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Where did Michael Jackson learn to dance ..and make it his style?

I think he didn't really learn it from a dancing school, he did however of course worked with choreographers for video's and tours. But things like the moonwalk he just learned from watching other people. I think he mentioned a few times, that he used to watch the black little kids from the ghetto, and saw them doing all these things like the moonwalk, so when he went home he used to practise it in his own room and did some little editing. He also used to watch a lot of James Brown videos. I think he mentioned a few times that real dancers don't caunt and think to much when theyre dancing, they just feel the rhythm and become the beat. thats what makes a real dancer. I think Michael is just blessed with this great talen, when the music starts his feet just start to move.
 
So i guess my Michael Jackson learn from watching others and make his own style from others bits and made his own.
 
not from one particular place.. he comes straight up from the school of hard knocks in dance.. He's been influenced by so many dances, styles, shows, dancers etc.. And it started being sculpted at the early age while performing in Gary.
 
KOPV said:
not from one particular place.. he comes straight up from the school of hard knocks in dance.. He's been influenced by so many dances, styles, shows, dancers etc.. And it started being sculpted at the early age while performing in Gary.
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wow this man has talent!! He knows what he knows because of the jackson ...yep
 
Michael has no formal training as a dancer, either basic or advanced. Learning steps from other dancers isn't training, so don't come here with that, lol. You can't learn to dance like Michael. You can learn steps, but you can't learn the kind of speed, control, lines or fluidity in putting steps together that he has. It has to be innate.
 
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ChineseMJacksonFan said:
Is there anyone who knows if he really practices ballet when he is young?
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I don't know about when he was young, but I'd love to see michael doing some ballet now. Especially if he was to wear those tights.:hysterical:

*pictures michael in this
mt10.jpg
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Give it up for the ballet:clapping:
 
James Brown, Jackie Wilson and Fred Astaire... I think.. and street dancers i suppose
 
I know one move in particular came from the movie Yankee Doodle Dandy. The one where he comes up on his toes after the spin is the one I'm talking about. Check out that movie and you will see Mike's famous move.

Ticie,
The JACKSONOLOGIST
 
No FORMAL training, his training has been studying, practicing, and being around some of the greats/talented dancers..

Pre-Motown he would study James Brown, Jackie Wilson on TV, learning those moves and styles.. Performing with his brothers also got him to learn many dance sequenced steps that you would see groups like the 'temptations' do.. When grouped together, they (primarily Joe) would put the set together and have Michael improvise his 'James Brown' moves into it..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux3joe0GdTA


Motown - durring Motown he was groomed even more in steps and styles that were out at the time.. Him doing his first robot on TV on soultrain in 1974 etc..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSfu9ekLwOU&feature=related


Mid 70's - This is where his dancing skills took off in a large way.. in 1976 they did the Jackson variety show that would have guests on the show all the time. Durring this time he would learn and venture out into other dance from people he was arround like The Nicholas Brothers, Rerun, and many others.. Michael would learn from them, ask them to come to his house and practice dance etc.. Nicholas Brothers for instance would choegraph a few tap performances for Michael and his family on the variety show..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eppLgX87v7Y

Late 1977-1980 - Of course a pivital part of Michaels dance was his big move to NEW YORK.. After moving to New York to work on 'The Wiz' he was introduced to 'Studio 54' which introduced him to a world that he was not really a part of before, he saw many new dances and dancers that caught his attention. And of course working on THE WIZ was the first time he danced with Broadway dancers, he learned many great things from them, taking his dancing even further.. Also while watching Soul Train he saw Jeffery Daniels perform and got a hold of him to teach Michael some moves.. Throughout this time aswell while in New York he learned about Broadway dancers, performers, and choreographers.. One of which he was introduced to by Liza Minelli was Bob Fosse. Michael loved how Fosse's dancers was able to bring that jazz dance with a sexual and seductive feel to it..

There on after, he just kept expanding and devoloping all areas.. You know we can't keep out what he learned from watching Fred Estaire, and other old classic films.. I'm going to cut the story here.. lol!

There is just A LOT that goes into it.. So much of what Michael does now is FROM these GREATS, more things from some than others. non the less Michael learned from them like a spunge and incorperated his favorite stuff from them and combined it together for ONE flawless dance style..

Telling the whole story, would be doing a full movie.. lol! it would take too long, but to give you an idea of insperations, here are some videos to view..

WATCH IN FULL - There are things here and there that are scattered around that you will see MJ style in.. Some more than others..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8mJsgPj1iU


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuwMHCrqTdE


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgDrJ5Z2rKw&feature=related
 
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Michael may have learned some of his moves from others but he's enhanced them and does them better. He also has his own moves which are undeniably out of this world. And to add you can't learn what michael does it's Truly A Gift, A Talent! No one comes lightyears close to what he is capable of. The Best Dancer there will Ever.....Ever, be! Michael Jackson.
 
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I think it's just mostly about the talent. I mean if you are really talented in something and you practice it like a nuts, like more than others (I don't mean Michael is nuts lol) you just become better than anyone else in your category. I think he practiced A LOT! But as a child it was still kinda "hobby" for them even thou it was hard work many times. Michael has just loved dancing so much.
 
Of course practice is involved, but innate talent is something that, no matter how much you work, you can't obtain or learn. You can learn how to execute the steps Michael does, but you cannot learn how to exectue them with the speed, precisian, grace and fluidity which Michael has. You take his brother Marlon, for example. He worked harder to learn the steps then Michael or any of his other brothers, he practiced more, yet he was never as good as Michael. Why? Because he doesn't have Michael's talent. And even in the 80s, he was trying to do Michael's steps, and you know he was working at it. Work is only half of it. Practice is what helps you to reach your full potential, but it won't create talent. Only nature can do that, and talent is the other and most important half. You can practice as much as you want, but if you don't have talent or you don't have a lot, you'll never be as good as someone with talent, even if you work harder. Another example is how Michael routinely out-dances his back up troups. Those people are trained, professional dancers who have worked at that particular profession all of their lives, have dedicated their lives to it, yet when they perform the same chorographey that Michael does, you can see how Michael has better lines, is faster and cleaner and connects his steps more seamlessly. That's talent vs. practice or training. Because you know his back up dancers have been able to dedicate more time to dance then Michael, who never recieved any kind of formal lessons or training and who has had to split his time between dance and being a professional vocalist. In fact, most of his time is no doubt spent working on being a recording artist.

There's an interview with Michael from around 74 or 75, he was talking to Don Cornelius from "Soul Train" and Don was saying how Michael danced a lot more before moving to Motown and Michael actually got defensive, well, as defensive as Michael could be back then, lol, and he said "I still dance a lot!" People didn't percieve him as being a dancer back then because he was controled by Motown and relugated to doing those ridiculous J5 routines. It wasn't until the late 70s and early 80s that Michael finally gained back control and was able to start showing what a freakishly good dancer he always was. You see it from that try out footage from Motown and some of his very early TV apperances. He was always an extremely gifted dancer. The most naturally gifted dancer I've ever seen.
 
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