Eight talented young buds will bloom into flowers at this year's Miss Guyana Talented Teen and will forever hold this pageant in their hearts as many of them have already admitted that the experiences are grooming them into better young women.

Ballroom dancing, etiquette, AIDS awareness and classes in make-up application are just part of the package that these teenagers have already been exposed to in the last ten weeks. And for the first time, as the December 3 pageant draws near, they were given an opportunity to showcase their newfound skills. The poolside of the Ocean View International Hotel came alive on Friday night as these contestants were formally presented at a Cotillion.

Marsha Chester, Carmlita Flue, Ashma John, Kimanda Dickson, Sussan Simon, Rushelle October, Shebeke Williams and Jenel Cox all decked out in beautiful red and white gowns, together with their escorts danced the night away.

Each young lady had to choose a male friend as her escort. As a rule of the pageant, which has been in existence since 1999, that escort must have no romantic connection to the young lady.

The Miss Guyana Talented Teen Pageant, brainchild of Mrs Pamela Dillon of Simpli Royal, has proven to be a stepping-stone for higher pageants. Some of the queens who have progressed in the pageant world as a result of the talented teen pageant are Ulex Atwell, Shamaine Davis, Shonette Moore and Asha Pieters.

A late start is something that is commonly associated with pageants in Guyana and Friday night was no exception but patrons did not complain for too long as when the eight beauties emerged this was immediately forgotten.

Each delegate was handed over to her respective escort by a parent.

The eight blooms with broad smiles on their faces were cheered on by proud relatives and friends as they were led onto the dance floor by their escorts to do two warm-up dances before dinner.

The delegates' dance to the "Flower Drum Song" proved to be the highlight of the night as the audience cheered in delight during and after the dance was completed. Some even begged for an encore.

Fathers and male father figures of the delegates also had a chance to showcase what they could do as they took their daughters onto the dance floor to the strains of the popular tune "Wind Beneath My Wings".

Around 11 pm, the event heated up with the beginning of the dance competition. The first four delegates and their escorts first took to the stage while the others were taken out of sight of the stage area.

Both groups danced to "Honey on the Vine" and much to the amusement of the audience the presentations were filled with lifts, turns and lots of drama.

Anyone ignorant about the activity would have believed that these dancers belonged to a dance school. The delegates and their escorts were flawless.

In the end four couples were left standing on the dance floor and after one final dance the winners were announced. Jenel and her escort John Remon were awarded the best showmanship prize; Marsha and her escort Alex Glasgow were awarded third place in the best dancers' category and Kimanda and her escort Marvin Messiah were second place in the same category.

At the stroke of midnight the judges announced that Sussan Simon and her partner Michael were the best dancers of the night.