The King and Princess of Pop: shared traits of two performers

Perfectionism

Both Britney and MJ were perfectionists and eager to keep learning from the time they were the children.

From her very first dancing class Britney stood out as an attentive student who learnt all moves quickly. Her jazz teacher praised her understanding of this abstract dance form as a young girl. In her very first public performance she completed her entire routine without missing a step. Later on she performed in a five girl dancing group. She always set herself apart being the leader and cheering on others to rehearse till the routines were mistake free.

As a child, Michael used every opportunity to study the masters of his craft. He used to watch James Brown on TV and would get mad when the camera didn't show his feet. He was such a perfectionist he recorded the same song time and again till he was satisfied. He rehearsed for hours with the clothes he would wear in each act in front of a mirror to make sure the costume kept the lines and flowed with his movements. His dancers and technicians knew they were expected to perform long hours in order to meet his high standards. A lot of songs did not meet his standard and have not been made public.

For her Vegas residency, Britney designed her own sets, had a say in the choreography, auditioned all dancers and worked out to achieve the level of fitness she had before becoming a parent.