Persons who — as some social media posts suggest — criticised Miss SVG 2017, Jimelle Roberts’ talent presentation at Saturday’s show because they secretly envy her pole dancing skills, might not have to hold their grudge for very long.
The beauty queen says that she plans to open a pole dancing school in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Roberts, a 24-year-old teacher who holds a bachelor’s degree in English language and linguistics, defeated six other contestants to emerge Miss SVG 2017.
She bagged only one of the four categories of the show — Talent — with a pole dancing routine that highlights the plight of victims of human trafficking.
Roberts, who has been exposed to dancing since she was 3, said she started preparing for her talent presentation since January 2016, while studying in England.
“I knew that I wanted to enter the show so I figure hard work brings success. Ultimately, it paid off and here I am,” she told reporters in an interview shortly after her crowning midnight Saturday.
Asked to comment about pole dancing in light of the some of the negative comments on social media, Roberts said:
“Obviously, pole dancing has originated –we know where it originates from. However, it has now changed. Society is changing and it is actually something that is physically demanding. It takes a lot of strength and it is seen as an exercise. And, with me, I do intend to open a pole dancing school in St. Vincent and it will be the first pole dancing school here.”
Roberts is a senior member of the Arabesque Dance Company and has taken part in many dance festivals across the island, according to her biography on her Miss SVG page on Facebook.
It further said that she has received numerous medals and certificates, including Most Outstanding Duet in the 2012 KCCU National Dance Festival.
During the post-show interview, the beauty queen was reticent about the origins of pole dancing, saying, in response to a question about its origins, “I think we both know that.”
She, however, offered:
“It came from the idea of stripping, but, however, as a result [of] persons realising how demanding it is and how physically challeng[ing] it is, it is now an exercise. Internationally, it is recognised as a competition and, in fact, [the] Olympics actually considered having it in 2016.”
Among Roberts’ prizes for taking the crown on Saturday was a university scholarship, which she said she plans to use to pursue a degree in speech and language therapy.
Pole dancing is so wrong that’s what men and women do in strip clubs I really don’t think it is such a good idea for any young woman to expose themselves to pole dancing
um. This stagnant and by todays standard “backward” thinking is what is wrong with SVG. I by no means, intend to offend anyone nor care if it does, but it bothers me how vincentians think.
A pole dancing school is not a strip club.. its an art form and a means of exercise… Worst things such as prostitution happens here in SVG almost openly and we have nothing to say, because its a real issue. we dare not tackle that for God forbid we do something constructive. . . We criticize the SVG participants every year for being boring. everyone singing and doing monologues ans dancing and its boring. but a young lady does something that takes skill and practice and we rant about it, as if any young lady who wants to dance on a pole for money in svg have half of the mental fortitude and discipline to practice pole dancing long enough to be any good at it……
same way we have parents in SVG whom dont allow thier kids to take part in Martial arts because they bow to each other. They dont reaearch or care about its meaning or intent. just that it is something trivial and there fore it is worth ranting about and not supported. Despite the fact that very little activities will aid in building charactor like martial arts and exercises like pole dancing and other sports would…. Vincentians need to Upgrade thier way of thinking just like they love to upgrade thier phones and LET PEOPLE ENJOY THINGS….
I wonder if young Miss Jimelle Robert has considered that the a pole dancing school is likely to attract more human traffickers, and help to recruit and harm the ladies who may be trained in the program, as those ladies would be versed in strip dancing and very suitable to be used as sex workers!!! Please, Miss Roberts, do not open any pole dancing school in SVG, if indeed your pole dancing routine was in protest against human trafficking.
The backwardness and negativity of our people… A pole dancing school attracting human traffickers. In case you all do not know, gyms all over the world installing poles . It is great muscles strenghtening exercise….Out of bad thing came this good…