When it comes to song and dance, there’s no one else like Michael Jackson. Some of the techniques he may not have come up with himself, but he certainly perfected it and freaked it in a way that became “his” steps. The moonwalk was one of those moves that felt like it shifted planets when people first saw him do it at Motown 25. Here are 5 things you may not have known about MJ’s signature move.
MJ Created the Routine and Directed the Crew on How to Film In
Jackson knew he had a special moment on his hands and wanted to capture it the best way possible. Everything from the camera changes to the light changes, Jackson was hands-on with everything before it was his time to rip the stage down. Even the costume, he purposely had on the infamous sequined jacket, silver shirt, and single glove. This way, the light would capture his movements to make it look more dynamic. Also, the outfit was a shoutout to one of his heroes, Fred Astaire.
Jackson Kept the Moonwalk a Secret in Rehearsals
While people knew he was performing, they had no idea that he would unleash that signature move. In fact, this was the first time the producers of the show saw the moonwalk (let alone the audience). The crew was completely surprised and the audience was hype.
The Moonwalk Roots Came Decades Ago
A man by the name of Bill Robinson did a variation of the move back in 1955 at the Apollo. Jackson also studied James Brown’s half-splits, shuffles, and slides. He was a big influence on him. Not to mention, Sammy Davis, Jr, and Cab Calloway also inspired him.
West Coast Street Dancers Were Doing the Move Before MJ
This is a part of the gliding aesthetics made popular by West Coast popping. The Electric Boogaloos were a big influence on MJ’s dancing. Not to mention, The Lockers. You could also catch MJ doing the robot and stopping on a dime in his performance of “Dance Machine” when he would his solo routine with the Jackson 5. That’s clearly West Coast influenced. Other dancers have said they taught MJ, such as Jeffrey Daniel (Shalamar). He actually performed a pantomime routine at “The Top of the Pops” tv show back in 1982 and did the backslide (moonwalk) on there a year before MJ’s Motown 25 performance. A bit later in MJ’s career, Boogaloo Shrimp was also big on helping him not only moonwalk, but creating different glide and pop variations you’d see Jackson do on stage and in music videos.
Jackson Wanted His Solo Segment Cut From The Original Broadcast
He wanted his routine to “Billie Jean” to be an exclusive performance that was a treat to the people in the audience. The world almost never got to see this solo, but the producers made a compromise with the performance. He gave MJ and his representatives the final “yes” on the airing of it. Luckily, MJ agreed to air it.