How to Dance like a Smooth Criminal
The King of Pop had a patent to go along with this move
As a child of the MTV generation, I grew up watching music videos in the 1980s and 90s.
I loved everything about videos —the music, the artistry, the storytelling…and of course, the dancing.
But one artist really changed the landscape of music videos and inspired millions of kids to try to replicate dance moves — the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
While many rave about Thriller (rightfully so), I’m partial to the magic of the video that was dominating MTV in November 1988: Smooth Criminal.
As a kid who loved dancing, I always wondered how Michael Jackson and his dancers did that one move in the video.
You know, this one…
How did they do that?
I was curious…
In the 1980s, Michael Jackson’s music, dancing, and videos established him as a creative artist.
He was known for The Moonwalk, The MJ Spin, and The Toe Stand.
If you watched MTV, you probably can picture him doing those moves.
And if not, I’ve got you covered:
Then in 1988, with the Smooth Criminal video, he introduced The Anti-Gravity Lean.
The move had Jackson and a few of his dancers lean forward 45 degrees, backs straight, with their feet flat upon the floor.
They held the pose and then returned upright with little apparent effort.
But how did they do it?
The seemingly impossible forward lean in the Smooth Criminal music video was an illusion — created using strings and wires.
But how could they recreate this move during live shows?
They had to get creative.
They built a hitching mechanism into the floor of the stage and the performers’ shoes.
Jackson co-patented the invention in 1993 — as seen below:
The patent reads:
“A system for allowing a shoe wearer to lean forwardly beyond his center of gravity by virtue of wearing a specially designed pair of shoes which will engage with a hitch member movably projectable through a stage surface.”
So…now I don’t feel so bad that I could never manage this move!
But don’t rush to buy the shoes just yet.
According to neurosurgeon Dr. Nishant Yagnick:
“Normal people, even with the shoe, probably can't do it.
“It takes a lot of practice to develop the core muscles, abs, and central trunk muscles to get the strength to do it.”
So, for safety reasons, best to stay on the couch.
Check out the Smooth Criminal video to see the moves in action:
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-Beth
Interesting read you have here, I always enjoyed and I still enjoy just going through the old dancing moves from MJ, long live the King of pop, there will never be another MJ with those crazy dancing moves. 😉