About a month ago I was sitting on my couch, watching tv and minding my own business when Tyra Banks came on and told me that “short is the new tall” and America’s Next Top Model was looking for girls 5’7″ and under for cycle 13. I nearly pissed my pants in excitement. Standing at only 5 feet 6 inches tall I have always just missed the cut off for the previous ANTMÂ castings. After many attempts to stretch my body that extra inch had failed me I had given up hope but Tyra had answered my prayers.
So on Saturday March 14 I took my fun-sized self and 15 page application to 56th and 7th. Apparently I wasn’t the only shorty who had dreams of strutting down the runway. There must have been thousands of girls (and some dudes) in line that wrapped around the entire block and then some. I finally found the end of the line and waited…and waited…and waited. Let’s just say the line moved slower than the one at the DMV. I moved about 3 feet every 45 minutes and stood way too close to complete strangers.
7 hours later…
I made it around the block to the side where the door of the building was, I could see it, the top of that silver door with cops standing in front, it was like the light at the end of the tunnel. Then from behind me I heard the screams, turned around and saw smoke… all of sudden I was being pushed forward, the baracades next to me were thrown down, I was in the middle of a stampede. Now I have never been in a stampede but all I kept thinking was that I better not fall or I was going to be trampled by stilettos.
I was in there somewhere!
Finally the shoving stopped, tiny girls were screaming and crying, random shoes and blankets lined the street and cops were everywhere. I found out later that a black car overheated, someone screamed “bomb” which caused all of the turmoil. Why someone would scream bomb in the middle of hundreds of girls still boggles my mind. I’ve heard that 6 people were injured, 2 were taken to the hospital and 3 were arrested. Someone captured the chaos on a camera phone and it ended up all over the news and youtube. You can check out the madness I was involved in here.
After everything calmed down someone from the casting came outside and told us that the audition was over. Cold, tired, and with aching feet, I went home. But a couple of days ago E! online said that Tyra was going to keep my dream alive and give me another chance to audition! I still have not found out when or where but keep your fingers crossed!
