During the Miss World BVI Pageant, Sasha Wintz was asked what animal best describes her.
To explain why, she burst into song, crooning R. Kelly’s hit “I Believe I Can Fly” as the audience went wild.
Ms. Wintz, a crowd favourite throughout the night, would go on to win the pageant, which on Saturday night was held in the Virgin Islands for the first time in 14 years.
Her next stop is Sanya, China, where she plans to compete with about 130 other women in the international Miss World Pageant in December.
Segments
At the beginning of the show, Ms. Wintz and her three competitors — Yadali Thomas, Mindy Paul and Bryana Robles — danced onto the stage at the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium.
Wearing short sequined dresses, they performed together before returning individually to introduce themselves.
Five other segments followed: eveningwear, talent, swimwear, personal interview, and question-and-answer.
During the talent segment, Ms. Wintz performed a rendition of Christina Aguilera’s song “The Voice Within,” and Ms. Thomas played a flute medley that included Pharrell Williams’ pop hit “Happy” and the Lashing Dogs’ fungi song “Merengue.”
Ms. Paul played a variety of pop songs on the piano, but Ms. Robles would win the segment after performing a skit depicting strong women in history.
Community projects
The contestants were also required to carry out a project in the community prior to the show.
Ms. Wintz focused on supporting children with disabilities, a cause that she will carry over to her “Beauty with a Purpose” project in advance of the China competition.
The Saturday pageant itself also raised money for the community, said chairman Damion Grange: Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Family Support Network and the BVI AIDS Foundation.
“So you coming tonight is literally giving back to the community,” Mr. Grange told the audience at the end of the show.
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