Miss Saint Martin/Saint Barthélemy: the pageant is fast approaching
With just a few weeks to go until the Miss Saint-Martin/Saint-Barthélemy pageant, the eight contestants’ schedule is getting busier. On Monday 13 July, they were at the Lipstick Rouge Duty Free shop in Simpson Bay for a promotional event.
All eyes are on 1 August, the day on which the new beauty queen of the Northern Islands will be crowned. Aged between 20 and 29, the contestants have been following a particularly busy schedule since June. Speech lessons, general knowledge classes, choreography rehearsals and dance lessons now form the backbone of their daily routine. These activities take place almost every evening of the week, whilst at weekends the programme can run from 8 am to 5 pm. In addition to these workshops, the contestants also take part in official engagements. “We took part in a visit to the Collectivité and the Tourist Office, then we made official visits to Saint-Barthélemy, and today we’re taking part in a third promotional day in Sint Maarten,” explain the contestants. This provides an opportunity for the event organisers to take various photos and film videos, but also for the pageant’s partners, such as Rouge Duty Free, to showcase their businesses. Whilst the young women are taking part in a competition, they are making the most of their adventure. “Some of us are already feeling stressed about the pageant, but the activities are doing us good. It’s a very enriching experience and the cultural outings allow us to discover things we didn’t know about our island. What’s more, a real bond has formed between us,” say the title contenders. This group dynamic is essential for approaching the night of the pageant with confidence. During this major event, the contestants will present four performances, three of which will be judged by the panel and will count towards the final result. Dressed uniformly by the organising committee, they will take to the stage in turn in traditional dress, swimwear and evening gowns. In the meantime, the contestants are continuing their rehearsals and perfecting their choreography so that they are fully prepared for the big night.
