Hey ANTM fans! Here's a unique perspective from our America's Next Top Model guest video blogger, professional petite model Isobella Jade! Each week she'll be sharing her insights about Cycle 13 with us here at BuddyTV from her vantage point as a pint-size model trying to make it in the industry.

By Isobella Jade

A Cirque du Soleil themed photo shoot could make a creative, artistic, colorful, and energetic result, but that didn't happen last night on America's Next Top Model. The cycle 13 mini-models had hair that was bigger than they are, eyes darker than the devil, and the glitz was translated as an impression of a half-naked actress in the musical Chicago or Rent, slinking on stripper poles.  Flying to Vegas didn't end up being exciting after all.

Posing in three groups of three, the nine remaining America's Next Top Model contestants became parts of a Cirque Du Soleil explosion that, in my mind, had nothing to do with being a model.  Also on set were dancers from Cirque Du Soleil sprawled in artistic and clown-like poses.


Working together perhaps wasn't the best idea for this theme. I thought that if the girls could have posed individually with the Cirque du Soleil dancers, the poles and swing-like set, the results would look a lot better. The group shot looked messy, like a badly designed mixed media art piece that should end up in the trash.

However, we can learn something from the "Dance With Me" episode. Here are some tips on posing, working as a group, and making the most of a complicated shot.

Melt into the atmosphere to create a better shot.  
Laura got most into the theme and her body, expression, pose, and appeal was very Cirque du Soleil. If you zoom in just on her, it could be an ad for Cirque du Soleil, or at least for something that had to do with an orgasm and dance theme. Ashley looks powerful with her confident, take-it-or-leave-it stare and her relaxed arm. Kara looks like she wants to go home. Her expression says that she doesn't like what the photographer is saying. When you understand the theme and mood of the shoot, and the story and vibe of the atmosphere that you are put in, then you can produce a better image. Whether you are modeling a shoe or a hair product, if you understand the image of the company, you can mesh into the story you are trying to sell.

Make the most of the space.
Even in a small space you can look longer if you angle your body the right way. The group shot of Rae, Brittney and Jennifer is an example of models not using the most of their space. Jennifer didn't angle her legs in a flattering way and looked shorter than she is in the shot, but I liked how she creatively put her back arm on the dancer's leg. Brittany is very awkward, tilting her head that far back, and Rae might have smized, but she got lost with all that hair in her face. Sometimes just a centimeter change within your pose can make you look a lot taller. I don't feel the girls get enough personal attention to really know how to model their bodies. That could be the reason for the flaws in the photos that do not enhance their assets. Improvement comes down to the communication with the photographer and knowing your body.

Chin up, but not that up!
Erin's hair looks like a gust of smoke and her pose is working, but her face looks naïve and like a wilting flower. Sundai is arching her back and has a story to tell in her expression. She is proud and showing it. Sitting right under the dancer's split, it looks like the dancer crapped out Nicole. Her chin is raised so much it looks huge, and I think it is a terrible angle. Nicole's shot is all about her chin. I don't know what the judges saw in it to praise her so much for it. Your neck looks longer the higher you raise your chin, but that much is too much!  

I didn't feel like going to Vegas or a Cirque Du Soleil show after this shoot. It was not memorable for me. Only Laura and Sundai really looked like they were into the Cirque Du Soleil themed shoot. The rest didn't look alive, or happy to be in an energetic and magical atmosphere. The pint-size muses put the fire out with their frowns and negative pouts.

Ashley went home for her lack of dancer pizzazz, but maybe they all should not have gone to Vegas. I felt sadness for the girls after the photo shoot, actually. Like someone else blew out the candles on their birthday cake, or some jerk popped their balloon.

Keep that energy up!
Isobella Jade



Isobella Jade is known as one of the tiniest working models out there. She is also the author of Almost 5'4", her modeling memoir, and the upcoming graphic novel, Model Life: The Journey of a Pint Size Fashion Warrior. Daily Isobella gives modeling insight and advice on her blog on being a shorter-than-average model, and speaks weekly on her radio show called Model Talk. Jade has booked modeling jobs for Marshalls , Victoria 's Secret, Easy Spirit, Macy's, Time Magazine, TLC, and more, and has been featured in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Allure.com, Page Six, The New York Post, and Nylon.

Read More by Isobella:
Short Model Sensei: You're Never Too Short to Model! (And More Thoughts on the ANTM Premiere)
Short Model Sensei: Tyra's No Revolutionary! (Thoughts on ANTM Cycle 13 Ep.3)
Short Model Sensei: How to Get the Most Out of Your Inches (ANTM Ep. 4)
Short Model Sensei: Beauty Gone Bad (Thoughts on ANTM Cycle 13 Ep. 5)