Pictured: (l-r) Elaine Willingham, her daughter Anna Lanier and husband Dan Willingham
CULLMAN – It was certainly an event to remember for Elaine Willingham. As one of the top ten finalists, she was chosen as the second runner-up in the Ms. Senior America pageant, which took place Oct. 18-20 in Atlantic City.
Willingham, who is now and has been the owner, founder and artistic director of the Cullman Ballet Theatre School for the past 43 years, stood proudly in representation of her home city and state as her name was called from the impressive list of contestants vying for the title.
Gracious as always, Willingham used the platform to express her philosophy on life, reminding people to question everything, never stop learning, get out of their comfort zones, count their blessings and that most importantly, you can’t please everyone, but the only one you have to please is God.
Although she has been in therapy for a fractured metatarsal, Willingham worked through the discomfort of the previous injury to perform a complicated ballet piece. She says that her only concern regarding the talent portion of the event was that the judges might not be familiar with the technicalities of the art and that they might not understand that a move which looks deceptively simple, might actually take years for a dancer to master.
“I enjoyed the event, although we were kept very busy and I didn’t get to see a lot of the city; however, my family did, and they had a great time, too,” said Willingham. “What I enjoyed most was meeting so many talented people that I would never have had the opportunity to have met, and being able to represent my home town and state.”
With an entourage of 15 family members, officials from the Alabama and Cullman boards of the Ms. Senior Alabama pageants and friends, Willingham had a wonderful support system while at the event, and says that even strangers approached her to let her know how well they thought she did.
“The winner’s husband was one of the first to come up and tell me that he knew it would be one of us,” she recalled.
“It meant a lot to me that people I didn’t even know would take the time to congratulate me and compliment my talent,” she said.
Although she entered and performed to win, Willingham says that she had an epiphany while watching the former Ms. Senior America on the backstage monitor. “I saw all of the things she had to do and the traveling she did as Ms. Senior America and I thought to myself, ‘I don’t have time for that, I have a business to run!’”
When she was named second runner-up, she felt that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.
“I would much rather be at home promoting my city and my state than somewhere in the nation supporting the pageant,” she confided.
Willingham’s achievement makes her the highest ranking contestant from Alabama in the history of the pageant. Former fourth-place winner, Betty Leeth Haynes, won her place in 1997, and was crowned 2016 Honorary Ms. Senior America at this year’s event. Haynes held that highest-ranking contestant from Alabama distinction for 19 years, and has now handed the baton over to Willingham to carry on.
“I really appreciate the opportunity to represent my home state and town,” said Willingham.
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