2015 St. John Festival Queen Shanell Harney models crystal encrusted gown on stage at the Winston Wells Ball Field Saturday evening, June 20.
CRUZ BAY — The evening of June 20 was filled with glitz, glamour, and a whole lot of Swarovski crystals on the Winston Wells Ball Field.
The highly anticipated 2015 Miss St. John Festival Queen Selection Pageant challenged five lovely young ladies to display poise, intelligence, talent and more.
Technical difficulties aside, the audience knew it would be a great show the moment contestants Kali Jackson, Lakeisha Hendrickson, Shanell Harney, Yaritza Tirado, and Caija Campbell took the stage for the opening number.
A combination of Spectrum Band and the master and mistress of ceremonies Rashidi Clenance and Audrey Malone respectively, made sure there wasn’t a dull moment.
Glamorous International Wear
The international wear segment was filled with glamorous representations of various exotic locations.
Contestant #1 Kali Jackson represented Grenada, the birthplace of her grandmother, through acting and dancing.
Contestant #2 Lakeisha Hendrickson represented the religious and exotic country of Cambodia.
Contestant #3 Shanell Harney represented the history of the Mayans and their influences on Mexican culture.
Contestant #4 Yaritza Tirado astonished the crowd as she danced the Hula, a Polynesian cultural dance typically performed in the Hawaiian Islands.
Contestant #5 Caija Campbell whisked the audience over sand and sea in portraying Saudi Arabia.
Princess Talent Impresses
The talent segment gave the contestants an opportunity to impress the audience and judges with their singing, dancing and acting abilities.
Kali Jackson portrayed the role of a troubled teen entering rehab and sang a wonderful rendition of “I Look To You.”
Lakeisha Hendrickson displayed her acting chops and challenged the audience to seek the true meaning of St. John Festival.
Shanell Harney portrayed her own Caribbean version of Dorothy, and utilized music from both The Wizard of Oz and The Wiz.
Yaritza Tirado performed a star-studded baton twirling routine to commemorate the Fourth of July.
Caija Campbell performed the songs “Go Light Your World” and “The Climb” as a heart-touching tribute to a family member and all people affected by cancer.
Magnificent Gowns
The contestants stunned the audience with magnificent gowns and insightful answers in the eveningwear and question and answer segments.
The affair was nearly a clean sweep for contestant #3 Shanell Harney; by the end of it she had obtained a sash for Miss Photogenic, Best International Wear, Best Talent, Best Evening Wear, Miss Intellect – and the 2015-2016 Miss St. John Festival Queen crown itself.
Contestant #5 Caija Campbell was named First Runner Up.
Contestant #1 Kali Jackson received Miss Cooperative and was named Second Runner Up.
Contestant #4 Yaritza Tirado received Miss Congeniality.
Congratulations to the 2015 St. John Festival Royalty and their courts!