sssssSnake in the Grasssss

[TheBambieyes]

The first time you watch this clip, the similarities are pretty baffling though. Its not a question of "influence", MJ just plain copied the man.

[wolamalade]

@TheBambieyes aaah who cares the opinion of someone who knows NOTHING about dancing obviously. Didnt notice the moves from Astaire, Aston, Rogers even? Didnt notice the mambo and tango moves? Even Fred Astaire was dressed like that in the fifties in certain movies. Be better than this and don't insult the "best dancer the world has ever known" (by saying this, I'm only quoting Astaire by the way...I suppose you should google "Fred Astaire", to know who he is ?).

[TheBambieyes]

@wolamalade I surmise that you think that I insulted Fosse which I actually did not. I think Fosse is among the greats when it comes to dancing Im just expressing my opinion based on the relationship b/t snake in the grass and Micheal's overall style. What I was basically saying was that even though MJ did blatantly copy Fosse, I dont care b/c their talent was out of this world. Before you insult people's intelligence try re-reading the comment & make sure you interpret it correctly

[TheBambieyes]

I seriously doubt the watchers of Motown 25 knew about Bob's Snake in the Grass performance. So what Micheal blatantly copied Fosse?! Who cares?! Im pretty sure he did with the utmost respect, plus, he introduced Fosse to a generation & demographic who otherwise might not have known him. At least he did him justice. They would both dance the snot outta performers of today :)

[MsJp301]

Bod Fosse - genius!

[dreamwheasler]

i love how he sprinkles some sand to do a little soft shoe

[idbvcd]

look vary close at 3:47

[idbvcd]

my most fav song ever

[bluflutterbys]

That kid is so friggin adorable, and he's totally werqin the Labyrinth look.

[lukestur]

I read this book in my French class...amazing, a classic...and we're watching the movie...and seriously, this movie sucks. The only entertaining part--besides Gene Wilder--is this. Fosse is SO GOOD. He's so talented, it's entertaining just to watch him move...

[tpttpt324]

@lukestur we are currently reading it and watched the movie a few days ago....im like in love with this part...and gene wilders bit...."will you play with me?" ".....no"

[pennydesouza]

I'd never seen this before - it's BRILLIANT!

[dessay1]

BOBBY? Yeah? THE most brilliant! SO often imitated.

This clip's a smidgen of his enormous wealth/contribution to the dance world>

BOBBY's leacy? Hmmm. try to fill those shoes and Verdon's and Reinkings ......

[Orionleo]

For some reason, I feel like he's not really speaking. Is someone dubbing over him? Just curious.

[MarkyMat23]

My GOSSSHHH! 5:35 to 5:40 is EPIC! TRULY A LEGEND!

[TheBambieyes]

@ 1:14 wen fosse pointed downward, that did it 4 me, I was lik "yeah thats Micheal". come on! who else hav you seen do that point thingy other than MJ. Not sayin MJ wasnt good in his own right; he was a tru artist. Any1 whose studied art of any form knows that the greatest of artists hav borrowed frm their predecessors. MJ took jus a cue from the best nd made it his own....he admited it, so wat? Great minds think alike...

[tenshi141]

one ssstinnnnnnng!



[TheEquationSlayer]

lol! This might just be the funniest video I've seen on YT.

[WikiSorcerer]

I could do without the heavy hissing.

[AnaNord]

Michael said himself: always study the greatest. He obviously have been inspired by Bob Fosse, and other dancers. He developed his own Michael-style.

[over9000bottlecaps]

is he telling that little girl to shoot up some heroin?

[52hello25]

@over9000bottlecaps LMAO! first, that's a little BOY. second, he's telling him that he can kill him with one bite since he's a snake. but i can kinda see how you might think its about heroin.

[mogroovee]

@over9000bottlecaps It seems that way at first and that could be a hidden meaning since this movie is from the 70's but if you go beyond that the snake symbolizes death. The boy represents innocence and he doesn't realize the snake can kill him. The snake is letting him know if he wants out he can make that happen and send him on his way to heaven "one sting and you'll discover just how relaxed you can be posthumously". Both the dance and the lyrics are very symbolic just like the book : )

[thebigpie]

why can't guys dance in a manly, heterosexual way?

[Christopher89123]

@thebigpie First of all... what exactly is a "manly, heterosexual way?" Second.... who appointed you YouTube's dance critic? If you personally don't like the way someone dances, salvation can be found in the red "X" in the upper right hand corner.

[ConRyan107]

@Christopher89123 I think the so called manly, heterosexual way of dancing he is talking about is dry humping anything with breast, an ass, and a vagina.

[lexflex81]

@thebigpie yeah, ok...you go ahead and dance "manly" and see how many girls choose your style over the Bob Fosse style. SMMFH

[dancinman17]

@thebigpie  YOU will show us??

[Tinaruon]

5:35 Powerslide!

[KendraEMoyer]

Can't get enough of Fosse and can't believe how much he influenced my dancing and fashion.

[abo1121]

1:07☆☆☆☆☆

[SL1999]

Its all clear to me now............

[Charisse709]

I'm inspired by a number of great people but no-one inspires me more than this man. I think his work revolutionised dance. I've never seen him dance before, this is a treat. Thank you for posting this. :)

[queenagi]

I checked the choreographer of Little Prince. And I got what I expected: Ronn Forella and Bob Fosse. I can bet that Mr. Forella made the choreography for the whole film, and Mr. Fosse made that for his own dance. This dance was so him! And I could not imagine he would have been willing to let anybody else chip on his work!

[Nonettegetz]

@queenagi : I bet the same! :-)

[bandgeek316]

Aaah the Bob Fosse hand-twirl

[JustBeingAnthony]

1:37 pedobear approves

[ZEEMADMAN]

Bob Fosse is Brilliant at Selling the Snake!

The Devil Must Ask Permission before He can Bite You! Funny!

First Rule for Dealing With the Devil? Don't!

It's always a Trick of some sort. Sssorrry. I thought the Deal was Very Clear.

I also Love when the Devil shows up in the Latest High End Sports Car! Prototypes. The Cops can never catch them & He/She plays with them. They always have Gorgeous Women or Men around. Plus they always need Your last two dollars for gas money!

[TheMJDalton]

Bob Fosse is just incredibly talented with an amazing sense of esthetics.

[daffydocone]

IT'S FOOOOSSE TIME, "SWEET CHARITY", CABARET, ALL THAT JAZZ............, ME AND MY BEST PAL JACK (DANIEL'S) FOR THE WEEKEND.!!

[Jayjen35]

Good grief what idiots voted dislike on this!!??

[ricardoquinones]

Try doing that form of dance to...... heavy metal! Anybody?

[GothicDancer13]

No one can ever out do Bob Fosse.

[001squeeze]

Dang! It's dern near the Billie Jean video!!!

[tattoogrl1]

masterful! For half a second I did think t was MJ

[tinytrent]

They just referenced this on SYTYCD, so I had to look it up. I have to say, Bob Fosse is SMOOTH! This choreography is snake-like without being corny. Almost reminiscent of a bull-fighter at some points. I couldn't stop watching.

[Jeanniez5]

@tinytrent That's exactly why I looked this up too...that's funny. He is an awesome choreographer. I saw MJ in the snake too. That was cool!

[Layla079]

@tinytrent I am glad I wasn't the only one to looked this up after SYTTYCD :) Sooo smooth right, I bet Alex will get it.

[broadwayloverny10]

@Layla079 yes i looked at bob fosse because i say SYTYCD

[8mycrab]

I had to come back and watch this again. Fosse was absolutely BRILLIANT.

This is amazing. And yes Michael studied the greats like any smart entertainer before or after him would. Fosse is using flamingo, jazz, ballet...all kinds of moves here. Lovers of the arts..true lovers of anything really.. are sponges and will soak up everything.

[thefonkykid]

@8mycrab Michael Jackson "studied the greats"?? LOL! Mj just copy them, MJ never mentioned Bob Fosse, the best dancer ever!

[8mycrab]

@thefonkykid You didn't read my 1st comment did you.

Bob mentored Michael.

And yes I agree Bob was a better dancer than Michael.

If you had asked Michael that question he would have given you the same answer. There is video on here where Michael Flatley said that Michael would greet him with, "So how's the Greatest Dancer in the World doing?" Michael knew there were better dancers out there.

[8mycrab]

@8mycrab Everyone gets ideas from everyone else.

What if the fans of the first person who danced dressed in a tux with top hat and cane bashed every other performer that did that after him? Or the person that invented the pirouette?

It sounds to me by Bob's comment that he was an encouraging coach to Michael. He didn't feel like Michael was stealing from him.

[MsReeReeChiq]

@8mycrab

I'm glad you mentioned this quote, because I was very concerned. I looked all over the internet for information about Michael and Bob and never found anything that linked them directly. I know Michael always spoke of Fred Astaire and James Brown. I'm glad to know that he did acknowledge Fosse too.

[8mycrab]

'I complained that I had not stayed on my toes like I'd wanted on Motown 25, Bob Fosse told me later, "Michael, it's never the steps that are important. It's the style". Moonwalker by Michael Jackson'

[yokeelee]

I am deathly afraid of snakes, but this is awesome dancing from Bob Fosse. I never knew Michael Jackson mimic moves from this man. MJ had so many favorites from b4 his time.

[19daniel49]

Super!!

[neanie90210]

i think from memory MJ did mention Bob Fosse in his auto bio...aswell as a couple of others...will have to go check it i think...

[MsReeReeChiq]

Michael hadn't acknowledged Bob Fosse as he had Fred Astaire, as far as I know. If he hadn't acknowledged Fosse, he ripped off Fosse. Fosse does those moves with more grace and class than Michael. Michael was really filthy and offensive with all of that crotch-grabbing. I love Michael, but he should have given credit where it was due. I barely recognize any Astaire in Michael's style. Michael's signature style comes from Bob Fosse and Jeffrey Daniels.

[hntaineko]

So many people say this person ripped off that dancer etc. A choreographer teaches dance. What possible reason is there for not being inspired and using their moves? That is after all what a choreographer does - They lend their moves to the rest of the world, sometimes to better dancer than themselves! Surely a choreographer is delighted to see their legacy growing and growing like this? I sure would be!

It must be inspiring for the chorepgraphers to see when others do their styles so well!

[hugoiwata]

One sting

Is quite enough

To make you happy

And free

One sting

And you'll discover

How relaxed you can be

Posthumously

[InkyBroadwayGal]

Fosse was a revolutionary and a god! His contribution to the world of dance and musical theater will never be forgotten. RIP

[TheChelseaNYC]

I absolutely sooooo agreeeeee with you!

[elysiumlady]

so anyone else notice that michael jackson seems to have jacked all his moves from this clip......SERIOUSLY

[fffff409]

jacked is a strong word. everyone is influenced by someone in one way or another. this just shows michael's appreciation for great talent... fosse probably gained his influence from fred astaire and so on. so get a grip and get the stick out of your ass for just a second.

[hntaineko]

@fffff409 By someone liking something you do and trying to be just as good as you, they bring your world to 100 extra people, and it starts a chain reaction. I completely agree that saying people "steal" moves is a bit strong, as choreographers WANT to give dance to people, not constrict it. Dance is for everyone. If you do a move I invented, I'm not gonna call you a thief! I'll be delighted that people like my work, and I am sure Fosse thought the same!

[Malacki]

I used to be frightened by the snake. Heck, I still am.

[ChickenCrossing]

omg 4:54 pure genius!

[wickedfeylady]

Ok, the subject of the song is creepy. The sinisous dancing in front of a little boy is creepy...but Bob still kicks ass. And he's a little sexy as the snake. Yeah, I said it!

[MsReeReeChiq]

@wickedfeylady I don't think he was sensually dancing. He was dancing with the slithery quality of a snake.

[fosseniles]

FOSSE WAS THE GREATEST!!!!!

[rennightingale]

I love Bob Fosse... btw, he's been choreographing since the 1950's.

[LP1995XL]

i remember this place from holes the movie

[violenthues]

MJ deff made the dancing more sexier. lol.

This was awesome to watch though.

[pewmanfustudios]

That slide was awesome!

[AnaNord]

Watch the origins to moonwalk:

watch?v=fxZcLWAmdco

So even Bob Fosse did nothing new here.

[AnaNord]

Careful people. Michael Jackson has said himself that one have to study the "masters" to be a good dancer. He was a relative young dancer in modern time. He was like a tornado on stage, he grabbed his croach, he dancet bally, he had tons of his own moves. It is obvious and not surprising he studied guys like Astaire, Sinatra and Fosse, they were "his" masters. He developed his unique style and became the one we love and miss, the King of Pop, Michael Jakson.

[mchc715]

I guess it was nice that this man influenced MJ. Still, the video was painful to watch....argh.

[Timelessmovieprop]

Wow... This guy got several michael jackson moves and it appear micheal Jackson taking up several of these moves to him self. Do we know if there was any type of colaboration or if ever Bob have confronted this fact before?

Most interesting. How he tilts the hat and how he moves his body... most similar.

[bunsmalloy]

What's with the pelvic thrust in the kids face at 2:06? I guess Mike borrowed more than just dance moves!!

[isurus]

i may have heard of bob fosse once, but i cant really remember. so good! real men can DANCE!

[shiggityx2]

This clip was 4 minutes too long.

[mjstone323]

Amazing dancer, amazing choreography (not surprised it's Bob Fosse) - and yes, many similarities. I can even see the proto-type for MJ's moonwalk in there. Very sexy dancing - kind of shocking considering who he's dancing for. But... he *is* a snake ;)

Eh - you naysayers need to put on some glasses. We all stand on the shoulders of giants - MJ was no different. He did take the moves and make them his own - no one's contesting that.

[hmz3000]

this is hit, mj was million times better

[collodiallofi]

a pain in the ass more like

[Poeticpecan]

anybody who doesn't see the similarities in some of these moves doesn't know dance... Michael didn't invent dance.. he learned from his predecessors and added his expertise, just like everybody who's out today learned from him..

there's even a lil moon walk at 5:00.. Michael was brilliant.. but he wasn't a GOD.. relax people.. he's allowed to be influenced by others.. especially the greats who came before him

[ddchil41]

@Poeticpecan Michael was influenced very much by Fred Astaire, (Smooth Criminial), Jackie Wilson, James Brown, and Bob Fosse.  Michael's brilliance was in being able to 'borrow' certain moves and looks, and add his own magic to it, to make the dance uniquely his own. That is what all great artists do.. in music, art, dance. One stands on the shoulders of those who come before. And MJ was about the most exciting performer I ever saw...and I have seen almost everyone.

[eXcommunicate1979]

This is the weirdest shit ever.

[scissorswipe25]

"this guy"...isn't just any guy...he's Bob Fosse. probably one of the most brilliant choreographers EVER. of course MJ emulated him. plus, he wore a hat and gloves in just about everything he worked on cause he went bald at 17 and hated his hands. MJ probably idolized this guy.

[Nonettegetz]

@scissorswipe25 : I agree. Bob Fosse was a genius. Not only a brilliant choreographer, but a fantastic dancer. He had to quit because of he suffered from asthma. Of course, Michael Jackson shows his own geniality by picking Fosse as a model.

[robynsegg]

@scissorswipe25: & Also, a lot of MJ's moves were Fossesque (to coin a phrase)!  lol!

[Stangen18]

however says that mj copied this is a fuckin idiot, that was garbage

[chiminox]

Why the denial? Michael took the best from others and created his own style. Stop being fanatic.

[mimismith]

your fucking right man

he took james brown move made it his own

[evomatic]

Many undeniable similaritiies...the leg kick at 4:07 for example. MJ borrowed from this guy but did it way better..

Watching this video was the longest 6 minutes of my life...and maybe creepiest.

[evilgrayson79]

Thanks for making me laugh. I was looking for special things and found them in your statements. I agree, dumb things are not special, not special at all. Jackson did obviously rip off at least 4 of that guys signature snake moves.

[fichenfichenfichenfi]

not only did he steal the dance moves from that weird man, but also the creepy pedophilia .

[katlizard21]

inspiration is not the same as theft

[werewoofer]

thats unbearable to watch. that song is sophomoric sounding and that soulless, funkless dance that snake does sssssssssucks.

[SomRandomUserName]

Did you guys ever go to a ballet? There's nothing special about this guy's dance moves, except that he wears clothes similar to Jackson.

[teekoo777]

"Did you guys ever go to a ballet?"

No.. no we didn't do ballet

[rodecm]

First MoonWalk @ 5:01...

[aegisgfx]

Michael Jackson got a 30 year career by ripping this dude off. Amazing.

I will not comment on the young boy.

[samerziadeh]

rofl

[desmone1]

.... yeah this guy is a way better dancer than MJ..........

even if MJ did get inspired by this guy, he completely blows him out of the water.

this guy sucks

[tiaxone]

Lets not forget Michael Jackson career was largely based on his music.

[fichenfichenfichenfi]

no, he was in the disney line of business. His career was largely based off of making little girls ginies tingle. His music sucked.

[TonyMo]

First of all, to suggest that Jackson's "thirty year" career was based solely on the handful of moves in this clip is beyond ridiculous. Second, this isn't "ripping off," it's inspiration at work it's been going on in the arts forever. To say Jackson "ripped off" Fosse is to say Tarantino "ripped off" Kurasawa or Jack White is "ripping off" Robert Johnson or anyone writing crime fiction is ripping off Raymond Chandler.

[aegisgfx]

Well since his shtick didn't change much in 30 years I don't give Jackson much credit for being a 'creative genius' like some people do. I will say he milked that one dance move for about 300 million dollars, and we let him get away with that. So we are the stupid ones.

If he were smart, he would have made a few million off his first couple of albums and then spent the next 25 years in therapy for his psychological problems.

[goobernutz]

Why is the swamp sleazy? I've never heard of such a thing. I think they were at a loss for S words. But it just doesn't work.

[EclecticDance]

Bob Fosse was just the greatest! And, I love The Little Prince. Thanks for posting! :-)

Featured this clip on my blog, EclecticDance, in a post about Fosse.

[kinneyboy90]

MICHEAEL JACKSON!