The nightMichael Jacksonfirst moonwalked across the stage was actually quite disappointing for the singer. While everyone knows Jackson for his moonwalk today, he didn’t perform it for the first time until over a decade into his career.
The “Smooth Criminal” singerfirst danced the moonwalk at Motown 25,a 25th anniversary special for his former record label, where the Jackson 5 were signed from 1969 to 1975. However, Jackson was less impressed with himself for doing the dance move - and even more upset over a small mishap.
Michael Jackson Was Upset He Hadn’t Held His Toe Stand For Longer
Jackson Felt Disappointed In His Iconic Performance
Michael Jackson’s moonwalk is one of the most iconic dance moves in pop culture. However, the night Jackson debuted it, he was upset over what most would consider a minor mistake.Jackson was performing hisThrillertrack"Billie Jean" whenhe effortlessly slid across the floor during the song’s instrumental break.
In an old interview clipped byvaughndavis23on TikTok, the Jackson 5 member admitted that he wished he had held his post-moonwalk toe stand longer. After moonwalking, Jackson spun around a few times and then went up on his toes.Unfortunately, he lost balance and went back downon his feet sooner than he would have liked.
“I wanted to do the five spins, then go on the toes and freeze there. Just hold it and stay there,” Jackson said.He didn’t hold the toe stand as long as he wanted, but it didn’t seem like the audience minded. The TikTok includes footage from Jackson’s Motown 25 performance and another performance later in his career.
In the latter performance, Jackson did what he intended to do during the Motown performance. While Jackson may have been disappointed, the footage proves that,with more practice and experience, he was able to accomplishwhat he had set out to do in 1983.
Jackson’s Moonwalk Changed Pop Culture & His Career
Jackson was something of a workaholic and was always trying to improve himself and impress the world. That’s exactly what he did at the Motown 25 show whenhe popularized the moonwalk. However,the King of Popcould never have predicted just how impactful the performance would become.
Whilethe dance move has been traced back to the 1930s, almost three decades before Jackson was born, it was the “Thriller” singer who brought it to the forefront of pop culture. Jackson became known for the moonwalk, and to this day, dancers are still mimicking Jackson’s iconic move.
The singer would even go on to title his 1988 memoirMoonwalk,and his 1988 musical filmMoonwalker. WhileMichael Jacksonmay have been preoccupied with the mistake he made, everyone else remembers Motown 25 as the night he made history.
