Miss Westchester and Miss Hudson Valley 2011 Pageants Are This Weekend

Dresses have been bought, heels have been pranced in and hairstylists have been booked. The Miss Westchester and Miss Westchester Teen, as well as the Miss Hudson Valley and Miss Hudson Valley Teen pageants are coming to town.

The competitions will be held Sunday, Sept. 4 at the ; the teens will compete at 6 p.m. and misses at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale: $35 when bought in advance here, and $45 when purchased at the door.

It is the second Miss Westchester pageant since its revival last year, and the first Miss Hudson Valley competition. 

Executive Director Dee van Eyck is no stranger to pageants. In 1977, she won Tulsa's Junior Miss title. Her daughter, Catherine, competed in the 2010 Miss New York Teen USA competition.

“It's not your usual theatre show,” she said, referring to the Miss Westchester pageant. “It’s very much like what you would see on television.”

The competition consists of Judges’ Interview, Swimwear and Evening Gown segments. What should the audience look forward to? According to van Eyck, the opening number. 

“We do it like they do on TV,” she said. “It's a fully choreographed number, professional lighting, the whole thing.”

Van Eyck would not agree with critics who claim the competition objectifies young women. The swimsuit portion of pageants has been particularly debated in the mainstream media. 

“Swimwear is sometimes controversial, but it is really the only way for our judges to see that our girls are [leading] a healthy, fit life,” van Eyck said. “There is no height or weight requirement, you just have to take care of yourself.” 

The interview portion, which is not a part of the live show, is nonetheless one of the most important factors for judges when it comes to deciding who will wear the crown.

“It is a job interview. Whoever wins the title will be representing the region,” said van Eyck.

What the audience will be able to see is the “final question” on stage—each contestant must answer a final question from one of the judges. They do not know beforehand what the judges will ask or which judge will be directing the question to them.

For winners, the Miss New York and Miss New York Teen competitions in January—also to be held in Westchester County—are the next step. Many young women use pageants as a springboard for other careers in the professional and entertainment world. Van Eyck, along with her best friend and pageant Co-Director Laura Giannone, helps contestants put together resumes for future endeavors.

“They want to better themselves," said van Eyck. "We have nutritionists and fitness experts, so that they can [be better] physically. Then we have a woman who works with them on etiquette—how to shake hands, how to make eye contact, how to make light conversation."

While she cannot currently name the chosen judges, van Eyck stresses the individual diversity represented at this year’s pageant. White Plains Patch Editor Dina Sciortino will serve as one of the pageant's media judges for the style and photogenic awards.

“We have ten judges, five for each competition. They are from the communications field, in entertainment, beauty, fashion and health, and even business,” she said.

Alexandra Croce, a 21-year-old resident of Scarsdale, is running for this year’s Miss Westchester title. Like many other competitors, Croce has a few rituals she partakes in before pageant day.

“Rituals before the pageant include walking everyday in all pageant heels," said Croce. "I do it before bed and before I go to class. Call me crazy, but I feel like it relaxes me and breaks the shoes in well."

Croce believes that this year's group of women does not represent any “ideal” look—they are all viably different in physicality and personality.

“In today's society many girls are influenced by celebs or what others do," she said. "I want to show girls that it's okay to be you. Not always fitting the 'normal' standard is beautiful.”

Bianca Gallub, an 18-year-old competing for Miss Hudson Valley Teen, relies on the support system developed between the contestants and the directors during the pageant process.

“I feel that the girls who participate in the Miss Westchester Pageant system are all humble and welcoming,” Gallub said. “Dee van Eyck and Laura Giannone go out of their way to make this pageant experience one of the most memorable.”

Alexandra Oberrotman, 20, is a first-time Miss Westchester pageant contestant from Rye Brook. She sees benefits in pageantry beyond what the title can offer.

“This is actually my first pageant,” she said. “I always wanted to be a part of one when I was younger but, until now, I had never pursued it. I have a few friends who are part of the pageant circuit and they all talk about these incredible opportunities they have had because of pageants.” 

For Croce, it is important for people to understand that these competitions are not just the glitz and glamour.

“Pageants aren't about hair, makeup and dressing up," she said. "Pageants are a great way to showcase yourself to others around you. Looking pretty and dressing up is, in my opinion, an added bonus."