It is Pageant Season 2015!
Many of you often wonder which pageants you should enter. There is a method to the madness!
There is a pageant every weekend in the South! Do I enter a State pageant first? How do I know which pageants I am ready to enter, or which ones I may need to wait to enter? Hopefully this blog will help you understand this wonderful world of hairspray, spray tans, and amazing experiences and memories to last a lifetime!
If you are just venturing into the Pageant World, you should start off with a local pageant. There are several charity type pageants, which would be a great way to help someone and find out if you really are going to love the stage! Some examples are Relay for Life Pageants, American Cancer Society Pageants, etc. There are also local festival pageants, such as the Adelilly Pageant, which is another great way to start. Michelle's Formal Wear (shameless plug) has several gowns that are 1/2 off from Babies to Miss. In the event that pageantry, like any other sport, is not for you, the start-up cost would be minimal.- Brand New to Pageantry
- Ready for the Next Level
Once you realize the stage is your home, you have performed well at local pageants consistently, it is time to try the next level. There are pageants each and every weekend in the South. If you are 10-years old and up, expect an Introduction and an Interview with the Judges. Miss Cook County in June is an excellent way to get involved with the next level. It is a local pageant with an Interview, and even has Outfit of Choice. Your Outfit of Choice is modeling on stage at each X to upbeat music, showing your personality, and in an outfit of your choice off the rack or a custom made outfit. Since you have decided you like the stage, your mom is not a candidate for Drama Mama or Stage Mama's R Us, it is time to invest in wardrobe to be competitive. Michelle's Formal Wear is your one stop shop for all things related to Pageantry. From shoes to gowns to jewelry to Interview attire and even Casual Wear....we have it all here. This is the time to also think about a Pageant Coach. Just as in any sport, you need guidance and you need to practice with someone who has been in Pageantry for many years. We have a Pageant Coach available at Michelle's and we also know several others throughout the State. We will be happy to give you their information. You will need a Photogenic Picture that looks like you do right now. There are several talented pageant photographers in Georgia. Spray tans are the safest way to give you color for the Stage, if you need it. We offer spray tanning at Michelle's.
- State and National Pageantry
If you have consistently, (and yes, we have used that word a few times here, but it is so important) continued to do well in pageants and are ready for State and National level pageantry, here is where it gets interesting...and so much fun! This is your passion. It must be or it will not be fun! Spending hours in Hair and Makeup in hot rollers and sometimes getting up at 5:00am just to have your hair rolled is NOT for everyone! But, you have decided it is for you, and you are ready to try a State or a National Level pageant. Really know the systems. Many State pageants such as Coed, NAM, and IJM will help prepare you for the Miss America system, as well as the Miss USA system. Miss Georgia South is held every July in Adel, GA and is the Superbowl of Pageantry in the South. By now, you should have your wardrobe complete, have a coach you trust and connect with like a best friend, and are ready to hit the big stage!
- Wrap it Up!
Do your research. Ask questions. Know what type of system you are ready to compete in. Make sure your wardrobe is competitive but most importantly represents YOU. Write your own Pageant Bio so you will know what is on it and there aren't any surprises in Interview! Your parents may want you to be a Doctor, but you may want to be a Teacher. Make sure the Bio is YOU. The entire point of an Interview is so that the Judges may get to know you. The real you! Follow the steps...Local, Festival, Interview, Casual Wear, and then State/National. The quickest way to get discouraged is to enter a pageant you aren't prepared to enter.
Remember this, on your journey into the Pageant world: a flower does not wait for the one next to him to bloom...he just does. Do not compare yourself to others. If Sally Jane gets a new dress, that does not mean you need one. If you place 2nd Runner up for an entire year, that does not mean you aren't doing everything right. If one set of judges tell you they despise your gown, wait for the next two sets of judges to tell you the same. Everyone has an opinion.
And, this is a sport! Prepare for a pageant just as you would for a Softball game, a Dance recital, a Cheerleading competition, or a Piano recital. You must practice and practice correctly to do well.
Each time, your confidence improves and you will be ready to conquer the world! Plus, it is not a cliche', you really will make some of the best friends along the way!
xo.
Michelle...with a Blog
