Secret Of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” Forward Leaning Move

The late King of Pop pioneered dance moves that looked mechanical and weren’t, like the moonwalk, and at least one that looked mechanical and was: The forward-leaning manoeuvre from his “Smooth Criminal” video. The secret is all in the shoes.

Trying to lean beyond one’s centre of gravity normally leads to a giant, awkward step forward to retain balance, so to achieve the 45-degree angle he wanted, Michael and his dancers used special shoes as well as a trick in the stage floor. When the time came for the move, a peg-like aperture would protrude from the dance floor. The heel of the dancers’ shoes featured a triangular cut out that could be hitched onto the peg, anchoring the dancers to lean much farther forward, and thus blowing the world’s collective mind. [Boing Boing Gadgets]