How to Moonwalk like Michael Jackson

Looks like news of Michael Jackson will be hogging tv and radio for at least until he is laid to rest. The Internet is filled with news of his death and other aspects of his life (and death). There is one of the day before he died, Michael Jackson's final hours, if you will.

So, you are a fan? Think you know everything about Michael Jackson? Take the quiz to find out.

At 24 then, Michael Jackson made dance-floor history on March 25, 1983, when he took an obscure break-dancing move and transformed it into one of the most recognizable routines of all time. Jackson debuted the moonwalk during his performance of "Billie Jean" on the ABC television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. The moonwalk was born. What's a moonwalk, you ask?

The moonwalk looks so fluid, so effortless but is really not so easy to do.

For a demonstration (or two or three) of the moonwalk, check out the routine at 0:20, again at 1:07 and one more time at 1:20 of the video below.




But how exactly do you moonwalk? Here is what TIME finds out.


Goal: To learn to moonwalk

Supplies:
• A slick floor
• Black pants
• White socks
• Black loafers
• Years of dance training (optional)

Step 1: Start with your feet together. That's easy enough, right?

Step 2: Raise your right heel so that you're standing on the ball of your right foot.

Step 3: Shift your weight onto that still raised right foot so that the left one feels weightless.

Step 4: Lower your right heel slowly while moving your (still weightless) left foot backward until the toes of your left foot are aligned with the heel of your right foot. If you do it right, it should look like your left foot is floating backward across the floor.

Step 5: Lift your left heel and shift your body weight so that you're now standing on the ball of that foot.

Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5, this time with the opposite feet.


And that's the moonwalk. When done correctly, the dance will produce the illusion of walking forward while actually moving back. You can swing your arms with every step, or copy what Jackson did and hunch up your shoulders while grabbing onto your hat. You are wearing a hat, aren't you? You should probably wear a hat.


Source: Time.com