perfect smile within reach of any contestant who can afford it – but be aware that cosmetic dental procedures are a considerable financial investment.
There are some less involved and less expensive alternatives including: teeth whitening, contouring natural teeth or bonding procedures.
Should I try to look more elegant for a pageant, or just go with my normal look?
For the interview and rehearsal portion of the program you want to go with your own, natural, look – but be the best you that you can present. Nicely styled hair and carefully applied makeup, an appropriate interview outfit or rehearsal clothes will make a statement about you.
In the evening gown competition you want to match the image of the pageant and keep in mind that even the most wholesome family-oriented pageants expect some degree of “elegance” in the evening gown competition.
============
This is just an excrept from "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant". To get the whole course - click here.
There is a myth that one “look” wins beauty pageants. All you have to do is to glance at photographs of winners over the past few years in order to see the fallacy of that statement. There is no one exact “winning look” that is guaranteed to succeed.
One of the reasons that a “special look” won’t always win a beauty pageant is that pageants are not all the same. Each pageant has its own distinct “look” and image. The secret is to find the balance between being yourself and conveying the image of the title you hope to win
Winning the pageant means you will be representing that pageant for the next year and you must “look the part.” Understanding the pageant’s image will help you develop the most suitable look for the competition. Different pageants have different looks. You should tailor your hairstyle, makeup and wardrobe to look your best and to fit the general image of the pageant you are entering.
The image of the Miss America pageant calls for classic beauty, an elegant evening-gown look, usually mid-length or upswept hair and a wholesome figure. Contestants are generally between 5’3” and 5’11” in height.
Miss USA contestants tend to be taller, between 5’6” and 6’0” in height; and the pageant calls for more of a supermodel look, gorgeous face, glamorous evening gown, long or upswept hair, sexy, busty, leggy figures.
Miss Universe is a multi-ethnic look, a classically beautiful face, oftentimes a regal look, hair worn down over the shoulders or upswept, pretty but not necessarily a voluptuous figure. Heights tend to be in the Miss America range.
In the major teen pageants it is becoming increasingly difficult to match the “wholesome” factor with today’s media-inspired “glam” look.
America’s Junior Miss and Miss Teen of America look for that girl next-door image, a pretty face, healthy body and simple, pretty evening gown look. The Miss T.E.E.N. pageant is a very similar wholesome image but with a slightly more glamorous look, a “teenage Miss America” look.
The Miss Teen USA image is probably the most glamorous of the teen pageants with a youthfully pretty look, glamorous but simpler evening gowns and a well-toned figure.
I really want to win. It would be smart to look like last year’s winner, wouldn’t it?
Not necessarily. While you want to reflect the overall image of the pageant that you enter you don’t want to be a “clone” of last year’s winner.
The secret is to balance the look of the pageant with your own, unique beauty. Be original, not a copy of someone else. Try to fit the image of the title you are trying to win but make sure you remain an individual and the best you that you can be.
Are "Big Hair" and "White Dresses" a sure bet to win a pageant?
While it is true that more pageant winners have worn white dresses than any other color, almost as many past winners have worn other colors as there are colors of the rainbow. Specific colors that have done very well in the winner’s circle include black, red, pink, royal blue, turquoise, lilac, metallic silver or gold, pastel blue or aqua, beige or skin tones, yellow, ivory or cream, peach, greens, and even prints and designs.
Colors that do NOT do well include brown, gray, camel, rust, mustard, olive green, navy blue, dark purple, orange and stripes. It would probably be best to stay away from those colors when selecting an evening gown. But otherwise – anything goes! Choose a color that YOU look good in.
“Big Hair” is also a feature that many pageant winners share but your haircut and style should be both the most flattering style for your face and a look appropriate for the pageant you are entering. Although there is a “winning look” for hair – feminine, natural, and flowing - it is uniquely different for each girl.
Should a pageant contestant get dental veneers?
Once again the answer depends on the girl and the pageant. At the national level a winning smile is absolutely one of the most important aspects of a contestant’s appearance. At the local level and in the younger age ranges it becomes less important.
High tech cosmetic dental procedures are putting the perfect smile within reach of any contestant who can afford it – but be aware that cosmetic dental procedures are a considerable financial investment.
There are some less involved and less expensive alternatives including: teeth whitening, contouring natural teeth or bonding procedures.
Should I try to look more elegant for a pageant, or just go with my normal look?
For the interview and rehearsal portion of the program you want to go with your own, natural, look – but be the best you that you can present. Nicely styled hair and carefully applied makeup, an appropriate interview outfit or rehearsal clothes will make a statement about you.
In the evening gown competition you want to match the image of the pageant and keep in mind that even the most wholesome family-oriented pageants expect some degree of “elegance” in the evening gown competition.
============
This is just an excrept from "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant". To get the whole course - click here.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Beauty Pageant Dress
Do you want your dress to show your age, or make you look a little older if you are competing against girls who are three or four years older than you?
Always choose age appropriate clothing, If you try too hard to look as old as the girls that are 3 or 4 years older, you just end up looking out of place. Judges are almost always informed of the contestant’s age and keep that in mind when they are judging.
What should you wear for casual wear, and should your casual wear suit your age?
Again, always chose age appropriate clothing. And in choosing sportswear you should look at what colors are good for you, how well it fits and if you'll be able to move around comfortably in it. Most importantly, is it something you'll have fun wearing or something you'll feel silly in. If you don't like the outfit how can you make someone else like it?
What should I wear for the Talent Competition?
Once you’ve chosen your talent you need to think about how best to present it. Costuming will help a lot here. And it is definitely a costume you need to think about, not just a “dress” even if your talent is singing or playing the piano. How you look will go a long way towards your goal of entertaining showmanship. Wardrobe choices in this area are critical to success.
Use your costume to set the mood of the talent for judges and audience. It’s all about show business. Mixing images can really deduct from your score in the talent competition. If you are playing or singing a high energy rock and roll song but wearing white chiffon it’s going to confuse the message and judges may take points off your score because they can’t figure out what you are trying to do. Make sure your costume conveys the image of the talent you are performing and matches the genre and mood of the music.
If you are doing classic music, vocal or instrumental, try using black or white, something very “symphonic-looking.” For Gershwin or Broadway tunes go a little showier, add sparkle and glitz. Opera works well with long flowing lines and a dramatic look while Christian sacred music is a more pure angelic look so go with white or soft pastels.
For Singers:
The moment you walk onstage you should set the mood. If possible try to suit your costume specifically to the song but don’t get too literal.
You would not wear a mermaid costume if you are singing a selection from The Little Mermaid (imagine trying to cross the stage in a tail!) but you might wear a gown in sea foam colors that billows and flows around you. One exception to this rule might be kiddie pageants – in some cases wearing a mermaid costume for the talent competition might just be the perfect choice for a little girl!
Classical singers doing opera should set a suitably theatrical mood with historical themes, regal colors, rich velvets, period styling, bouffant sleeves, full skirts or dramatic trains topped off with tasteful glitz. Combine some of these elements to suit the mood of the piece you have chosen. One of the secrets to selling opera with showmanship is to wear a truly spectacular costume that really gets the judges attention. Never sing classical music in a contemporary beaded gown.
If you have chosen a more contemporary song your costumes should still be an extension of the music. Rhinestones and glitz work well here with the right song; Western costumes (not just jeans and a gingham shirt) add to a country performance, a costume which the character might actually wear in the Broadway show sets off a musical theatre tune.
For Musicians:
Keep in mind the unique demands of your talent when choosing a costume to perform in. Pianists are usually positioned so that judges can watch the keyboard – so they may be seeing a lot of your back! Make sure the back of your gown has something to attract the eye. If you are going to
be positioned at an angle have something about the costume to draw attention up to your face. Gowns with tailored or flowing trains and eyecatching detailing on the torso, shoulders and sleeves work well for pianists.
If you play a wind or string instrument you probably use facial expressions more and your costume should focus attention on that as well as your hands. Detailing on the bodice, neckline, shoulders and sleeves helps draw attention to the performer’s face and instrument. Musicians with
energetic numbers should select costumes that compliment body movements.
For Dancers, Gymnasts and other Athletic Talents:
Physically demanding talents such as dance, gymnastics, baton, acrobatics etc. require outstanding costumes that really reflect the theme of the music and the performance. There is a great deal of room for showmanship in this kind of costuming.
For instance – perhaps you are a ballet dancer; there are a number of ways in which you can choose to showcase that talent. If you choose a classical piece with classical music then the most unusually beautiful tutu and headpiece you can find is a good place to start. But what if the music has a “fairy” like quality to it – perhaps you might want to go in that direction and add a “wing” effect to a flower costume. Don’t overlook stage makeup either – a surreal but beautiful “fairy” makeup would certainly make your ballet stand out from the everyday.
Perhaps you pick a piece of music that you can still choreograph classic ballet steps to but that isn’t normally thought of as “ballet music.” Think about hip hop or patriotic jazz or even country. Can you see yourself doing ballet to those kinds of music? If so I hope you can also see yourself clad appropriately in a “hip hop” outfit, a jazzy little red white and blue dress or sparkly western wear – with toe shoes!
Remember, the total picture is the key. Use your costume to set the mood of your talent competition choice.
============
This is an excrept from "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant". If you want the complete guide - check it out!
Do you want your dress to show your age, or make you look a little older if you are competing against girls who are three or four years older than you?
Always choose age appropriate clothing, If you try too hard to look as old as the girls that are 3 or 4 years older, you just end up looking out of place. Judges are almost always informed of the contestant’s age and keep that in mind when they are judging.
What should you wear for casual wear, and should your casual wear suit your age?
Again, always chose age appropriate clothing. And in choosing sportswear you should look at what colors are good for you, how well it fits and if you'll be able to move around comfortably in it. Most importantly, is it something you'll have fun wearing or something you'll feel silly in. If you don't like the outfit how can you make someone else like it?
What should I wear for the Talent Competition?
Once you’ve chosen your talent you need to think about how best to present it. Costuming will help a lot here. And it is definitely a costume you need to think about, not just a “dress” even if your talent is singing or playing the piano. How you look will go a long way towards your goal of entertaining showmanship. Wardrobe choices in this area are critical to success.
Use your costume to set the mood of the talent for judges and audience. It’s all about show business. Mixing images can really deduct from your score in the talent competition. If you are playing or singing a high energy rock and roll song but wearing white chiffon it’s going to confuse the message and judges may take points off your score because they can’t figure out what you are trying to do. Make sure your costume conveys the image of the talent you are performing and matches the genre and mood of the music.
If you are doing classic music, vocal or instrumental, try using black or white, something very “symphonic-looking.” For Gershwin or Broadway tunes go a little showier, add sparkle and glitz. Opera works well with long flowing lines and a dramatic look while Christian sacred music is a more pure angelic look so go with white or soft pastels.
For Singers:
The moment you walk onstage you should set the mood. If possible try to suit your costume specifically to the song but don’t get too literal.
You would not wear a mermaid costume if you are singing a selection from The Little Mermaid (imagine trying to cross the stage in a tail!) but you might wear a gown in sea foam colors that billows and flows around you. One exception to this rule might be kiddie pageants – in some cases wearing a mermaid costume for the talent competition might just be the perfect choice for a little girl!
Classical singers doing opera should set a suitably theatrical mood with historical themes, regal colors, rich velvets, period styling, bouffant sleeves, full skirts or dramatic trains topped off with tasteful glitz. Combine some of these elements to suit the mood of the piece you have chosen. One of the secrets to selling opera with showmanship is to wear a truly spectacular costume that really gets the judges attention. Never sing classical music in a contemporary beaded gown.
If you have chosen a more contemporary song your costumes should still be an extension of the music. Rhinestones and glitz work well here with the right song; Western costumes (not just jeans and a gingham shirt) add to a country performance, a costume which the character might actually wear in the Broadway show sets off a musical theatre tune.
For Musicians:
Keep in mind the unique demands of your talent when choosing a costume to perform in. Pianists are usually positioned so that judges can watch the keyboard – so they may be seeing a lot of your back! Make sure the back of your gown has something to attract the eye. If you are going to
be positioned at an angle have something about the costume to draw attention up to your face. Gowns with tailored or flowing trains and eyecatching detailing on the torso, shoulders and sleeves work well for pianists.
If you play a wind or string instrument you probably use facial expressions more and your costume should focus attention on that as well as your hands. Detailing on the bodice, neckline, shoulders and sleeves helps draw attention to the performer’s face and instrument. Musicians with
energetic numbers should select costumes that compliment body movements.
For Dancers, Gymnasts and other Athletic Talents:
Physically demanding talents such as dance, gymnastics, baton, acrobatics etc. require outstanding costumes that really reflect the theme of the music and the performance. There is a great deal of room for showmanship in this kind of costuming.
For instance – perhaps you are a ballet dancer; there are a number of ways in which you can choose to showcase that talent. If you choose a classical piece with classical music then the most unusually beautiful tutu and headpiece you can find is a good place to start. But what if the music has a “fairy” like quality to it – perhaps you might want to go in that direction and add a “wing” effect to a flower costume. Don’t overlook stage makeup either – a surreal but beautiful “fairy” makeup would certainly make your ballet stand out from the everyday.
Perhaps you pick a piece of music that you can still choreograph classic ballet steps to but that isn’t normally thought of as “ballet music.” Think about hip hop or patriotic jazz or even country. Can you see yourself doing ballet to those kinds of music? If so I hope you can also see yourself clad appropriately in a “hip hop” outfit, a jazzy little red white and blue dress or sparkly western wear – with toe shoes!
Remember, the total picture is the key. Use your costume to set the mood of your talent competition choice.
============
This is an excrept from "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant". If you want the complete guide - check it out!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Beauty Pageant Contests
Beauty Pageant Contests
What Kinds of Beauty Pageants Are There ?
There are more than 700,000 beauty pageants in the United States alone. These pageants range from local competitions designed to draw more people into a retail sales store, to county fair queens, to product promotions at a national level. They include major national contests such as the famous Miss America pageant all the way down to online photo contests for babies,
Child Beauty Pageants or Children Beauty Pageants
Beauty Pageants aimed at children and babies came into existence during the 1960’s and the latest estimates suggest that today 3,000 pageants attract 250,000 children per year.
Most child beauty pageants break competition levels out by age ranges. Category titles differ from pageant to pageant but generally fall into groups similar to this:
Babies (from the time a child can sit up independently until age 2)
• Toddlers (ages 2 – 4)
• Little Miss (ages 5 – 7)
• Junior Miss (7 – 9)
• Pre-Teen (10-12)
Natural vs. Glitz
There are two different kinds of child beauty pageants, each with a different image and emphasis.
Beauty Pageants which could be categorized as “natural” emphasize a family orientation and encourage participants not to use heavy make-up, hair pieces, tight costumes or talent performances inappropriate for the child’s age range.
Beauty Pageants which could be categorized as “glitz” emphasize a glamorous orientation and encourage participants to utilize beauty aids such as makeup and hairpieces, rhinestones and jewelry, mature costumes and talent performances to show off the child’s appeal.
Most national children beauty pageants have a presence on the World Wide Web and can be located by entering “child beauty pageants” into any major online search engine.
Teen Beauty Pageants
Teen pageants are similar to Adult pageants with the exception that some of them have a “scholarship” component and contestants are required to submit a transcript of their grades and/or write academic inspired essays.
Generally scholarship pageants do not have a swimsuit category included in the competition.
Most of the pageant tips included in the remainder of this book can be applied to winning a teen pageant as well as an adult pageant.
The evening gown competition for teens generally calls for a dress that is not as glitzy as a child’s pageant dress and yet not as sexy or mature as an adult gown. Thus, teen pageant gowns tend to be more like very special prom dresses.
National teen pageants that fall into the “scholarship” category and emphasize personal development and leadership include America’s Junior Miss Program, America’s National Teen-Ager, and Miss Teenage America.
‘TEEN magazine’s Miss Teenage America Pageant is a mail-in pageant which judges leadership, community service, scholastic achievement, poise and appearance.
National pageants that could be categorized as “glamour” pageants for teens include Miss Teen USA (which is a part of the Miss Universe pageant system), Miss Teen All American and Miss Teen America.
There are many other pageants out there and most can be accessed through any major search engine on the internet.
Adult Beauty Pageants
The cultures of individual pageants are different. Miss America, a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that emphasizes the scholarships that winners receive, tends to choose winners with high scores in the interview, intelligence and “platform” (community service and public speaking)
categories.
Miss Universe, a beauty pageant system now owned by Donald Trump which includes the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants as well as Miss Universe, focuses on beauty and swimsuit competition and tends to choose winners who are “sexy.”
Additional pageants which also fit the “glamour” culture of beauty contests include Miss World and Mrs. America among others.
Other Pageants
There are pageants for just about every kind of contestant imaginable including married women, seniors, plus size folks, and boys and men. While none of these is as popular as the pageants listed above; they are available and a concentrated search will soon turn up opportunities to fit any competitor!
============
An excrept from "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant". If you want the complete guide - check it out!
What Kinds of Beauty Pageants Are There ?
There are more than 700,000 beauty pageants in the United States alone. These pageants range from local competitions designed to draw more people into a retail sales store, to county fair queens, to product promotions at a national level. They include major national contests such as the famous Miss America pageant all the way down to online photo contests for babies,
Child Beauty Pageants or Children Beauty Pageants
Beauty Pageants aimed at children and babies came into existence during the 1960’s and the latest estimates suggest that today 3,000 pageants attract 250,000 children per year.
Most child beauty pageants break competition levels out by age ranges. Category titles differ from pageant to pageant but generally fall into groups similar to this:
Babies (from the time a child can sit up independently until age 2)
• Toddlers (ages 2 – 4)
• Little Miss (ages 5 – 7)
• Junior Miss (7 – 9)
• Pre-Teen (10-12)
Natural vs. Glitz
There are two different kinds of child beauty pageants, each with a different image and emphasis.
Beauty Pageants which could be categorized as “natural” emphasize a family orientation and encourage participants not to use heavy make-up, hair pieces, tight costumes or talent performances inappropriate for the child’s age range.
Beauty Pageants which could be categorized as “glitz” emphasize a glamorous orientation and encourage participants to utilize beauty aids such as makeup and hairpieces, rhinestones and jewelry, mature costumes and talent performances to show off the child’s appeal.
Most national children beauty pageants have a presence on the World Wide Web and can be located by entering “child beauty pageants” into any major online search engine.
Teen Beauty Pageants
Teen pageants are similar to Adult pageants with the exception that some of them have a “scholarship” component and contestants are required to submit a transcript of their grades and/or write academic inspired essays.
Generally scholarship pageants do not have a swimsuit category included in the competition.
Most of the pageant tips included in the remainder of this book can be applied to winning a teen pageant as well as an adult pageant.
The evening gown competition for teens generally calls for a dress that is not as glitzy as a child’s pageant dress and yet not as sexy or mature as an adult gown. Thus, teen pageant gowns tend to be more like very special prom dresses.
National teen pageants that fall into the “scholarship” category and emphasize personal development and leadership include America’s Junior Miss Program, America’s National Teen-Ager, and Miss Teenage America.
‘TEEN magazine’s Miss Teenage America Pageant is a mail-in pageant which judges leadership, community service, scholastic achievement, poise and appearance.
National pageants that could be categorized as “glamour” pageants for teens include Miss Teen USA (which is a part of the Miss Universe pageant system), Miss Teen All American and Miss Teen America.
There are many other pageants out there and most can be accessed through any major search engine on the internet.
Adult Beauty Pageants
The cultures of individual pageants are different. Miss America, a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that emphasizes the scholarships that winners receive, tends to choose winners with high scores in the interview, intelligence and “platform” (community service and public speaking)
categories.
Miss Universe, a beauty pageant system now owned by Donald Trump which includes the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants as well as Miss Universe, focuses on beauty and swimsuit competition and tends to choose winners who are “sexy.”
Additional pageants which also fit the “glamour” culture of beauty contests include Miss World and Mrs. America among others.
Other Pageants
There are pageants for just about every kind of contestant imaginable including married women, seniors, plus size folks, and boys and men. While none of these is as popular as the pageants listed above; they are available and a concentrated search will soon turn up opportunities to fit any competitor!
============
An excrept from "Insider Secrets To Winning The Beauty Pageant". If you want the complete guide - check it out!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
My Beauty Pageant Tips, Techniques & Secrets..
Hi there!
I just made this blog moments ago. And will be giving
you some awesome tips on how to win beauty pageants.
(That's what you want, isn't it?!)
I'll talk about everything from beauty pageant gowns,
crowns to dresses, hairstyles and interview questions.
Keep a sharp watch at this blog.
You're in for a wild ride!
Angelina Johnson
Beauty Pageant Consultant
I just made this blog moments ago. And will be giving
you some awesome tips on how to win beauty pageants.
(That's what you want, isn't it?!)
I'll talk about everything from beauty pageant gowns,
crowns to dresses, hairstyles and interview questions.
Keep a sharp watch at this blog.
You're in for a wild ride!
Angelina Johnson
Beauty Pageant Consultant
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)