How to moon walk dance
Moonwalk dance move Tutorial for beginners
Here are 2 FREE videos that will teach you the footwork of Michael Jackson’s famous moonwalk dance move.
The moonwalk dance move is one of the coolest hip hop moves you can learn – but despite looking so easy, it is quite hard to execute. These videos are meant to be watched in sequence so that you can learn everything from the ground up.
1. Overview of the footwork
Text Summary:
Here Matt Steffanina starts you off understanding how to move your feet in the correct sequence. Start with one foot on the ball of the foot and have the other foot flat. Then, use the pressure on the floor to slide the the flat foot back, and then switch feet. Slide and switch, slide and switch. The “Switch” is very important and as Matt mentions it needs to be fast so that you can get power into the floor. And at the very end you will just need to work on making the glides longer and make it all flow.
2. Tips and exercises for your moonwalk
Video Transcript
All right guys today’s lesson is the moonwalk. All right? Made popular by Michael Jackson, it’s been around for a while. The originated move is called the back slide. So I’m going to teach it to you today in a few steps. Let’s get it!
All right. Step one. I’m going to introduce you to a few things to keep in mind while you are learning this move.
Some tips and tricks: All right the tip for the moonwalk is the balls of your feet. So make sure when you are gliding you practice on the balls of your feet. Later on you can get real high and use it one the tips of your toes, but for now remember, the balls of your feet. That’s going to be a good way to train and work on your balance shifting from foot to foot.
All right step two is going to be a really helpful and easy exercise to do to help enhance your moonwalk. An exercise like this – will help the technique of your moonwalk – the smoothness of it. The higher you look off the air the more smoother moonwalk you do have.
Step three: In place moonwalk – Check this out, it’s going to help a lot. The first one I want you guys to practice – the in-place moonwalk. Choose left or right foot, place it, on the tippy-toe balls of the feet, and then just slide back-, slide in one place.
All right one of the most helpful steps is this step four – and it’s called a slide and switch. When you guys get that down, the next one I want you to do is the slide and switch. It’s like a training wheel for your moonwalk. Okay?
What I want you to do – slide – switch, slide – switch, slide – switch, slide… simple enough. Again, and when I start practicing I would probably go in small motions, don’t slide too much – maybe take little slides, little steps — just so you can practice shifting the weight and the trick to it is shifting the weight – that switch and your best slide. [Quietly demonstrates].
So remember, slide/switch, slide/switch — little tricks and exercises just to work on your balance and transition and hey – you’ll be moonwalking in no time, all right guys!
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Moonwalk - Dance Tutorials with Smilin (E10)
Moonwalk – Dance Tutorials With Smilin
(Episode 10) Electro Swing Academy
Today our Electro Swing Academy has the 10th and last episode of the dance tutorial series and it’s about the #Moonwalk. In the season finale, Smilin teaches us on of the most famous dance moves, that Michael Jackson made famous in the 80’s. There are a few things to consider when performing, and it is not the easiest dance move. Feel free to write how you liked the complete season, what we can improve and which dance moves you would like to see as a tutorial? As the last video, we have a best of for you, with all dance moves, one after the other, perfect for practicing! #KeepOnSmilin! 😀 🔥 💃 🎩 🙌
1. Start position: one foot is on the ball of the foot, the other one is standing
2. Slowly roll down the foot, which is on the ball and try to slide (at the same time!) the other food back. The sliding foot has to land on the ball of the foot
3. Now you stand on the start position, but this time your other food is on the ball. Repeat the steps on the other foot, too
IMPORTANT:
- Keep the upper part of your body straight.
- The roll down and slide back MUST be at t he same time.
- Your roll down has to look smooth and fluid.
TIP: Use the right shoes for the Moonwalk and the floor must be smooth to work really well!
Next Dance Move: #AllDanceMoves
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If you have any questions, ideas or requests, feel free to write them in the comments. Now have fun watching, learning and dancing. Let’s do the Swing! #ElectroSwingDance 🔥 💃 🎩 🙌
Follow the Electro Swing dancer and tutor Smilin, from Bavaria in Germany, HERE and read a super interesting interview with her HERE!
And here is the Blog Post with the complete Dance Tutorials Season 1, which is updated with every new episode. So in the end everything is very compact and you can comfortably improve your skills HERE!
CREDITS & PRODUCTION
VIDEO PRODUCTION
Splitfield.Productions
– Editor: Steven Melzer
– Camera: Luka Ljubicic
– Cutter, Audio Mix & Sound Design: Wolfgang Lohr
– Color Grading: Giulio Rasi
– Location: Frannz Club (Berlin/Germany)
GRAPHIC & MOTION DESIGN
Alannah Lietz
MUSIC PRODUCTION
– Track ID: Wolfgang Lohr feat. Emma Lea & Ashley Slater – Keep On Smilin
– Composer & Producer: Wolfgang Lohr
– Lyrics & Trombone: Ashley Slater
– Vocals: Emma Lea, Ashley Slater
– Saxophone: Martin Scheran (Deladap)
– Trumpet: Alex Valdés (Deladap)
– Guitar: Guglielmo Cassinelli (Free Shots)
© + ℗ 2021 Electro Swing Thing
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Cowtail-Step – Dance Tutorials with Smilin (E09) Electro Swing Thing Electro Swing Thing Dance Video & Review: Keep On Smilin
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Actually, the moonwalk is not an element of pop culture at all. This is a typical glide, that is, a movement characteristic of breakdancing. And if so, we turn the visor of the cap back and proceed to training!
Step 1: Warm up
For unprepared dancers, the question of how to learn the moonwalk is often left unanswered because they neglect pre-training. And, accordingly, do not achieve the desired result in the final.
- First you need to do at least a banal morning exercise. Contrary to the opinions of non-specialists, it gives a good warming effect.
- Next, we work only with the legs. We do 10 lunges on each leg. Then you can increase the amount, but for the first lesson this is enough for the muscles to remember that they need to move.
- We stand on toes. We tear off the heels from the floor 10 times. Enough to stretch.
Step 2 Stretch
- Stand straight, place your right foot as far back as you can and slowly try to press your heel to the floor. Does not work? Move your foot a little closer and try again. The process is important here, not the result. Calf muscles stretch and get ready for work
- Kneel on the floor. Spread your toes out to the sides. Squat between them. Can you feel the stretch in your thigh muscles? So they did everything right. Done - we begin to study the technique of movement.
Step 3. Learn the Technique
Teachers of modern dance often get allergic to the question “how to learn to dance the moonwalk”. And all because it is not danced, but performed. This is an element of a huge break array, and gliding alone is not enough to consider yourself a dancer. Therefore, we will not irritate teachers and treat the study of this element from a technical point of view.
- The body weight is transferred to the left leg. And we put the right foot on the “half-toes”, that is, on the toe with a good emphasis.
- We strain the wide muscles of the thigh of the right leg and transfer the weight of the body to it (it is still on the toe!). And the left leg at this time easily slides back.
- We immediately put the leg that has “reached” to the rearmost point on the toe and transfer the body weight to it. At this time, the right leg slides.
- At this time, you need to check your posture in the mirror. The process of changing legs makes you forget about your back, and this is wrong. A tight back will make it easier to transfer weight from foot to foot.
So now you know how to moonwalk. It's time to pay attention to other elements of breakdancing. They are all pretty technical. It is easy to grasp the essence, but to perform at a fast pace, months of training are needed. Ready to study at Dragon School? Great, then sign up for a free trial lesson and join a cool team. The moonwalk is taught in illusion style groups. These are adult groups that accept even those who have never been involved in dancing and sports.
Your dance career started with this article. Don't cut it off at the very beginning! It's time to learn how to dance professionally!
Recommended reading
Michael Jackson's moonwalk: how to learn to dance
Michael Jackson's moonwalk even now causes great excitement among the public. Learning how to dance it is not so difficult if you know some secrets of a pop idol. What are they and how to quickly learn the moonwalk?
Contents
- Pop idol and his moonwalk
- Why the movement is called so
- What are the features of the dance
- How to do the moonwalk: technique
- Instructions for learning the movements of the moonwalk
- 4
- Moonwalking at home
- Step by step guide to moonwalking
- Moonwalking tips
- Video tutorial
- Pop idol dancing secret
Pop idol and his moonwalk
Everyone knows about this dance move. True, the authorship belongs far from the king of the pop industry. Michael Jackson made this movement popular by repeating it from the stage, but the authorship does not belong to him.
Help! It is difficult to name the exact creator of the moonwalk, so the authorship of this movement is attributed to the entire pop culture of that time.
As soon as Michael Jackson moonwalked the stage at one of his concerts, this movement immediately won the love of many of his fans. Literally everyone wanted to learn this kind of footwork and body movement.
At that time there were not a lot of dance lessons, and many tried to portray at least something similar to the famous dance couple by trial and error. Fortunately, now this is not a problem and anyone can learn this movement at any time of the day or night.
Why is the movement so called? At the same time, the dancer does not raise his legs, as if afraid to go into a gravity-free space, and the movements themselves seem light and airy, as if a person was holding on to the surface of the earth.
It is also known that before the performance by Michael Jackson, the dance was called differently. Having repeated it on stage, the performer himself gave him such a nickname, and it has stuck to our times. Therefore, the moonwalk is an initiative of Jackson himself, because before that the dance was called “backslide”, which translates as “retreat”. And although the initial version of the name is more appropriate, to this day the movement is called the moonwalk.
What are the characteristics of dance
This dance movement is relevant for many dance groups. It is not difficult to recognize and distinguish him from the crowd, so users, seeing such a movement from the stage, will surely fill the hall with applause. In addition, the moonwalk performed by popular and skilled dancers looks like the dancer is floating in the air and touches the floor only with his toes.
Michael Jackson himself notes that even before his speech, such a movement was popular in the ghetto quarters. The blacks in these areas were excellent at performing the movement, moreover, Jackson considered them geniuses and systematically repeated that it was they who brought to life many elements of the current dance culture.
How to Do the Moonwalk: Technique
When it comes to technique, many professional dancers will attest to the fact that the walk is only superficially difficult. Even a person who is far from the sphere of dance is able to master this dance movement. At a minimum, on the Global Web, a user can find hundreds and thousands of video tutorials and master classes on how to perform this element.
Moonwalk Instructions
How did Michael Jackson perform this walk? After the hype, he often used this gait and enjoyed the popularity of this movement.
Before starting work, it is worth choosing the right shoes. Shoes in which the dance element will be performed should be comfortable and resistant. No heavy boots in which it would be problematic to create an element of “weightlessness”.
It is worth choosing a room. In order to learn how to move smoothly, you need to find a free room that will not hamper movement.
Tip! Training is best done in front of a large mirror, which will help you fully control your movements, seeing them from the side. In it you can see the plasticity of the body and the smoothness of the movements of the dancer.
The dancer must stand straight and straighten his shoulders, the right foot is placed in front of the left so that the heel of one matches the toe of the other. Then the leg is bent at the knee joint, placed on the toe and simultaneously retracted.
How to learn the moonwalk at home
The moonwalk is not such a difficult dance element that you have to hire a teacher to learn it. This can be done independently at home, without the help of additional people.
Step-by-step instructions for teaching the moonwalk
In order to easily cope with the training, the user needs to perform the following algorithm:
- The person stands sideways in front of a large mirror. The arms should be relaxed, and the body weight should be evenly distributed on both legs, the left leg is placed behind the toe, and the body weight is evenly transferred to it. In this case, the person leans back a little. With a sliding movement, the right leg starts up backwards, while it is important not to tear it off the floor, but to keep the body weight on the left leg.
- As soon as the heel of the right foot is on the floor, the left foot takes over and begins to move behind the right foot in the same pattern.
- The weight is transferred to the right foot and the left foot is in a smooth glide.
In fact, everything is very simple, the point is technique, as well as the correct and timely transfer of body weight from one leg to another. Over time, experienced dancers who have fully mastered the dance take the opportunity and put their hands into action. This helps to achieve more entertainment.
Moonwalk tips
The main recommendation is to use a mirror. Schools and dance studios often use mirrors and decorate the entire room with them. So the dancer can more clearly follow his own plasticity and movements.
The illusion of softness and smooth gliding should be created, and not the feeling that the legs are dragging. It is lightness that is the fundamental element of this dance.
In addition, experienced dancers are advised to perform the first movements slowly, until the very essence of the actions reaches the muscle memory. Movements must be performed automatically and be extremely accurate. Otherwise, no moonwalk will work, but on the contrary, not a dance will come out, but something incomprehensible and strange.
Video Lesson
What is the secret of the pop idol dancing
Another favorite move attributed to the pop idol is the 45-degree body tilt. When Michael Jackson first demonstrated this movement, the audience was literally in shock.
Help! Some users still reproach Jackson for using insurance, because it is almost impossible to perform this action without additional equipment due to gravitational attraction.
By the way, Jackson has a patented product in the form of a boot with a specific heel that can be fixed.