Germany's Next Topmodel
This episode was a dream and a nightmare
Prima ballerina in the third episode of "Germany's next top model"
© (c) ProSieben / Richard Huebner
The girls have to learn ballet and prove their acting talent. In addition to work, it is also private.
The third episode of "Germany's next top model" makes dreams and nightmares come true: Alexandra Georgieva, ballet director of the Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, aims to teach the girls body tension and elegance, but above all "discipline, discipline, discipline". Some get scared just looking at the poses – or laughing, like basketball player Mareike (25). "I look like a little body claw and just not like a ballerina. I have to laugh at myself!" Others are happy, like Soulin (20): "It has always been my dream to dance ballet."
Marcus Schaefer photographs the first outdoor shoot. In order to increase the pressure, Heidi Klum (47) spontaneously announces that the young models always have to compete in pairs "in a duel". The better one is immediately one round further and can save herself the decision walk in front of the jury the next day – the other one gets her second chance to prove herself again.
The black and white pictures are created on a bridge in gray Berlin, where you can really see the magic of photography: During the shoot, the girls portray the dying, often insecure swan, in the end the whole thing often looks very delicate in the end out. This time, the red-haired Alisha (29) is convincing across the board, and Heidi directly states a missed ballerina career. Soulin also does pretty well in tutu and on tiptoe. Even as a child she wanted to dance ballet, which she was not allowed to do in Syria. "I am very grateful to have this chance here and to live the dream here," she says happily after the shoot, while tears of joy roll down her cheeks.
Trans woman Alex tells her story
A dream for some – a nightmare for others. Alex (23) is especially looking forward to when the day is finally over. As a trans woman, she has strong concerns before the shoot: "… because it is extremely about femininity … Because I question more often than I sometimes admit to myself how feminine I really am." Heidi sees things very differently during the shoot: "With Alex it looks more elegant and feminine," she judges. An important feedback for Alex, who uses the encouragement to share her story with the other girls in the evening. She says that she would have felt as a girl as a child, that it was only two years ago that she came out and how difficult it was for her to take this step. "I couldn't pronounce the phrase 'I'm transgender' without bursting into tears." There is only applause, respect and a lot of encouragement from her fellow campaigners: "You are the most feminine woman I know", says Mira (19).
However, things are not always quite as harmonious. In some laps there is also heavy blasphemy. At the breakfast table, for example. There is no real reason, but Chanel (17) is upset about Elisa (20), who likes to eat avocados: "Girl, eat an avocado toast and shut up." Linda (20) doesn't allow herself to be asked for long: "I find this face, when I look in there, I just think 'Shut up'". Quite harsh words so completely out of nowhere – what exactly did we miss?
But back to work: Choreographer Nikeata Thompson (40) comes into the loft and gives the girls a training run on the catwalk on the treadmill. This time it is sorely needed, because the next walk will be a real challenge: the girls should first pretend to be asleep on the catwalk, then recreate a frightening nightmare on a treadmill and then, after a small explosion of fog, move on to their confident catwalk. In other words: three emotions in one run.
Strong finish
The girls, who have already made further progress during the shoot, are this time in the comfortable position of being able to watch the performances of their competitors from the comfort of the sofa over chips and popcorn. Incidentally, there is hardly any gossip. Except for an adhesive tape on the foot, a dangling transmitter or a "stiff bed performance", the jury also had little to complain about. Except for Nana (19), who learns from Heidi that she was the weakest of the week and has to go. Nana puts down the strongest finish: "Everything was good, it was a lot of fun, it was cool!" She whistled with a smile on her face.