Westwood Resident Eyes Title of Miss Massachusetts

Twenty-four-year-old Cecilie Pope knows the importance of preparation. And with the Miss Massachusetts pageant on the horizon, in which she'll be competing, Pope is on top of her game.

“Preparing for a pageant is similar to preparing for any other sport," said Pope, a Westwood resident and graduate of Mount Holyoke College. "Like ballroom dancing, pageantry is its own sub culture where one should never go in unprepared. As the oldest contestant competing for the title of Miss Massachusetts this year, and this being my last chance, as I am aging out, I decided that if I am going to do this, I am going to do this right."

Pope is competing as Miss Southcoast in the Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Pageant, which begins tonight and runs through Saturday staring at 7 p.m. at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester.

The event will welcome Miss Massachusetts 2010 Loren Galler-Rabinowitz of Brookline, and other young women who will compete for scholarship money and the opportunity to represent Massachusetts at the 91st Annual Miss America Pageant in January.

The pageant runs five different categories:

• A private, 10-minute interview with a panel of judges.
• Swimsuit 
• Onstage Question
• Talent
• Evening Gown

In order to be fully prepared, Pope hired a coach, and together they worked strenuously on interview preparation, walking, wardrobe, hair, makeup, and everything else imaginable.

“You name it, we’ve done it,” said Pope. “Since I was a little girl, I have wanted to experience being a part of the Miss America Pageant. It was simply never the right timing until now. I am impressed by its unfailing principles and application to life. Not only is this an admirable scholarship program, Miss America is about making a lasting impression and a positive difference in the lives of others. I truly believe this is what life should be about!”

Pope takes her pageant preparation as a metaphor for life preparation.

“Pageants are about making the right impression at the right time," she said. "Isn’t that what life is about?”

What's more, she prepares herself for interviews by talking with her reflection in front of a mirror, and answering a wide variety of questions on topics ranging from pop culture to uprisings in the Middle East. She also keeps up with all current events and is constantly developing her opinions on them.

“In an interview and on the stage portion of the pageant, any question is fair game and you need to think and react quickly,” said Pope.

The swimsuit portion is titled, "Life Style and Fitness," and is a popular aspect of the pageant for most, but others would disagree. Pope talked about how some people think that this portion is degrading to women, or that it pushes girls into unhealthy life styles.

“Although many girls do go about this portion in an unhealthy way, I made it a point to really live this life style," she said. "This year I completely changed my diet to vegan and gluten free, I go to Pilates four days a week, and dance two to four hours a day.”

Cutting animal products out of her diet, she added, helps shed pounds.

“People always ask ‘what is the first thing you are going to eat when the pageant ends?'" she said. "Most girls respond with the typical fried foods and the things that you ‘deprived’ yourself for so long. For me, I will continue to eat the same things I was eating.”

When it comes to talent, Pope has an exciting approach - Ballroom Inspired Jive.

“To prove many people in the pageant system wrong who say you cannot do ballroom dance without a partner, I am here to say, you can," she said. "No, I did not strap a fake person to my feet, but rather I used inspiration from jive, lyrical, jazz, and gymnastics to put this routine together. I worked with the amazing Rob Glover and Anna Lapteva to make this a truly spectacular routine.”

Pope also has been playing the violin for 18 years, but she opted not to play for the talent portion, as she felt it wouldn’t be true to herself.

Every contestant in the pageant is required to have a “Platform,"  something that the contestant represents. Pope has spent her entire life sharing her talents and her gifts; her Platform is titled “You Are a Gift to Share: Communicating Through the Arts.”

“My gifts are the arts,” said Pope. “Everyone has something to share, and it is my mission to inspire others to go out to inspire, educate, and communicate. When you share your passion, your gifts, and your soul, you are creating a dialogue, forming a connection, finding common ground. We can transcend differences through sharing.”

Many who aren’t familiar with pageantry tend to have a skewed view of pageant girls, but Pope ensures us that this is mostly a stereotypical way of thinking.

“Not all pageant girls are crazy,” said Pope. “I have met some beautiful people through this system and am truly inspired from the work they do and what each one represents. What is important in this pageant world, is doing it for the right reasons.”

Pope added that while it’s easy to get wrapped up into “the nasty message boards and the drama,” it is “just as easy to make it your own.”

Pope has also created a Children’s Performance Group, taught violin at the Heifetz Institute, performed with a professional orchestra in Mozart’s ‘Requiem,’ where she was one of three students to be selected (and was also the only violinist), and was an original member of the Violin/String Ensemble for seven years, which resulted in the permanent Westwood String Program.

She spent four years on the University of Massachusetts Amherst Ballroom Dance Team, was the Team Captain and organizer of ‘Dance Nights’ Fundraisers, was selected for the National Outdoor Leadership School in Absaroka Wilderness, Wyoming, and is a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

Pope also had the chance to share the healing power of music at Berkshire Hills Music Academy, the mission of which is to communicate with mentally-challenged students through music.

“[I] was a buddy to Tori, who suffered from Williams Syndrome,” said Pope. “Through my involvement with the Hefeitz Institute, the Berkshire Hills Music Academy, and the formation of my own Children’s Performance group - I have witnessed first hand the effects time and music have on others.”

Experiencing this growth and development helped Pope gain self confidence, and because of her commitment to sharing her gifts, it has also increased her social skills.

The pageant begins at 7 p.m. tonight and continues Saturday evening at 7 p.m. But for Pope, things have already started. The Private Interview took place yesterday afternoon, followed by a dress rehearsal.

“The title of Miss Massachusetts will allow me to spend my year supporting youth in school systems across the state encouraging them to become better leaders, develop self confidence and gain the skills necessary for creating an environment which nurtures leadership and personal growth - all through the sharing of their own talents and gifts," she said.

Tickets for the Preliminary Show on Friday, July 8th; and for the Final Competition on Saturday, July 9th are available online at: www.thehanovertheatre.org, or by calling the box office at 508-831-0800 or 1-877-571-SHOW (7469).

Also, viewers can help select the Eighth Finalist for Saturday's show by voting online for a $1 minimum. Visit www.missmass.org and click on the Online Voting link. One dollar counts as one vote.