ARLINGTON -- Destiny Velez is a beauty queen who knows how to rock. As part of the talent portion of the Miss Texas' Outstanding Teen pageant this week, Velez sat behind a drum set and beat the rhythm to a track of The Surfaris' Wipe Out.
Organizers said they believe it was the first drum number in the 21-year history of the teen pageant, which is being held in conjunction with the Miss Texas pageant at the University of Texas at Arlington.Many of the 40 contestants vying in preliminary competition this week went with traditional displays of talent, belting out songs, performing ballet, tap or lyrical dances or twirling batons. Three did ventriloquism acts.But others, such as Velez, representing Fort Worth, chose unique routines to help wow the judges and entertain the audience.Velez, wearing a 1950s-style two-piece bathing suit (made by her mom) had the audience tapping their feet."We need the head-bobbing and toe-tapping. We don't want them to be falling asleep," said Velez, 15, a sophomore at Winfree Academy, a Fort Worth charter school. "I added more crash sounds, stick twirls and just more energy to it."She was not alone in thinking outside the box.Crystal Salinas, representing El Paso, performed to the Michael Jackson pop hit Billie Jean on her cello. Lydia Cash, Miss Collegiate San Antonio, performed on a harp. And Briana Alexander, Miss Northeast Texas, created a charcoal drawing of an angel as the audience watched.Miss White Settlement, Breshell Hurley, 17, affected a British accent for an original comedy routine that had spectators giggling."Being able to get the audience to interact, you create a bond with them," said Hurley, who lives in Colleyville.The Miss Texas' Outstanding Teen contest is for girls ages 13 to 17. The final competition is today and the winner will be announced during Friday's Miss Texas finals. The teen winner will compete for the title of Miss America's Outstanding Teen in August in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said pageant spokeswoman Valerie Bell.The Miss Teen Texas program was launched in 1990 and follows the familiar pageant formula, with the young women demonstrating talent, modeling evening dresses and thinking on their feet to answer a question. Judges also interviewed each girl without the audience present.But instead of a swimwear round, the teens compete in a fitness round, jogging on the stage wearing sneakers and workout wear, not bikinis, and each performing a short aerobics routine that included side kicks and a push-up.If you go
The final competition for Miss Texas' Outstanding Teen will be at 2 p.m. today in UTA's Texas Hall, 701 W. Nedderman Drive. The final 10 contestants will be announced at the finals.
Preliminary competition for Miss Texas continues at 8 tonight in Texas Hall.
The final competition for Miss Texas will start at 8 p.m. Friday in Texas Hall. Both winners will be crowned at the end of the evening. Patrick Thomas, a recent contestant on The Voice, will perform at the pre-show beginning at 7 p.m.
Tickets: Season passes are $150 and include admission Friday night; individual tickets for Friday night are $75. Individual tickets are also available for each day. Handling and service fees may also apply. To buy tickets, call 800-462-7979 or visit www.misstexas.org.
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