SPOTLIGHT
“THE WORLD WOULD BE A VERY BORING PLACE IF WE WERE ALL THE EXACT SAME”
Nikitia Dani. Image credit: WHITE PIXEL STUDIO (@whitepixelstudio). Makeup: Sara, Elegant Makeups (@elegantmakeups).
Nikita Dani graduated from York University in 2021 with a Bachelors of Commerce Honours degree, specializing in Supply Chain Management.
But her heart was set on participating in a beauty pageant, specifically Miss World Canada, due to its focus on “Beauty with a Purpose”, where each delegate selects a personal project that is close to their heart.
“My project focuses on raising awareness of and breaking the stigma around mental health issues,” she says. “The judges are looking for someone who is truly passionate about helping others, and creating positive change. All delegates are given the opportunity to present their project and discuss what they have done/plan to do to implement their project.
“After placing first in the Ontario pageant in June 2022, I was crowned Miss Southern Ontario World 2022. I will participate in the Miss World Canada National pageant this November. Although I am not pursuing a career in Supply Chain, my university experience has taught me so much, and the skills I learned are applicable in my everyday life and current career path.
“Title holders should maintain a respectable character and be passionate about social causes and paying it forward. They should be actively involved in their local community.”
The selection criteria for such a prestigious pageant is very detailed and rigorous, says Nikita, describing what went into the preparation.
“Nutrition, health, and fitness are the foundational first steps. I have been working with two of the best personal trainers since mid-May. They put a comprehensive fitness and meal plan together, and we aim for four to five workouts per week with mid-week check-ins.
“The interview is a very important aspect of the pageant. Delegates are interviewed one-by-one by a panel of judges and judged on the quality of their answers, delivery, composure, overall presence, etc. I spent a lot of time preparing for the interview by watching past pageants and staying knowledgeable on current issues. I also did a lot of self-reflection and introspection to gain a deeper understanding of who I am at my core. I researched the Miss World Canada organization as well as the Miss World organization. I have been working on my public speaking skills and stage presence since childhood through MCing and hosting events, performing, and more.
“Meditation and mindfulness with a coach helped me remain composed and calm during the interview. My family spent a lot of time with mock interviews and rapid-fire questions as well.”
Then there is the aspect of stage presence, body language, posing. And the walk. Which requires an exceptional amount of practice, reveals Nikita.
“I practised walking in my heels every day as a coach helped me transform my walk. I learned different types of runway and pageant walks (yes, there are actually different types of walks!) as well as how to pose. Depending on your outfit and props, your posing and walk can be completely different.”
Other important aspects of the pageant include social media presence and delivery of content online, online voting, fundraising efforts, and more. Modelling opportunities naturally follow when someone wins a national title, so modelling capability is another important aspect that requires preparation.
Her family and the circle of extended family and friends have all been extremely supportive and encouraged her to follow her dreams.
“My mom modelled in her 20s when she was still living in India, and she introduced me to pageants when I was a kid. We would watch them together all the time and I dreamt of being a part of one someday. My dad has been my number one fan throughout and created an Instagram account to support my content online. Growing up, my parents insisted that I focus on building public speaking skills and encouraged me to take part in performances and speaking engagements. They enrolled me in my elementary school’s Toastmasters club. My parents, brother, and boyfriend have been the absolute biggest support through all of this. The same goes for my extended family, in Canada and in India. My best friends have been by my side every step of the way as well! This career path can tend to get somewhat lonely as there are not too many opportunities to make new friends or have social interactions aside from being on assignments. However, I have been lucky to meet many wonderful people through collaborations, modelling assignments, and now through pageantry.”
While in her early years in Canada she did not see a lot of South Asian representation in the media, Nikita has an interesting take on the challenges people of colour might face in being signed for modelling assignments or movie roles.
“I went to a school where students were predominantly Caucasian, until I was eight years old. I really struggled with the fact that I was ‘different’ and that my skin was darker than the other kids’. It took many years and much maturing before I really fell in love with my culture, skin colour, and Indian heritage. I am so happy that the modelling industry has embraced diversity and now highlights individuals of different ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, shapes and sizes. I do not find it difficult to find modelling roles. From my experience, it seems that women of colour are in more demand than ever before! But I have lost some very interesting work due to being too short, so I am hoping that as an industry, we remove the height restriction!”
Image credit: VLAD STEFANOFF (@stefanoffvlad). Makeup: Fatima, Beautage Beauty (@beautagebeauty).
She is also very hopeful of positive change with the current trend of “colour-blind casting”, saying it creates more opportunities for diversity.
“I am really happy to see the move towards representation that reflects reality, rather than showcasing one idea of perfection.
“While I have not taken any formal acting training yet, it is definitely on the roadmap. I would love to be in a movie!”
As a freelance model, she receives modelling assignments through social media and also works with an agency for castings and auditions.
“Since I was a kid, I have looked up to my older brother Neel, an exceptionally talented, award-winning artist, musician, performer, and producer. In the showbiz industry, Ariana Grande is one of my biggest inspirations. Priyanka Chopra has also been another big inspiration due to her humanitarian work, her representation of India at the Miss World 2000 pageant, and her work in movies and modelling. My other inspirations include Jennifer Lopez, Natalie Glebova and Catriona Gray. All of these women have shown me that with passion, hard work, dedication, and kindness, we can truly achieve anything.
“My message to young girls who will see me as a role model is to embrace who you are. This world would be a very boring place if we were all the exact same. What makes life fun and interesting is the fact that we are all unique and different. If I could tell my younger-self anything, it would be to stop focusing on fitting in and start focusing on being unapologetically you.”