It is called backward sliding, although, having thoroughly mastered the technique, you can move forward, sideways, and even
round.
Moonwalk: before the king and after
For the first time, steps similar to the moonwalk were demonstrated by back in 1932, jazzman Cab Calloway. But the moonwalk appeared in all its glory in the film “Children of Paradise”
in 1945, where it was performed by two mimes. In subsequent years, the spectacular technique was used by many dancers, actors and singers. Each of them brought something new to technology or
dance performance. Rock musician David Bowie was perhaps the first to perform the moonwalk while remaining in place. Michael Jackson later said that he visited
in 1974, one of Bowie's shows in Los Angeles.
In 1983, two important events related to the moonwalk occurred. Firstly, it was performed for the first time Michael Jackson first on a TV show, and a little later, in
time of the song Billie Jean. Secondly, the Oscar-winning film “Flashdance” was released with a moonwalk in one of the breakdance numbers. Today many people are sure
that the moonwalk was invented by Michael Jackson, so masterfully did he manage to make it his calling card.
moonwalk It looks very impressive, and there are no particularly complex elements in it. But to develop the smoothness and fluidity of movements you will have to spend
a lot of time. However, training with your favorite music will certainly be a joy.
Unlike Hustle and Macarena, "moonwalk" still retains a touch of street romance. Here's a guide on how to perform it in all its glory.
Step 1: Find the slippery floor
Find a floor that is good for slipping, such as wood or tile.
Clue: It will be easier to learn the movements if you start doing it in socks.
Step 2: Place your feet together
Stand straight with your feet together. Then move your right foot slightly forward in relation to your left, leaving both
feet on the floor.
Step 3: Raise your heel
Lift your right heel so that your weight is on the toes of your right foot. The left leg remains on the floor at this time.
Step 4: Lower your heel
Begin to lower your right heel to the floor while sliding your left foot backwards along the floor until the toes of your left foot are touching
at the same level as the heel of the right foot.
Step 5: Repeat with left leg
When the toes of your left foot are aligned with the heel of your right foot, lift your left heel and repeat the process - only "leading" on
this time the left leg.
Clue: Remember that the weight should be on the leg that is raised so that the other leg can easily slide back, as if just lightly touching the floor.
Step 6: Practice
Practice performing this movement until you can do it easily even in sneakers.
Upper Break Lessons: Moon Walking
To learn to dance this movement you need:
1) The most important thing is comfortable and soft shoes in which the foot can move;
2) You need to learn to move your legs plastically;
3) And finally, the movement itself:
Place your feet this way: bring your right foot forward a little and place it on your heel, and place your left foot on your toe. Start moving gradually. Move like this: yours
the right leg passes along the left and stands on the toe, the left one is brought forward a little and stands on the heel. That is, the legs should change places. But: they must change in
walking motion, that is, when you do the moonwalk, you do all these movements and at the same time you move, which is actually very similar to the way
movement. For greater plasticity, you can also simultaneously make a wave with your hands (either over your shoulder or just with your hand).
Before we learn how to learn how to do a moonwalk, let's find out what it is. (backslide) is one of the most popular dance techniques of the twentieth century, which creates the illusion of moving forward, although the dancer is moving backward. Thorough mastery of the technique allows you to move sideways, forward and even in a circle.
Moonwalk: before Jackson and after
Jazz musician Cab Calloway first demonstrated something resembling a moonwalk back in 1932. Well, in a performance close to modern, it could be seen in 1945 in the film “Children of Paradise.” There, two mimes expertly moonwalked. After that, many actors, dancers and singers adopted it. Each of them tried to bring something new to the movement technique. For example, rock singer David Bowie first performed this dance technique while remaining in place. Here the full power of art was revealed through dance. In 1974, Michael Jackson attended the rocker's concert, and nine years later he moonwalked on a TV show. A little later, during the performance of the song “Billie Jean,” the trick was repeated, which made Michael popular all over the world and turned it into his calling card.
How to learn to do the moonwalk?
1. Stand sideways in front of the mirror. Arms relaxed, legs together. We distribute the body weight evenly on both legs.
2. Place your left foot back on your toes, and then slowly transfer your body weight to it, leaning back slightly. Hold this position until you feel the pressure on your leg.
3. With a sliding movement, we move our right leg back, trying not to tear it off the floor. You need to slide as far as possible, while keeping your body weight on your left leg.
4. At the moment when the heel of the left foot falls to the floor, the heel of the right one rises. The body weight is calmly transferred to the right leg (this is the key point in the question: “How to learn to do a moonwalk?”).
5. Now the left leg is free and can freely slide backwards along the floor. As soon as the backward slide reaches the farthest possible position, the heels of the feet change (left - raise, right - lower) and the body weight is again transferred to the left leg. It turns out that we are returning to point No. 2. These movements must be looped one after another and smoothly move backwards. The position in point No. 1 is the starting one, and there is no need to repeat it. Once your legs have become accustomed to all positions, work on your tempo and fluidity. It is important to slide only in a straight line and not deviate. Success will also depend on shoes and floor covering. Remember the performances of Michael Jackson. Personally, I don’t remember any where he would slide in the sneakers, because they are much higher than regular shoes. At first, I advise you to use socks and be sure to track your movements in the mirror or using video.
If you haven’t figured out how to learn how to moonwalk, then watch an instructional video from the “learning to dance together” category or go to a multidisciplinary dance studio, where you can master this technique under the guidance of a professional choreographer.
In fact, the moonwalk is by no means an element of pop culture. This is a typical glide, that is, a movement characteristic of breakdancing. And if so, turn the visor of the cap back and start learning!
Step 1: Warm up
For untrained dancers, the question - how to learn to moonwalk - often remains unanswered because they neglect preliminary preparation. And, accordingly, they do not achieve the desired result in the final.
- First, you need to do at least some basic morning exercises. 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 session this is enough for the muscles to remember that they need to move.
- We stand on our toes. Lift your heels off the floor 10 times. Enough, you can stretch.
Step 2: Stretching
- Stand up straight, put your right leg back as far as possible 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. The calf muscles are stretched and prepared for work.
- Kneel on the floor. Spread your toes to the sides. Sit between them. Do you feel your thigh muscles stretching? This means we did everything right. Done - let's start learning the movement technique.
Step 3. Learn the technique
In modern dances, the question “how to learn to moonwalk” often causes allergies. And all because it is not danced, but performed. This is an element of a huge break array, and glides (slides) alone are not enough to consider yourself a dancer. Therefore, let’s not irritate teachers and approach the study of this element from a technical point of view.
- We transfer the body weight to the left leg. And we place our right foot on the “half-toes,” that is, on the toe with good support.
- We strain the broad muscles of the thigh of the right leg and transfer the body weight to it (it is still on the toe!). And at this time the left leg easily slides back.
- The leg that has “reached” the extreme rear point is immediately placed on the toe and the body weight is transferred to it. At this time, the right leg slides.
- At this time, you need to control 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 quite technical. It’s easy to grasp the essence, but to perform at a fast pace requires months of training. Ready to study at ? Great, then sign up for a free trial lesson and join a cool team. Moonwalking is taught in illusion style groups. These are adult groups that accept even those who have never been involved in dancing or sports.
Your dance career began with this article. Don't cut it off at the very beginning! It's time to learn to dance professionally!
The Moonwalk is a dance movement that was introduced to the world by the King of Pop Michael Jackson. At his concert in 1983, he demonstrated this movement to the general public for the first time. It was known in narrow dance circles before, but Jackson managed to popularize it largely thanks to the skill of its performance. Just like then, today many people associate the moonwalk exclusively with Michael Jackson; many try to repeat it, but not everyone succeeds the first time. To make your task easier, if you decide to learn how to do the moonwalk, use the following recommendations.
Execution technique
- Wear shoes with flexible soles. No matter how hard you train, you will not be able to perform this movement according to all the rules in hard shoes. If shoes restrict your movements, you can start training simply in socks - then your feet will glide more freely and your toes will bend better.
- Find a place with a level and smooth floor. The best surface is slippery tiles or parquet. Over time, you will be able to perform this dance move on less slippery surfaces, but it takes practice.
- Find a mirror large enough to place on the floor so you can watch your own movements while performing the moonwalk. This way you can fix errors immediately after they occur.
- Before starting your workout, be sure to prepare the muscles and joints of your legs by doing a short warm-up for your ankles and toes.
- To move directly to the moonwalk, place your feet together and then move your right foot forward. The feet should still be on the floor. Don't tear them off.
- After this, transfer your body weight to your right leg and lift the heel of this leg. The left leg remains on the floor.
- Start lowering your right heel to the floor, while making a sliding movement with your other leg along the floor. When your right heel hits the floor, you should immediately lift your left heel up. At the same time, make sure that the heel of your right foot and the toe of your left are at the same level.
- After this, repeat the previous step, only for the opposite leg. That is, the right foot will now slide along the floor, and the left heel will lower to the floor.
- When performing movements, do not “fall” on your side, carefully monitor the center of gravity and control it.
- Perform the movements slowly at first, then speed up when you feel like you are doing the moonwalk correctly.
- Once you've mastered the moonwalk in socks, continue to hone your skills while wearing shoes.
Remember that all your movements must be smooth and careful to avoid injury. You will most likely not be able to do everything right the first time, so be prepared for this. But over time, success will await you; the main thing is not to stop training and not quit what you started halfway.
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