Moonwalk (dance)
The moonwalk is a breakdance move that gained widespread popularity after being performed by Michael Jackson on the 1983 television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, and has since become his signature move. Although he did not invent the mechanics of the move, his variation of the moonwalk is his trademark and one of the most recognizable dance moves in history. The purpose of the moonwalk is to give the illusion that the dancer is walking forward while mysteriously moving backward.
Origin
Although when most people think of the moonwalk they think of the signature Michael Jackson move, a variation of the modern-day moonwalk was invented by Cooley Jackson (who calls it the "backslide"), a former cast member of Solid Gold. Michael tweaked it in time for the Motown 25, where he debuted it during his famous "Billie Jean" routine. The move is based on a classic Jean-Louis Barrault Pantomime exercise "Walking" (as featured in the 1945 film Children of Paradise) with some of the Pantomimes de Style technique Marche Contre Le Vent (developed by Marcel Marceau in the 1950s) thrown in.
How To
Start with your right foot on its toe. Toe's pointing right, so that your heel is up and is turned in. As you step down, it will look like your heel is going to land on your left foot; at that time you slide your left foot out from under the heel of the right. As soon as your right foot's heel hits the floor, your left foot should be on its toes facing out to the left with the heel turned in. Now that your left foot is on its toe and your right is flat, the way to keep moving in the same general direction is that you have to slide your right foot on its heel. At the same time your left foot is dropping to the floor. While gliding your right foot's heel, you have to switch it to its toe as soon as it is in front of the left foot. At this time your right should be on its toes in front of your left, which should be flat to the floor. Then you just start over. Your right goes from toe to heel while your left slides across the floor and back on to its toe.
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