Nine-year-old Briyanna Bryan claimed all but one of the top categories to walk away on Sunday evening as the new St. John’s Action Club princess.
The competition featured nine-year-olds Ruelisa Meade, Briyanna Bryan, Auloni Bramble and seven-year-old Zion Ryan. Each competed in several segments including introduction, costume, and talent.
Bryan won the introduction, costume and talent segments. She also copped the Most Photogenic prize. She told Discover Montserrat that she was nervous before the start of the show but the nerves went away once the competition began. “After my talent I was feeling that I wasn’t good but when I went backstage everybody told me how great it was.”
The princess who performs with the Matrixx Dancers delivered a stirring piece with music by Yolanda Adam’s Still I Rise. The piece created by her chaperone Ronel White and choreographed by Beanka Chambers began with Briyanna tied to strings being manipulated by a puppet master, who represented the pain and loss experienced in 2019. As the dance progressed she was able to free herself and fight back against the puppet master and eventually overcoming.
Auloni Bramble paid tribute in her talent to Giselle Allen who passed away a several months ago. Allen was a founder of the club and the princess show. Many of the young ladies owed their participation in the pageant to her encouragement. The club this year presented each participant with $150 in her name.
Bryan says she is excited about appearing in the upcoming grand parade as the new princess and one day hopes to be a doctor.
The segment winners are as follows:
- Best Introductory Speech – Briyanna Bryan
- Best Costume – Briyanna Bryan
- Best Talent – Briyanna Bryan
- Most Photogenic – Briyanna Bryan
- Best Formal Wear – Zion Ryan
- 1st Runner Up – Ruelisa Meade
- Princess – Briyanna Bryan
