Smooth Criminal as done by Fred Astaire
May 28th 2008 23:00
You absolutely MUST see this...
Kids my own age grew up with Michael Jackson being the dancer to end all dancers; the moonwalk, the zombie dance, the crazy Smooth Criminal tilt - we sat around for ages trying to replicate his moves.
"Smooth Criminal" was a big favourite... combining a wonderfully rich world, with slick editing and impressive costumes. The image of Jackson in that white suit has been firmly ingrained in our minds as the ultimate Michael Jackson video.
The style of the video was further immortalized in the video game "Moonwalker", which, apparently, used Jackson's hat as a weapon. Our not to reason why.
Unknown to me, but making a lot of sense is the idea that Jackson was heavily influenced by Fred Astaire, the Hollywood dance legend.
A Fred Astaire fan put together this brilliant music video of Jackson's "Smooth Criminal", synced to Fred Astaire's "The Band Wagon", a 1953 movie that shows exactly where the style of "Smooth Criminal" came from. Absolutely incredible:
Astaire's dance partner in red is Cyd Charisse... those glorious legs, those arms, the effortless grace with which she moves. Women in these old movies captured an otherworldly sense of elegance that seemed to lift them above the realm of mere mortals.
Oh, those legs! Oh my, those legs!
This video is one of the best that I've ever seen, I think, edited to match the video, Fred Astaire seems perfectly at home with that syncopated Jackson beat, and you can see the moves that Jackson ripped off. Slick stuff, worth watching over and over...
(found on BoingBoing)
*this image is from this Swedish girl's blog
Kids my own age grew up with Michael Jackson being the dancer to end all dancers; the moonwalk, the zombie dance, the crazy Smooth Criminal tilt - we sat around for ages trying to replicate his moves.
"Smooth Criminal" was a big favourite... combining a wonderfully rich world, with slick editing and impressive costumes. The image of Jackson in that white suit has been firmly ingrained in our minds as the ultimate Michael Jackson video.
The style of the video was further immortalized in the video game "Moonwalker", which, apparently, used Jackson's hat as a weapon. Our not to reason why.
Unknown to me, but making a lot of sense is the idea that Jackson was heavily influenced by Fred Astaire, the Hollywood dance legend.
A Fred Astaire fan put together this brilliant music video of Jackson's "Smooth Criminal", synced to Fred Astaire's "The Band Wagon", a 1953 movie that shows exactly where the style of "Smooth Criminal" came from. Absolutely incredible:
Astaire's dance partner in red is Cyd Charisse... those glorious legs, those arms, the effortless grace with which she moves. Women in these old movies captured an otherworldly sense of elegance that seemed to lift them above the realm of mere mortals.
Oh, those legs! Oh my, those legs!
This video is one of the best that I've ever seen, I think, edited to match the video, Fred Astaire seems perfectly at home with that syncopated Jackson beat, and you can see the moves that Jackson ripped off. Slick stuff, worth watching over and over...
(found on BoingBoing)
*this image is from this Swedish girl's blog
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Comment by Cheryl J
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Comment by Miss Natalie
I'm surprised i've never seen that movie..
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Astaire moves with a fluidity that most dancers dream of and the Cyd Charrise physique is timeless too.....loved the sets from these films, I don't think I will be able to watch them without recalling this clip now.
Cool stuff
Comment by Cibbuano
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JD - Don't get me started on Cyd Charisse.
yeah, great sets!
Comment by Selina
Sounds of Sydney
Awesome. It's amazing how much these guys influence hip hop/street funk, even as we know it today- in class i'll see a move demo-ed and can almost replay in my mind the section of the song which was playing during the move. haha.
Comment by Sarah White
coolgirlsar to the rescue
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Sarah.
Comment by Cibbuano
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sarah, Astaire was a one-of-a-kind...
Comment by Miswanderlust
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Ramble On
Hipnotherapy
Having a bit of the twinkle toes myself I absolutely adore this video. It is superb!
Mis
PS I wonder if it would work with the Alien Ant Farm Cover? (Not such a Micheal J fan)
Comment by D. Armenta
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Debate Fan
I happen to be an Astaire fanatic, have been since childhood. Michael Jackson was also an Astaire fanatic, and was lucky enough to get a few lessons out of him in the late 70s--Jackson was awestruck (and I don't blame him) by the dance legend and wangled his private phone number and struck up a friendship.
Cyd Charisse--like Astaire, the best of the best. No comparisons anywhere.
Here's a nerdy little fact for ya: although Charisse has the majority of the partner footage in this clip, there is another quick cameo of a dancer in there-(dark blonde with strapless long light-colored evening gown) who played a T.V. character you probably fantasized about as a kid.
Can you recognise her?