Deemed to be a beautiful girl who took gorgeous still photos but couldn't walk, talk, or act like a model, Leslie Mancia, a 18-year-old student from Higley, AZ, became the sixth girl eliminated from the sixth edition of America's Next Top Model during last night's broadcast of the UPN reality show.
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The next day, J. Alexander greeted the girls for a lesson about movement on the runway and demonstrated tips on how to use accessories and body motion to make garments come alive. While J. critiqued the girls on their techniques, Leslie's uncertainty became very apparent, causing her awkwardness to stand out more than her beauty. "It takes the pretty away from her," J. remarked after the lesson. Meanwhile, Nnenna once again laughed when Brooke struggled on the runway, further infuriating Brooke.
Afterward, the girls then met with Richard and Ron Harris, better known as the "Aswirl Twins," for a lesson on swirling and twirling that would further sharpen their knowledge of movement on the runway. Although many of the girls had difficulty mastering the graceful movements, Leslie appeared increasingly tense and unsure of her actions.
Once they got back to the house, Brooke's frustration with Nnenna finally erupted, with Brooke openly complaining about how Nnenna always hogs the phone. Nnenna responded by deliberating ignoring her and picking up the phone to use it -- a development that caused the normally mild-mannered Brooke to storm through the house telling everyone that Nnenna was a bitch and she was tired of her bad behavior.
The following day, the girls participating in their next challenge -- putting their new skills to the test in a local church fashion show that featured the designs of Lloyd Klein and beautiful diamonds of Sol Rafael. Leslie, who openly expressed being nervous before the fashion show started, had trouble relaxing, leading to a stiff and unenthusiastic performance on the runway. In the end, Jade was deemed the winner, winning her a $25,000 Sol Rafael diamond ring. As the winner, Jade also got to give another $10,000 ring to another of the girls, who she decided would be Furonda Brasfield. Then Furonda got to give yet another $8,000 ring a girl of her choosing. Furonda decided to give the ring to Nnenna, which further upset Brooke.
Later, Jay Manuel led the girls in a rooftop photo shoot for Payless Shoes, where each had to create an edgy and energetic look while dancing with Tommy the Clown and his Krumpers. Once again, Leslie had difficulty embracing the essence of the shoot and failed to provide a variety of poses and facial expressions. Jay was disappointed after Leslie's shoot, commenting "I really thought she was going to nail it more."
During the week's elimination ceremony, the judges challenged each girl to showcase their signature walk and tested their balance and posture in a slow motion 360 degree turn. After the judges deliberated, Joanie Dodds, Jade, Nnenna, Furonda, Danielle Mahoney, and Brooke all had their names called by Top Model star Tyra Banks, meaning that either Leslie or Sara Albert would be going home.
In the end, although the judges agreed that Leslie was both photogenic and beautiful, they were not convinced of her presence as a top model. "The judges think, 'Beautiful girl, Beautiful pictures,' but a lot of them don't see a model in front of them," Tyra told Leslie before eliminating her from the competition.
