By Wendy Carson

Gregory Glade Hancock constantly brings new and innovative dance experiences to the stage, and his latest, “The Pageant,” is certainly a triumph.

In The Florence performance space at The Academy of Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre, we look both onstage and backstage at “The Extravagantly Glorious, Unquestionably Magnificent, Universally Celebrated, and Incomparably Prestigious Grand Supreme Ultimate International Beauty, Poise, Charm, Talent, and Grace Showcase Spectacular of the Millenia: A Dazzling Quest for the Crown of Eternal Radiance and Timeless Elegance, where beauty meets purpose and confidence shines brighter than any Crown” contest.

Our host, Ernesto Francois O’Reilly (Thomas Mason) controls the flow of the events while Judges, Jaxie Blaze (Kira Coapstick), Katarina Nowak (Zoe Maish), and Tomasz Lewandwoski (David Elser) oversee the competition.

The Contestants all feature little personality quirks to help you keep track of who’s who. Arabella Avante (Vivien Mickels) is a bit overconfident in her physicality; Harper Lyn Beavers (Josie Moody) is a typical Southern Belle who is only here to win, not place; Brielle Brickson (Nathalie Boyle) is so soft-spoken you can barely hear a word she utters; Fran (Audrey Springer) is so succinct, she doesn’t even use a last name; Zariah Leclair (Olivia Payton) is a pageant pro who knows the ins and outs of winning; Juliana Papadopolou (Abigail Lessaris) seems self-confident but hides her insecurities well; and Savannah Sway (Sophie Jones), who seems to be madly in love with the host.

The program includes excellent dancing, of course. Each contestant expresses her feelings in movement, Mr. O’Reilly gets in a few numbers, and even a couple of judges cut a rug.

However, true to the theme, the women also present other talents including singing, lip-synch, a musical instrument, botany(?!), and a rare opportunity to hear these performers speak. Performances range from charming, comical, uplifting, graceful, to a little scary at one point.

Note that, according to Hancock, the “winner” is not pre-decided. Likewise, the questions in the Interview portion of the contest are different in every show, and the contestants won’t know what they are until they’re asked. “So, every performance is different,” he said.

Speaking as one who has worked backstage in the Miss America system for close to a decade, Hancock is spot-on with the insights and humor as well as the inner workings of these sorts of contests. I am always excited to see what he and his talented troupes have to offer and this show is definitely one not to be missed.

Performances are Saturdays and Sundays, Feb. 14-15 and 21-22, at GHDT, 329 Gradle Drive, Carmel. Get info and tickets at gregoryhancockdancetheatre.org.