The evening is approaching, so Mattia asks to meet Alessandra Celentano to understand how to improve, especially in terms of looks. The teacher and the professional Umberto have very clear ideas and make him a list of everything that is wrong. “Umberto and I have been giving you advice for a long time, but you have a stubborn head,” scolds the teacher. “Let’s start by saying you’re all too many: necklaces, rings, patent leather shoes with long laces, a shirt, a belt, your hair either gel-filled or blown up. It took a long time for us to even come, you’re supposed to put on decent pants. ….”.
“You’re too old, you have to remove something”
Celentano then invites him to orient himself towards the more experienced: “You also have to learn to copy, you have Umberto’s example. If you see him dancing barefoot, because the piece allows it and makes everything more modern, do it too. You’re ancient, the less stuff you have, the better off you are”. The pros have been pushing him for a long time, neat pants and putting aside his beloved baggy shirts: “When we asked you to dance shirtless, that was a problem, remember?”.
“I never liked myself”
“Why do you want to hide, he doesn’t have a bad body,” the teacher asks him. At this point, the young dancer explains that he feels very insecure about his appearance. “It’s always been a fear of mine because I don’t like myself physically. I see myself as too short and skinny: that’s why I don’t want to be shirtless. I try to overcome it and undress when asked, but I do “I have trouble valuing myself in life. I’ve never liked it and here I find it difficult to even look at the camera while dancing”.
“You also have to accept the mistakes”
The teacher then understands that the problem goes far beyond dancing: “There is a problem here because you are a handsome boy. These things come out when you dance, you have to work at it and to do it you have to be aware of your body, also accept its flaws, otherwise you will never grow up.” Umberto also gives him some useful advice: “Also, try detaching yourself from the mirror. It seems trivial, but dancing without looking at yourself is a way to learn to explore your body and understand what you’re doing.”
It’s time to release the new Mattia. “Away with rings, chains, shirt and shoes. Change your pants too. You have to learn to feel comfortable,” says Celentano. The most critical point is getting him to take off a necklace from his grandmother that is very dear to him: “I give you this task, when you dance you take it off and then put it back on. You need to overcome these. These things are meant to make you grow and make you understand the source of your insecurities. You know I don’t pay many compliments, but you’re a nice boy, you can’t see yourself as ugly.”