Paris, August 29 - Giulia Pauselli has become the third Italian ever at the legendary Crazy Horse in the French capital. Prior to her, the only dancers from Italy to be granted a place were Rosa Fumetto in the 1970s and Gloria di Parma (stage name used by Deborah Lettieri) in 2012. "Getting into the Crazy Horse was my dream, and I had already auditioned for a place three years ago in Paris. In June I tried again, showing up for the casting call during the 'Forever Crazy' tour at Milan's Teatro Nuovo, and was selected," Pauselli, 23, told ANSA.

Born in Florence, she has in the past been a competitor on Maria De Filippi's talent show 'Amici'. For the past few weeks she has been in Paris, getting the training necessary to become a true 'Crazy Girl' in terms of posture, physical shape, and choreography. Pauselli's debut is slated for October 7, when she will be given a stage name that befits her personality and origins and will be used for her entire career in the renowned Paris cabaret of nude, seductive dancing created by Alain Bernardin in 1951. "When I was a a little girl, every December 31 I always used to watch the Crazy Horse show on TV with my parents," the she said, smiling, her hair worn in a black bob and with red lipstick, stiletto heels and a t-shirt on. "These topless dancers on their toes have always fascinated me. I have always aspired to their sensuality." "This is the first time that I will be performing nude, but it doesn't bother me," she said. "We are very protected and it is not a striptease. The dancers are clothed in the projections of colored lights. The show is a celebration of women, never vulgar." At age 14 Giulia moved to Milan to study at La Scala, dreaming of becoming a star ballet dancer at the famous opera house.

"But I am too curvy, and it would have been too difficult," she said. "So I sought out another way to keep dancing with a smile on my face. The Amici school helped me a lot." For the Crazy Horse, Pauselli - who recently appeared in the theater tour 'Cinecittà' with Christian De Sica - gave up a chance to take part in the new dance team of 'Sogno o Son Desto', a TV show with Massimo Ranieri that will go on air starting September 13 on state broadcaster RAI. "I put Crazy Horse in front of all else," she said. "The Crazy Horse is a brand name, it marks you for life." Her favorite choreography is called 'Rougir de Desir', a solo number. Though the rehearsals are tiring - requiring up to six hours a day of training - she is "happy". "I try to separate my work from my life," she said. "Inside I am a Crazy Horse dancer and outside I have my own identity. My place is here. I will never go back."