Sometimes it swung in favour of Delegate Number One, the athletically-inclined Cherisa McLean, who went on to become first runner-up. At another, it veered towards the voluptuous beauty from the east, Ginesta David, who hails from the Ancient County of Berbice and had quite a following in her fellow Berbicians who came all the way to the city to root in her corner.

“I like Mohamed,” someone from somewhere in the bowels of balcony piped up during a lull in the usual bedlam associated with such events, the contestant at reference here being Delegate Number16, Bibi Shareen Mohamed. She performed quite creditably in the talent segment and eventually took the fourth runner-up spot.

No one spared a thought for poor Delegate Number 7, Shonnet Moore, who would eventually cop the title and all the perks and attention that go with it, until she donned the siren-red Michelle Cole creation for the ‘Evening Gown’ leg of the competition. From that point on there was no turning back for her, even with Delegate Number 3 Melissa Atwell, who copped the second-runner-up and ‘Miss Congeniality’ titles, a hot contender.

The occurrence was the annual Miss Talented Teen pageant, hosted by the Simpli Royal outfit for the fourth consecutive year last Saturday night at the usual venue, the National Cultural Centre on Mandela and Homestretch Avenues, under the theme: ‘Flowers in Bloom’.

The show got off to an energetic start, after the usual formalities like the rendering of the National Anthem, with all 17 girls appearing onstage in similar costumes and doing a cheer-leader-type dance, minus the feathers and the fluff, while at the same time introducing themselves.

This little caper, which went over quite well with the packed audience, was followed by a dance item titled ‘Just Guys’ from the Classique Dance Company, a young group that has been doing quite well for itself since it started three years ago and at one point during the contest threatened to steal the girls’ thunder.

Another cultural item that had the audience on its feet towards the end of the contest was that of a little ten-year-old, said to come all the way from Rosignol on the West Coast Berbice. She made the dance moves in the movie, ‘Dance Hall Queen’ and the act that followed hers, a dance presentation from newcomers, ‘Uprising Jammers’, who made their debut that night seem like child’s play.

With the pageant well underway, the girls made their second appearance for the evening, each sporting identical skimpy aqua two-piece bathing suits (and, save for a few notable exceptions, identical skinny legs), and studiously ignoring the handful of camera-toting paparazzi gathered at the simulated beach-front entrance to the Splashmin Fun Park, where this particular event was supposed to have taken place.

Under the lascivious gaze of the few half-naked beach bums lounging near the imaginary water’s edge or in the cool shade of the sea grape tree, the girls strutted their stuff, some making full use of the stage just as they would have been taught.

Next came the talent segment, in which among the few delegates to have shown they had any flair speaking of were Atwell, who took the Mickey out of the Target Special Squad, a faction of the Guyana Police Force familiarly known as the ‘Black Clothes’, with a dance piece entitled ‘Dancing Black Clothes Policewoman’, and Delegate Number 13, Altavi Young. Her dance interpretation of gospel singer Yolanda Adams’ ‘I’ve Got To Believe’ shared with the audience one of the golden rules by which she lives, this being that she will always be herself.

Delegate Number 16, Bibi Shareen Mohamed also fell into this category with her dance interpretation of a theme taken from an Indian movie which spoke of forgiveness and unity, twin attributes for which there is a crying need in these troubled times in our country.

Impressive too was Delegate Number 17 and third runner-up, Allana Wilson’s hilarious performance in the dramatic poem titled ‘Minibus Love’, which told of the plight of an obviously pregnant young school-girl who was forced to engage in early sex in order to make ends meet in the family.

McLean, in our humble opinion, lost the moment when she took to the stage to render Mariah Carey’s ‘A Moment Like This’. The audience, however, thought she was sensational, particularly her stage performance and powerful vocal range, and showed their appreciation by according her a resounding round of applause.

And while there may have been others who showed some measure of promise like Delegate Number 5, Lois Hales, who was quoted as saying that her dance presentation to the song, ‘Real Unity’, was a proud expression of her most inner thoughts; and Delegate Number 6, Tomeca Woodruffe, whose contribution was a combination of dance and dramatic poetry, they were hamstrung by factors beyond their control, such as over-exuberance on the part of the audience and a faulty sound system.

The Evening Gown segment which followed ‘Intermission’ was relatively smooth and uneventful, save for the few breathtaking moments when a particularly exquisite piece of garment was on display, or when a crowd favourite stepped onto the tastefully decorated stage, which had as its central theme, the colours white and bronze.

Among those who shone in this segment were undoubtedly McLean, in her figure-hugging black and bronze number; Atwell, her red and silver-white gown betraying a preoccupation with geometrics; Moore; and Shennon Bazilio, the delegate who is so taken with Celine Dion, she chose to render her “all-time favourite”, ‘Because You Love Me’, as her talent piece, and whose fetching, candy-floss pink, Olympia Small creation won her the ‘Best Gown’ title.

There was also ‘a little something’ this year, the first time ever in the short history of the pageant, for the designer who created the winning costume. In keeping with the pageant theme, the title of the winning costume was ‘Water Lily’.

Following the drawing of the door prize, which went to the holder of ticket number H 124, it was time to select the delegates who would make it to the final 10, and to pose to each of them the one question that would determine who made it to the final five. This question would have a bearing on each of the girls’ platforms.

Those who made it as far as the final 10 were: McLean; Delegate Number 2, Dianna Dookram, who copped the prize for ‘Miss Dedicated Teen’; Atwell; Woodruffe; Moore, who chose as her talent piece, a dramatic poem she reportedly penned herself; Delegate Number 9, Geanell Coates, whose doe-eyed beauty and engaging smile won her the ‘Miss Best Smile’ title; Bazilio; Delegate Number 14, Sinika Adams; Mohamed; and Wilson.

Each of the five finalists - Moore, McLean, Atwell, Wilson and Mohamed - was asked the same question: “What eight adjectives would you use to best describe yourself?”