As sophomore Madison Moore walks across the stage of the Scottish Rite Center at the Miss Kansas Teen USA 2013 pageant, her ruched mermaid-style dress cascades from beneath her with each step she takes. The dazzling cobalt and silver crystal embellishment under the bust of the dress glimmers under the bright stage lights, and the chiffon train flutters behind her. As the slow pop music plays, she gingerly walks down each step, careful not to trip in her 4-inch heels, and then stops at the foot of the stairs posing for the judging panel situated in front of her.

For someone who had no previous experience in pageants prior to Miss Kansas Teen USA 2013, held in Wichita on Dec. 2, 2013, Madison accomplished what many pageant contestants only dream of doing. After practicing and preparing for the pageant for months beforehand, Madison walked away as a Semifinalist, finishing in 6th place out 29 girls. She was also awarded People’s Choice and the Congeniality Award.

Madison recently got involved in pageantry in 2012 with the support of her parents, Troy and Angela Moore. With Madison expressing an interest in modeling, Troy and Angela discovered pageants through Angela’s sister’s sister-in-law, Courtney Gay, who had previously competed in pageants.

“[Gay] said that a great way to figure out whether you like [modeling], or if you’re into that world or if you would like it, is through pageants,” Madison said.

While Troy and Angela also wanted to get Madison involved in modeling, they learned from Gay that important life skills can be learned through pageants.

“[Gay] was talking about how [pageants] built her confidence and interviewing skills, so [Angela and I] thought that that might be an avenue for [Madison],” Troy said. “I thought it would be a great experience for her to step outside of her comfort zone.”

After learning about pageants and deciding that she wanted to get involved, in July 2012 Madison started meeting weekly with a pageant coach, Lisa Forbes, who won Miss Kansas USA 2004 and the United States Miss Earth title in 2007. She worked with her until the pageant in December in order to perform her best at the pageant.

“[Forbes] would come for about an hour and a half to two hours, and we’d work on walking and interviewing,” Madison said. “She taught me interview skills, she talk taught me how to walk and that there are different kinds of walks. Some days we’d work on hair and makeup techniques.”

In order to prepare for the competition, Madison would also practice on her own, whether she was at school or home.

“I walk around my house sometimes and walk in front of mirrors,” Madison said. “Sometimes I’ll even walk when I’m alone in the hallway. My parents will just sometimes ask me questions randomly that I have to answer like I’m in the pageant.”

At Miss Kansas Teen USA 2013, contestants competed in three different events in the preliminary round including, Opening Number, Swimsuit and Evening Gown. Contestants who made it to Finals answered questions presented by judges until a winner was decided.

The first event in the pageant is Opening Number, when contestants are first introduced to judges through a choreographed dance with all the other contestants, all while wearing coordinating dresses.

“[Opening Number] is just supposed to be fun,” Madison said. “Everyone is synchronized, and it’s totally cliche. It’s the first time time judges see you, and even if you can’t dance, which I cannot, [the judges] want to see you having fun and being outgoing.”

Although she did not particularly enjoy opening number – she was the first one to volunteer to go to the back row – she felt more in her element during the Swimsuit portion of the pageant.

“The Swimsuit walk is sassier and a little more model-like,” Madison said. “[It’s about] working it, confidence and just owning that stage. You’re like a Victoria’s Secret model. It’s awesome and such a cool feeling.”

Her sister, 13-year-old Malerie Moore, who is an 8th grader at Aubry Bend, also enjoyed her older sister’s Swimsuit walk.

“I loved her Swimsuit walk,” Malerie said. “I’d probably have to say the Swimsuit walk [was her best.]”

The last event in preliminaries before judges tallied up their scores in order to see who would be competing in Finals the next day was Evening Gown, which Madison was most nervous for.

“Evening gown is really showing off elegance and beauty and just how [contestants] carry themselves,” Madison said. “It’s awesome because you feel so gorgeous and pretty. You’re showing off your nice pretty dress, and you’re walking around. Everyone’s looking at you. It’s your little moment.”

The following morning, after discovering that she was a Semifinalist, Madison advanced to Finals, where judges interview contestants about their personalities and their beliefs on issues such as politics.

“In Interview [the judges] try to find out who you are as a person,” Madison said. “They are really keen on if you’re into giving back to the community, and if you’re involved in things outside of typical teenage life. They want to make sure that they’re picking a girl that’s as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.”

Although this was a nerve-wrecking event in the competition for Madison, it is one that Troy finds the most important for developing skills that will be beneficial later on in life.

“[I wanted her to get involved] to build poise and confidence,” Troy said. “Those are things that you can take with you on job interviews in the future or just speaking in a group where you may not know anyone. It’s a good skill to have.”

While mastering the graceful and elegant walk of Evening Gown or rehearsing answers that will impress the judges are important to have down for when the judges are scribbling on their scorecards and tallying up points, contestants must also go through intense beauty routines in order to look the part on stage.

“I have gotten makeup lessons from the MAC counter,” Madison said. “I’ve gotten [lessons] from my coach. I’ve been learning hair from pretty much everyone under the sun. I go get my nails shellacked on French tips. I have to get specific eyelashes. I have to trim them. Thank goodness that I got my braces off when I did because it’s awful, but you can’t win the competition if you have braces.”

Madison’s passion for pageants has rubbed off on Malerie, who plans on competing when she meets the age requirement of 14, which will be in the 2015 pageant.

“[Pageants] look like a lot of fun because [Madison] gets to wear pretty dresses, but the award part looks like a lot of fun,” Malerie said. “I also like doing hair and makeup.”

Madison and Malerie have a high hopes from the upcoming years of the pageant.

“I thought it would be cool if Madison won this year, and then next year I won so she could crown me,” Malerie said.

Although Madison has taught Malerie strategies for walking and posing on stage, they do not plan on competing against each other in the pageant.

“I don’t know how well we would do competing against each other because we would get pretty competitive,” Malerie said. “The family would be divided. It’d be rough.”

Malerie is looking forward to competing in the upcoming years, and is not only excited about the possibility of winning, but also the social aspect of the pageant.

“I’m just excited because it looks like a lot of fun, and you get to meet a lot of cool new friends,” Malerie said. “If you win you get to go to the national pageant, and I watched it this year, and it looked really fun.”

With the Miss Kansas Teen USA 2014 competition being held in Maize, Kan. this upcoming December, Madison has been busy preparing for the competition, which she hopes to win this year. As for pageants beyond the teen category, Madison is open to thinking about it.

“I might do the Miss [USA or America] pageants,” she said. “It just depends on what my life looks like at that point when I’m eligible, and how I’ve done in the teen category, but as of right now I would love to do the Miss [pageants]. I think it’s a lot more fun because it’s less conservative.”

However, pageantry does come with a downside. TLC’s hit show “Toddlers and Tiaras” has shown a negative light on the world of pageants and focuses on the drama and cattiness side of pageantry.

“All the stereotypes that people talk about [is the downside to pageants,]” Madison said. “There are some girls that fit the mold of “Toddlers and Tiaras,” and I don’t think they should be here if they’re going to act and say things that way. There are so many great things that you get out of [pageants] that I think you have to take it upon yourself to look past all the negative stuff.”

While Toddlers and Tiaras focuses on sassy preschoolers used to getting their way and throwing a fit if they do not, it also features the “pageant moms” and “pageant dads” who are portrayed to be more interested in pageants than their own children. However, Troy does not see this is a common situation among other parents involved in Miss Kansas Teen USA.

“We haven’t really noticed [the parents being] that sensationalized,” Troy said. “It is a television show, and 99 percent of it is entertainment. I’m sure that deep down we’re fierce competitors. We want her to do well but it’s not something we impose on her competitors.”

The negative stereotypes and non genuine girls do not distract Madison from her goal of winning, and she finds that the positives of pageantry outweigh the negatives.

“I have loved everything about [pageants],” Madison said. “That was probably the highlight of my school year. I learned so much, and I l met all these incredible girls. I’ve come away from [Miss Kansas Teen USA] with so many friends. I can’t wait to see who else I’m going to meet, and I don’t regret getting into it at all.”

The experiences she has gained and the fun she has had has made a positive impact on her life, and she would highly recommend pageants to any girl wanting to get involved.

“You’ve got to put yourself out there and go for it,” Madison said. “Be yourself. Hopefully the judges will love you as much as I’m sure every other person does.”