Queen for a day

Posted on by Aiyanna Sezak-Blatt

Following its Halloween night production at Diana Wortham, Alayo Dance Company returns to the theater for a spontaneous, folkloric and free-form performance. On Saturday, Nov. 1, the Afro-Cuban dancers serve as the opening act for the seventh annual Miss Gay Latina Asheville pageant.

The beauty contest takes part in four categories, which follow the format of a Miss America-type pageant while also tapping Latino culture. “The interview is done before the event starts; then we have the part I love the most, when they dress in the folkloric costume typical of the country or the state that they come from,” says event promoter Elio Gonzalez. “For the third part, they do their talent, in Spanish or in English. And in the last part, they do their evening gowns. It empowers a minority to live a dream. You know they are at Diana Wortham Theatre, they have the dressing rooms, and they are treated so [beautifully].”

The pageant, reports Gonzalez, has grown far larger than he predicted. “I never dreamed, when I started this, that it would get so big: It’s receiving national attention.” That said, the event is known to sell out, so purchase tickets early.

WHAT: Miss Gay Latina Asheville
WHERE: Diana Wortham Theatre, dwtheatre.com
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 1. $20

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About Aiyanna Sezak-Blatt
Aiyanna grew up on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. She was educated at The Cambridge School of Weston, Sarah Lawrence College, and Oxford University. Aiyanna lives in Asheville, North Carolina where she proudly works for Mountain Xpress, the city’s independent local newspaper.
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