I have just finished reading Anthony King’s new book 'Dance like the Stars'. I can honestly say it is a must read for all. We all have our fears, doubts and mountains to climb in our lives and our work whatever it maybe. Anthony finds a way in this book to show you that anything is possible, how to take charge of your life to live it and help reach your goals and dreams. The book was so good; I’m just in the process of reading it again.
Simon J Bailey, 28, London, England
Singer/Songwriter
'Dance like the Stars' teaches you that dancing comes from within and is not just a matter of physical expression. The actual move is just the final step, but the psychological process that leads to that is what Anthony is interested in. I firmly believe that Anthony has hit the nail on the head with his holistic approach to dance.
If you have always dreamt of being a dancer; this book will help you take the first steps towards realising your dream. It will help you find the determination and will power you need. The introduction of the book alone has the power to turn your world upside down. Maybe before you get to the second part of the book, you will have already quit your job to take up dance full time. You have already been warned! Will you dare to read it?
Ernesto R. Moreno
Management Consultant
As an actor I am always reading and learning about the many practices of perfecting one's craft, of how to act and react 'in the moment', of searching for the truth in the complex world around us - all with the intention of helping the actor get results. Whether you're an actor searching for the right motivation or indeed anyone purely looking for the right light to head towards, then Anthony King's 'Dance Like The Stars - Book 1' is for you.
I get such as thrill myself through dance and movement (my friends will attest to this!) and have had the good fortune to attend many of Anthony's classes. I must admit that both this new book and the man himself exude the kind of energy and positivity that must only be encouraged and embraced by all. This book is clear, concise and relevant to people of any age, ability and background. Whether it's dance tuition you're after, a guide to healthier living or a few of life's conundrum's solved, Anthony King can help you help yourself. Its instruction and interpretation of dance and the world around us is told with good humour - a refreshing philosophical read and a must-have for any artist searching for the truth - whatever that might be. I loved it. When can I read 'Book 2'?
Nic Thornton, London, England
Actor
I thought that this book was amazing! Whilst reading it I could relate it to everything in my own life and understand where Anthony was coming from. As a dancer myself I can take into action what I read. One of my favourite parts of the book was “why you should dance, if that’s what you feel you want to do!” I liked how it said; if you want to do something do it! I liked how you made it so I could feel like I could do anything! I also like the part about control because as you stated it’s important in dance! I also loved the part about “What is dance exactly and how do I enhance it?” I liked it because Anthony explained it in many different ways from the technical terms so that I could understand! I also loved the diagrams of the bodies! The book was a thumb’s up for me! Loved it Anthony!
Jacqui Heeney, 15, Melbourne, Australia
Dancer / School student
'Dance like the Stars' is definitely worth reading whether you’re a beginner, professional dancer or just want to express yourself fully. The way it’s set out gives you maximum impact, the concepts are powerful and easy to take on board and implement yourself. You’ll come away from this book with renewed motivation, I certainly did!
Renee-Lea Thackham, 22, Australia
Marketing Director
Anthony King's 'Dance Like the Stars’ is an amazing read, with a wide range of interesting insights into how we see dance, it's relationship to Divine Proportion, how to get the optimum energy from the foods we eat and, most importantly, how to just let go, be free and enjoy the movement!
Pierina Borrotzu, 22, London, England
Professional dancer
Dr. David Gamez previous publications include, What We Can Never Know (London & New York: Continuum, 2007), a co-edited collection of essays on contemporary philosophy, What Philosophy Is (London: Continuum, 2004) and papers on philosophy, machine consciousness and artificial intelligence.
Dance like the Stars is a new book on dancing and physical expression that covers the psychological aspects of self-transformation, diet and fitness, and the philosophy of movement and physical expression. This book is well laid out, easy to read and illustrated in many places with lively examples that make its points well.
In the first part King takes a careful look at the learning process. This tackles the difficult problem of motivation that is faced by any 'self-help' book that genuinely wants to transform its readers. Whilst anyone can set out a diet or training plan, the real challenge is to get the reader to follow it over a sustained period of time so that they actually accomplish the promised results. Without an effective learning process, the reader's momentary enthusiasm is likely to rapidly disperse under other influences. As King puts it: "The actual act of doing something "different" is not the hard part, but making that conscious decision is what challenges people the most." (p. 64). The book's account of the learning process is pertinent and well written with many interesting quotes and examples and it will be relevant to people in any walk of life who might want to lose weight or dance better, but lack the motivation to carry this out.
The second part of the book covers celebrity fitness. Although it was not entirely clear how 'celebrity' fitness differs from the regular kind, King gives sensible advice about diet and exercise which is grounded in his knowledge about the human body. Dancing, being physically fit and eating well all depend on each other and there was much to recommend this section. My only minor quibble was that it lacked the examples that were present in Part 1, which might have increased the reader's conviction that it was possible for them to improve their diet and fitness to celebrity levels.
The final part of Dance like the Stars focuses on the philosophy of physical expression. King's analysis of how dance relates to natural movements and geometric forms is original and interesting and I particularly liked his analysis of how style, form, poise, consistency, timing, placement, control and accuracy are all important aspects of an aesthetically pleasing movement. The examination of body lines and divine proportion was also good and I found myself applying it to my own dancing.
You have psychologically prepared yourself for transformation, changed your diet and exercise regime and studied philosophy; now you are ready to try out some of the classic Michael Jackson moves at the end of the book. I liked this touch because instead of telling the reader to join a class, it actually gives them some examples to get started. Initially I was sceptical about learning the moonwalk and side slide from text and a couple of diagrams, but when I followed the instructions I started to get the idea fairly quickly, although to do the move properly I would need to spend at least the recommended four hours on it.
Overall, I liked Dance like the Stars and gained lasting insights from it that have fed into my dancing and my life. King's passion and enthusiasm for dancing and fitness is infectious and infuses the book with an energy and movement that matches its subject perfectly. The book also made it clear from the start that dancing like the stars and achieving celebrity fitness are ultimately down to you and no book is going to do this for you. However, reading Dance like the Stars will give you a positive attitude towards the learning process, insights into diet and physical expression and some simple steps that will take you in a positive direction.
Dr David Gamez
