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| Roses in bloom |
Chakara Bennett
Guardian Lifestyles Reporter chakara@nasguard.com
Published: Jul 27, 2012
It will be a talent-filled night to remember when seven of the country’s “delicate rosebuds bloom” at the 2012 Miss Bahamas Talented Teen Competition. The event that aims to encourage and enhance the natural abilities of young ladies will take place on Sunday, July 29 at the Wyndham Nassau Resort’s Rainforest Theater at 6 p.m. This year under the theme, “ROSES: Recognizing Our Sisters, Encouraging their Success” the contestants — Sherrinthe Henri, Anthonique Brown, Branique Bain, Ann Reckley, Alicia Johnson, Aaliyah Beneby and Jayme Pinder — will vie for the crown in style and grace. “We have a great batch of girls and they’ve done well in preparing to take to the stage for the finale on Sunday,” said Sonovia Pierre, organizer of the teen talent competition. “This year we went with the theme ‘ROSES’ not only because it was feminine and delicate which is what we want from the girls, but also because it is an acronym for ‘Recognizing Our Sisters, Encouraging their Success’ which is a great stance to set the event upon,” she said. “And to up the interest level in the competition each young lady will not only represent a type of rose, but also a famous monarch. We wanted to create a feeling of sisterhood and togetherness with the girls by giving them these different elements to work with so even though they will be going head-to-head at the competition they are guaranteed to come out knowing they have gained much more than anyone can imagine.” The winner of the pageant will represent The Bahamas at the Hayne Smith Miss Caribbean Talented Teen Competition in St. Kitts and Nevis in December. She will also win a four-year scholarship to Sojourner Douglass College valued at $30,000. The first runner up will participate in the International Music Camp in North Dakota next year. Contestant, Sherrinthe Henri, 16 who will be singing in the competition hopes to inspire other young people to walk on the right path. She decided to enter the competition to show her friends that nothing is impossible and to keep on believing in themselves. Fifteen-year-old Alicia Johnson, the cousin of reigning Miss Bahamas Talented Teen, Monesha Bowleg, said her cousin’s success inspired her to test her vocal chops in this year’s competition. She hopes she will be able to touch people’s hearts with her talent and reach out to others no matter which road life takes her on. Jayme Pinder, 15, will showcase her singing as well, but she said she is also focused on enlightening the public about diseases like cancer and AIDS. She hopes to reach out and be able to educate young people about the diseases and what they can do to prevent them from occurring and help those who are affected. Soaring with eagles and securing herself an opportunity to go to college was what caused Anthonique Bowe, 17, to want to throw her hat into this year’s competition. The young hip-hop songstress who says her ambition is to sing around the world said winning the Talented Teen competition would be a great way to begin. Freeport native Branique Bain hopes that just being herself will be more than enough to snag the crown. The liturgical hip-hop dancer said her unique flavor is contagious. And she is not afraid to show off her pizazz. Being able to showcase her original songs was the reason why 16-year-old Ann Reckley decided to enter the competition. The aspiring songwriter hopes to inspire other teens to search for their own talent and be patient until they discover what makes them happy. She advises others not to hinder themselves and feel free enough to just do something different. Aaliyah Beneby, 15, hoped to be able to improve on her self image and be groomed to be a more well-rounded young lady when she chose to enter the competition. The lover of hip hop and classical music hopes to dance her way to the crown. While there can only be one person crowned Miss Bahamas Talented Teen, it is Pierre’s hope that the lessons taught the young ladies in the run-up to the competition will stick with them throughout their lives. The talented teen competition is held annually for young ladies between the ages of 13 and 18 and promotes poise, academics and talent. And at the end of the day, no matter what happens it is Pierre’s hope that the young ladies will continue to have a sense of sisterhood and be more vigilant about taking care of themselves as young ladies should. Besides aiming to push the girls to embrace their talent and enrich them academically the competition also has a platform — pediatric oncology — which they have been enlightening the competitors on throughout the preliminary competition. In addition to crowning a queen on Sunday night, a little girl suffering from pediatric cancer will also be crowned the pageant’s princess. Miss Bahamas Talented Teen Competition is a branch of the Hal Jackson’s Talented Teen International competition franchise which began in 1971. It attracts competitors from across the United States and the Caribbean. The competition assisted in raising the academic achievements of young ladies and hopes to push the young ladies to embrace their talent and abilities and not give up academically despite challenges that come their way. The competition also hopes to improve each competitor’s communication skills, self-esteem, self-confidence, self-discipline and instill positive values which they hope will encourage the youngsters to have higher educational pursuits. Tickets for the event can be purchased on the night of the event, at the door.
Miss Bahamas Talented Teen When: Sunday, July 29 Where: Rainforest Theatre, Wyndham Nassau Resort Time: 6 p.m. Cost: $30 - general, $10 for students with ID |
