An Estevan teen is right at home in the limelight as she's given the chance to show the world her own kind of beautiful.
When Michala Brasseur gets on stage in front of the judges, she is comfortable and at peace. The same can not be said for her mother, Karleen Dumaine.
"I don't know who I got (my stage presence) from to be honest," said Michala, who is one of nine Saskatchewan girls representing the province in Miss Teen Canada World this July.
"When she walks on the stage she has a stage presence that's just amazing," added Dumaine.
Dumaine said her 15-year-old daughter gets it from her years of dance training and performing. She's been dancing since she was seven. It's that eagerness to be on stage in front of others that she thinks is her strongest attribute when it comes to competing against other girls who are 18 or 19.
Michala found the Miss Teen Canada World competition-a preliminary to the Miss Teen World pageant in Brazil-through the same network everything is found these days: Facebook.
"I just clicked on (the link) and read through it. I saw all the opportunities. They can go to Africa and build houses for a charity, for Free the Children. You can get put in a magazine. You can get scouted for modeling. You can get an acting career. There are so many opportunities."
Free the Children is the charity of choice for the pageant this year.
In April, Michala was in Saskatoon for the provincial pageant, in the end being dubbed Miss Teen Â鶹´«Ã½AVeastern Saskatchewan-World. Before the pageant got started, the girls received some classes in different aspects of what they will need to do during these competitions.
"On Saturday before the pageant we did this thing with modeling. We learned how to walk. We learned how to do interviews. We learned how to sit. We learned everything, like to do heels. We were all walking around in heels the whole day."
A Toronto choreographer, who has worked with some popular international pop stars ran the session. It was Michala's dance background that helped her on that day. She's a natural on the stage.
Where she needs to work on, said Dumaine, is her interview skills, where she has to have a platform, she must champion. After the experience in Saskatoon, Michala now knows a little bit more of what's expected of her when presenting her platform. Though right now the topic changes every couple days and she is still working out exactly what she's going to do for it.
That's a big part of getting ready to go to Toronto for the national competition from July 9 to 17.
There will be eight days of competition before the top 20 contestants move on to the finals. While there, all contestants are to wear their crown and sash at all times, not just when the girls are featured on eTalk Canada.
"eTalk is going to be really overwhelming," said Michala. "I'm going to be so excited. I'm going to be like, 'Oh gosh I'm on TV.' It's going to drive me nuts."
In Toronto there will also be something of an uncomfortable separation between the mother and daughter.
"When she's in Toronto, the parents can't contact the kids at all. We're going to be there for eight days, and she'll be staying with the other girls, and I can't contact her at all. The reason that they do this is because some parents get really freaky. And I'm so not like that. I don't have to be because she'll just take it herself," said Dumaine.
She said when Michala is interested and committed to something she will take charge and put all her effort into it. With dance, she does numerous exams each year and doesn't need to be pushed by her mother because she can rely on her own natural drive.
Just because Dumaine isn't nitpicking over every detail of what her daughter is doing at the pageant doesn't mean she isn't a nervous wreck on the sidelines. Even in Saskatoon Michala would look at her phone during a break, only to find a number of text messages asking if she was OK.
Another eye-opener is the heavy security surrounding the girls when they are in Toronto.
"We have to even watch out for fraudulent pageants," said Dumaine. "Sometimes there are other pageants that try to get you as contestants. Michala has to be very careful about who she has on Facebook and who contacts her."
She's already received notice from a Miss Teen Awesome. After a little research the Mercury found no such pageant.
With everything surrounding the event, Dumaine said it will just be a great experience for her daughter.
"If Michala got into the Top 20, I would be so over the top. Even if not it's such an experience, period. In the Top 20 you can get fast-tracked into these spots."
To get into the Top 20 there are a number of mini competitions, like most photogenic or talent.
There's also a people's choice. Each contestant will have their photo up on the website and people can vote for that winner.
When the pageants hits the television on July 17, the Top 20 contestants will have been selected. First up is the bikini competition, one Dumaine said with a bit of a laugh can be hard to watch.
"It's your daughter out there. You think, 'Is everybody else looking?'"
They are also shopping for an evening dress, which isn't the only expensive part of this competition, which comes with a $3,000 entry fee. To help get Michala to Toronto, they are holding a raffle with prizes from an iPad 2 to $500 gift certificates for local businesses. You can call 637-3649 during the day and 421-3776 in the evening for tickets.
Part of the competition is also about fundraising efforts. Before the pageant begins, contestants are graded on the fundraising before the competition. A steak supper is being held June 27 at Allie's Dining. Contact the numbers above for tickets. All proceeds go to Free the Children.
