A few weeks ago, we discovered that our friends Wendy and Joe were helping prepare their daughter Emma to compete in the Outstanding Teen competition for Fresno County. This is a junior partner to the Miss America pageant., and the winners get to compete for the title of Miss California's Outstanding Teen. When we heard that Emma was competing, we decided it would be fun to go support her at the event. I had never actually attended a pageant, but as a young girl growing up, I remember watching the Miss America pageant on television every year, and I loved it--especially the evening gown portion of the program.
We saw the fitness portion of the program, where each girl did a short routine, and we got to see the beautiful evening gowns. (Thankfully, the teen pageant does not require a swimsuit segment. I was disturbed enough by watching the intermittent entertainment provided by a trio of young, local dancers. The girls were there as time filler, I presume, as the contestants were changing clothes between segments. Though they were admittedly very, very skilled performers and dancers, the suggestive moves that were part of their performance were completely inappropriate for the seven year olds, and were uncomfortable to watch.) We also watched some pretty great talent from the girls themselves--singing, dancing, and even a clarinet solo. I don't think I'm being too biased to say that although all of the girls were very good, Emma's charm and voice made her singing performance by far the best offering. Likewise, during the interview portion of the program Emma's response to the judge's question was the most articulate and the most endearing, as she infused her response with a little bit of humor and personality.
At the end of the evening, of course, the prizes and scholarships were announced. We were thrilled for Emma when she won Miss Congeniality, and award voted on by fellow contestants. Then, with all the pageantry and spectacle and suspense that one envisions as part of a Miss America-affiliated contest, the winner was announced--Emma DenBesten will wear the crown for the next year as Fresno County's Miss Teen 2013! We are absolutely thrilled that this beautiful, poised, and charming young lady won, and couldn't have been happier to share in celebrating with her on her special day.
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