![]() ![]() After Michael Jackson's Performance at Motown 25 ![]() Nelson George said that Jackson's rendition "combined Jackie Wilson's athleticism with James Brown's camel walk." Michael Jackson's autobiography was titled Moonwalk, and he also starred in a 1988 film titled Moonwalker. Moonwalking received widespread attention, and from then on, the moonwalk became Jackson's signature move for his song "Billie Jean". Later that same night, Michael received a phone call from renowned dancer and movie star Fred Astaire, who congratulated him on his performance. The audience cheered Michael's moonwalk, and he received a standing ovation ( watch the entire remastered performance of Billie Jean here ). ![]() Ian Inglis writes that Jackson encapsulated a long tradition of African American dance movements in that one performance. Dressed in his signature black trousers, silver socks, silver shirt, black-sequined jacket, single sequined glove, and black fedora, Jackson spun around, posed, and began moonwalking backwards (normal direction). The dance was brought to further public attention on March 25th, 1983 (May 16th on NBC), when Michael Jackson performed it during the worldwide broadcast of the television special, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. During Michael Jackson's Performance at Motown 25 In the movie Flashdance, released in 1983, the move was used in the breakdance scene, where a street performer, with an umbrella prop, mimed the wind blowing him backward as he first walks forward, fighting the wind, then starts moonwalking backwards. It is known today as the 'airwalk.'Ī street dancer in Madrid. There is a similar dance to the moonwalk as well. Jackson saw Daniel do the moonwalk dance on Soul Train and had his manager call Soul Train to introduce him to the dancer. Jeffrey Daniel taught Michael Jackson the moonwalk. Also in 1982, Debbie Allen performs a moonwalk during a scene with Gwen Verdon in Season 1, Episode 10 ("Come One, Come All") of the 1982 TV series Fame. By the time of Bowie's 1974 Diamond Dogs Tour, Michael Jackson was among those attending Bowie's Los Angeles shows, later remarking on Bowie's strange moves.Īnother early moonwalker was popper and singer Jeffrey Daniel, who moonwalked in a performance of Shalamar's "A Night To Remember" on Top of the Pops in the UK in 1982, and was known to perform backslides in public performances (including weekly Soul Trian episodes) well before this date. In Marceau's famous " Walking Against the Wind" routine Marceau pretends to be pushed backwards by a gust of wind.Īn embryonic version of the move appears in Bowie's 1960s mime pieces he had studied mime under Étienne Decroux, Marcel Marceau's teacher, and under Lindsay Kemp, who had trained with Marceau. The French mime artist, Marcel Marceau, used it throughout his career (from the 1940s through the 1980s), as part of the drama of his mime routines. He performs a tap routine, and at the end, backslides into the wings. In 1955 it was recorded in a performance by tap dancer Bill Bailey. The origin is the pantomime exercise "Marche sur place" created by mime masters Etienne Decroux and Jean-Louis Barrault and first recorded on film for Children of Paradise in 1944/45). ![]() In 1985, Calloway said that the move was called " The Buzz" when he and others performed it There are many recorded instances of the moonwalk, Similar steps are reported as far back as 1932, used by Cab Calloway. 1.2 After Michael Jackson's Performance at Motown 25.1.1 During Michael Jackson's Performance at Motown 25. ![]()
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