Sixteen-year-olds Mia Williams, Shian Slyvester, Kenisha Antoine, as well as 14-year-olds Jharrissia Gage and Shervez Seaman, are the five young ladies who have formally been sashed as contestants for the 44th Miss Teen Dominica 2023.
The high school students made their official debut to the public yesterday, January 12, during a launching ceremony at the Old Mill Cultural Center.
The first competitor to take the stage on February 12 will be Mia Willaims, a fourth-form student at the Isaiah Thomas Secondary School (ITSS), who is sponsored by Argos Dominica Ltd.
The St Joseph native will be followed by Shian Sylvester, a Canefield resident and fourth-form student who will be representing the Dominica Grammar School (DGS) and sponsors Do It Center.
She will be followed by contestant number two, Shian Sylvester, a fourth-form student and resident of Canefield who will be representing the Dominica Grammar School and sponsors Do It Center.
Jharrissia Gage will be the third competitor vying to win the title for Convent High School.
The Signal Band, HHV Whitchurch Sweet Novelties, Lovelee Things, Escape Bar & Grill, Queen to Queen Make Up Artist, and the Convent High School are among the sponsors supporting the third-form student who lives at Wall House.
Kenisha Antoine, a fifth form student of the Castle Bruce Secondary School (CBSS), will compete as contestant number four.
The Castle Bruce resident is sponsored by High Swag Life Store and Vibean TV.
Shervez Seaman, a third-form student at Portsmouth Secondary School (PSS), will make the final appearance.
DOMLEC, Alice Couture, D Blush Copy Center, and Riverside Hotel & Restaurant are among the sponsors on the Paix Bouche resident list.
Raymond Lawrence, artistic director of the Waitukubuli Dance Theatre Company, said during the ceremony that pageants like these are essential to the development of a country because they allow people to hone their artistic abilities.
He underlined that many people across the world work in the arts and culture for a living and that creativity among people serves to better the environments, the developments, and way of life in addition to boosting the contestants’ self-esteem, fluency of speech, as well as the development of grace and poise and the improvement of stage performance and public interaction.
“It plays a very important role in enhancing our carnival products in Dominica, hence, engaging our youth in nation-building. When people want the best for you, it means that they want you to do your best to strive for excellence,” Lawrence highlighted.
“And this is another reason for the staging of the pageant to encourage the growth and development of our youth, especially the ladies and have them give of their very best for school and country,” the cultural icon added.
Lawrence also revealed that the winner of this year’s competition will get a special scholarship from the Ministry of Education when she enrols in Dominica State College.
The show is set to begin at 5 pm on February 12, 2023, in the forecourt of Windsor Park Sports Stadium.
Tickets for the will be $20 for children’s standing, $30 for adult standing and $40 for sitting.
The one who shows half of her breast is the winner. By Dominica’s standard. Sodom is rising again.
Raymond Lawrence is quite right in saying that many people across the world work in the arts and culture. In many countries the creative arts make a significant contribution to the economy.
However, motivation should be spear headed by the Ministry of Education by putting all facets of the creative arts high on the curriculum. Very few secondary schools vigorously promote art as a CXC subject, and at the State College it is off the agenda: period! Some years ago, my attempt to introduce a one year fulltime course in the arts for school leavers fell on stony ground. It seems that the concept was before its time.
As things stand in Dominica, the arts are not taken seriously. They are delegated to something you do in your spare time – like playing dominoes – or in the lead up to carnival. The end result is that the 50% of students who are creatively, rather than academically inclined, are short-changed and frustrated.
That’s the BS most Dominicans thrive on. The fact that their CM robes them blind doesn’t cause them any loss of sleep. Sewo, bling and KFC that’s what matters