BEIJING, Nov.21(Xinhuanet) -- From the mouths of babes comes some very useful guidance for performers of all kinds. Instead of focusing on the details of her role, 9-year-old karate champion Mahiro Takano is going for "cool". She is starring in the latest music video of Australian singer-songwriter Sia.
Besides her love of chocolate and Duffy the Disney Bear, 9-year-old Mahiro Takano is a three-time karate champion in her age group in Japan.
She also stars in Sia's latest video "Alive". Against a background of stark grey, Mahiro wears a white and black wig evocative of Sia's hairstyle and, with an adorably determined concentration of energy, performs a dazzling karate routine with quick fists and kicks.
"When I was performing in Sia's music video, I avoided thinking about small details and only focused on how cool it would look," she said.
Mahiro practices every day after school with her older brother. She was 4 when she started karate, inspired by her brother, then 5, who began lessons with their father.
Her teacher Takako Kikuchi acknowledged that some karate purists may disapprove of the young girl's participation in the music video.
"Performing in the music video was good in the sense that it brought more attention to karate. There may be people that are opposed to it, but this little girl in the music video did not compromise on her performance – she demonstrated each and every move to the best of her knowledge and effort. She was focused and her performance was not a fake act, so I believe it was all a good opportunity for karate to be known to the world," Kikuchi said.
Sia's collaboration with this little girl follows a pattern of quirky music videos, using the body language of another - such as a dancer or an acrobat - to express herself.
Mahiro, meanwhile, has been selected as an official "ambassador" for Karate for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The sport is vying to be selected for the games. Though she may not be old enough to compete by then, she'll always have the heart of a champion.
(Source: CNTV.cn) 返回搜狐，查看更多
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