So! We continue our look at the greats! We’ll be taking a closer look at the 1957 movie “FUNNY FACE” for a week or so. Today’s video of the day is of Kay Thompson and Audrey Hepburn performing “On how to be lovely”…it is one of my favourite performances of the movie, but, that said…we havn’t got to Astaire yet! I have to add though. Kay Thompson, who plays the Vogue editor in the movie was the MGM coach…she taught Judy Garland, and staged Astaire and many of the greats. In fact I have to say, that she was such a professional that I feel that if she was asked to under perform to make the star look better…that she would do it. I think that in this performance, that is the case.

Video of the day

Anthony

Full article: www.anthonykingblog.com
website: www.anthony-king.com
email: anthony@anthony-king.com

A closer look at: Psychological Projection

“We project our own unpleasant feelings onto someone else and blame
them for having thoughts that we really have.”

Put simply, this is somebody telling you, for example

“You’ll never go far”

Or

“That’s a really competitive field. Do you really want to risk it?”

Or

“Are you really going to wear that dress?”

When somebody restricts you or tells you that you can’t do
something, or has such negative opinions of your chances, it is
usually a reflection of them onto you, and should not be taken
as fact. The idea was studied in depth by Sigmund Freud and is a
“defence mechanism in which the individual attributes to other
people impulses and traits that he himself has but cannot accept.
It is especially likely to occur when the person lacks insight into
his own impulses and traits.”

That’s an important point to take note of:

“Especially likely to occur when the person lacks insight into his own
impulses and traits.”

Again it’s a case of, how can anybody, other than yourself, know
what you’re capable of, especially when they probably lack insight
into themselves and their own ability? When somebody dismisses
your chances, don’t take it personally. Think about what they’ve
said with the knowledge that you are the ultimate judge on what
you can and will do. Again, as long as you are being honest with
yourself and are willing to put the work in, I’d trust your own
instincts over critics. Hey, critics and experts have always made
mistakes. As long as you know that and understand that people
are very good at projecting their own fears and failures on to you.
As well as particularly, their own lack of ambition, you’re on track!

Anthony

www.anthony-king.com
www.anthonykingblog.com

People love to ask me “what type of music do you listen to?” or “Who inspires you?” and when I usually give my answers, people generally don’t have a clue about who i’m talking about…unfortunetly…usually the greatest artists of all time! Obviously, although nobody told you, you generally like the music that is marketed to you at a particular point in History. Music and entertainment are used to divide as well as bring together. So, you might think “17 year rock lover” or “Fashion ripped jeans lover”, that it’s your own statement of individuality…but think twice! A 17 year old “rock” music lover would never dream of listening to his father’s Sinatra collection and visa versa. The father would look to Manson as bad, violent and a destructive influence…forgetting that his own father probably said the same thing about his Elvis obsession! You probably do not enjoy great music…only great music that has been marketed to you in your lifetime. Think about this; a teenager today should enjoy any type of music that ANY teenager in History has previouly enjoyed. From 500 years ago, to a million years ago, to top of the pops last week. An amazing piece stands for ever. What would make a young teenager today hate the music that he would have loved if he was living a few years earlier? And that’s my point…think about it if you get the chance…it’s a big one. Anyway, i’m going to introduce some great entertainers that you might not of heard of and some greats that you might…from all over the place, and all time periods. One great a day. one video a day, some of the greatest entertainers in History…my teachers, real genius.

Today let’s start with a great 1956 Hollywood movie “FUNNY FACE“, staring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire. I think that I fall in love with Audrey everytime I see her on the screen, especially in the bookstore scene waffling about her philosophical ideas! Hepburn trained as a Ballet dancer…danced in a chorus. After she danced she was so beautiful that they whisked her off to Hollywood. Possibly too tall to be a “real” ballet dancer, she has a kind of “neatness” and if you look closely really nice Port de bras. We will be delving into “FUNNY FACE” and ASTAIRE but you can’t mention the movie without mentioning KAY THOMPSON, who plays the “Vogue” editor. It was probably Astaire who insited that she be included, and if you don’t know who she is…you will when i’ve finished with you! A Hollywood genius, she staged many of Astaires and Hepburns choreographical wonders which we will be taking a closer look at.

VIDEO OF THE DAY - “Audrey’s self expression dance”

Todays “video of the day” is Hepburn’s “self expression” performance in the french club…so beautiful. You might want to take a listen to what she’s saying too! Enjoy!

Anthony

Read more at www.anthonykingblog.com

www.anthony-king.com

Am I an individual? What makes me unique? Do I even have the
ability to answer the question? I think that we all like to think of
ourselves as unique people and we surely hope that we are, but
what’s the fact of the matter? What makes me different from the
next person? The writer Alan Watts points out something very
interesting:

“We seldom realize, for example, that our most private thoughts and
emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages
and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by our
society. We copy emotional parents…society is our extended mind and
body”

So, Alan Watts is saying that we copy our emotional responses
from our parents. So is it possible that even that which we claim
to be our inner thoughts and opinions didn’t really originate from us?
Now that’s a thought! If they didn’t originate uniquely
from us and were possibly placed upon us, then what hope
would we have for style, talent or anything else! Let’s take a
look at that though. We are trained beings, we do what our
parents and teachers taught us, turning us into what we are
today. We are bombarded daily with what we need to buy or
think or consume, in order that we may be happy or popular.
We are engulfed with the concepts of what our limitations are
and our “place” in society. The idea that we will never be like
those amazing people “up there” in front of the bright lights
and walking down the red carpets on TV or in the movies and
magazines, constantly. This as though those people are from
another planet, different from the rest of us. That’s just what is
thrust on us from the billboards and advertisements on a walk
down any road, daily. We are being spoken to, literally all the
time through advertising, TV and the media, parents and friends,
colleagues etc.

Does the world influence you? Does it enhance your uniqueness,
buying into somebody else’s idea of beauty, success or morals,
or does it detract from you?

Hmmm…..so when I say to myself “I’ll never be able to dance like
that!” Am I being fair? Am I being honest or am I just repeating what
I think to be correct because I’m not thinking “outside the box”,
but inside the parameters set by other people (which are usually
so limiting)? I would say that it’s based on other people projecting
onto you and you reflecting that back.

The key points to remember are that

• You are the number one expert

• You define your own parameters

• What’s good for everybody else might not and probably
isn’t perfect for you or your set of unique talents and set of
circumstances.

By Anthony King

(Coming next: Acloser look: other people projecting their crap on to you!)

Dancing is just a physical expression of who you
are and if you want to become a better dancer or a better thinker,
the rules are the same through every area of your life.

The ancients, while navigating the high seas used to look
to the stars for guidance and direction. They would use the
constellations to plot their course through the rough seas
and stormy weather. Even with clouds and pouring rain, hope
would return with the clear skies and with it clear direction,
renewed hope and safety. Likewise, the ancient Egyptians, who
influenced the world we live in beyond measure, were highly
proficient in computing the power of the planets, luminaries and
constellations and the interactions between them. As they looked
up, they believed, as did the Greeks and civilisations before them
that it was these heavenly bodies which had an effect upon the
destinies of nations as well as individuals. It was the stars they
looked up to and regarded as living things that influenced us.
Today, we still look up to the “stars” for guidance, fashion tips, and
inspiration. Pop stars, “Superstars” and so called “talented” people,
seemingly unreachable up on the Billboards and on television
out of our grasp. People placed in positions, adored and ready to
be knocked down or carted off to rehab. It’s amazing how much
power and influence the few wield over the masses. Pythagoras
himself, the first “Philosopher” considered “the stars to be “bodies”
that encased souls, minds and spirits. It is quite clear that today
as we look up to our own “pop idols”, the latest marketed talents
and stars we should ask ourselves, are they really worthy of being
emulated and adored? Should we not instead focus our energies
on expressing ourselves to the best of our own abilities? Surely
this is far healthier than trying to complete a near-impossible task
and mimic those who we place up on the mantle piece ready, at
any point to be knocked down, revealing themselves to be just as
infallible as the rest of us?

These are not only philosophical questions but are most relevant
for the artists, dancers, actors, musicians and entertainers among
us - the true artists that will at least strive to be the best that
they can be. The artists that dig deeper. Those who understand
it is harmony that is a prerequisite of beauty. That the beautiful
poem, dance, song, piece of music or expression is only so when
its parts are harmonious. The message is clear; you will have to
search for yourself, your self if you want to find that harmonious
combination that will raise YOU up to the next level as an artist
and a person. Search. You. For yourself.

By Anthony King

Pt 3 coming soon! (Part 1: click here)

Anthony’s new Dance/Personal development book “Dance like the stars - Book 1, The Philosophy of physical expression, the learning process & Celebrity fitness” is out now in Waterstones, Foyles and Pineapple Shop Covent Garden. Or available to order from your local book shop.

To buy it online today click here!

Box A and B are EXACTLY the same colour…full stop!

No….you are wrong…they are! Proof

Obviously this is a one off and just a silly optical illusion…..everything else I know is right though….right?

hhhmmm makes you think………..

Full Link:

http://web.mit.edu/persci/people/adelson/checkershadow_illusion.html

I’ve always asked myself when looking at great artists perform or
at an amazing piece of art, music or architecture, what is it that
makes it or them so special? What is it that differentiates that
person from the rest? Do they have a supernatural ability or a
connection to something greater that we will never know? Or is it
a talent that can be learnt? When we see a painting by Leonardo
Da Vinci or hear an amazing piece of music by Beethoven, we
see and hear near perfection that leaves us awestruck, but where
does the magic that we all recognise as genius come from? Could
it be a particular age or demographic? It would seem that it’s
something more than learning a particular skill and practising
a lot. The magic comes from the unique individual, the magic
flows through them and it is they who are the key to unlocking
that potential. They possess a particular mindset or belief and a
unique way of looking at themselves and the world.

So before a musical note, a dance step or any kind of conceivable
expression is executed physically in the world, it is firstly an
expression of who you are mentally, spiritually and physically. The
physical execution, although essential, is last in the chain and it is
the physical action that is the easiest to replicate and duplicate.
The other parts take some understanding, effort and thought.
For example, before carrying out the execution of a dance step it
is of utmost importance that we understand our own intentions
so that we can then convey that step effectively to others to
appreciate and admire in physical form.

It’s the great artists that execute a step or the mesmerising singer
who hits the right note who understand that a physical act is by
no means the whole story! I’m talking about passion, belief and
understanding. Of course with training and repetition you can
program somebody to physically move in a certain way. However,
there will always be the exceptional few that have something
extra; that magic that is clear to see.

This is something that is missing from the solely physical thinking
person who may believe that by schooling alone you can master
your craft. I’m talking about the difference between a true dancer
and somebody that can move their body. I’m talking about the
lasting artist who inspires and gives hope as opposed to one who
entertains briefly and is soon forgotten. There is a big difference.
The difference is down to the artist: who they are, how they think
and what they stand for.

An artist is an artist all of the time. A star is born a star (It’s just a
case of rediscovering who you really are) understanding yourself
and working hard to perfect your skill, whatever that may be. It
is an essential for all artists. So before you start on that journey it
makes sense to think about who you are, what you stand for and
how you can best be yourself. After that it’s simply a case of just
letting the magic flow through you…

By Anthony King

P.2 Coming soon!

I wish that every young person in the world could see this…