Bob Fosse Michael Jackson Pas de Deux

[saminnyc]

Artist "borrow" from other artist. Fosse "borrowed" from vaudeville. Current artists "borrow" from MJ. That's art. But what makes Fosse and MJ great as that whatever they did they made it come alive and authentic.

[1953swb]

Child prodigies, as MJ was, spend the first 10-12 years imitating the masters. No artist develops in a vacuum. Bob Fosse was splendid, and so was Michael Jackson.

[DancingDukess]

Awesome video, but it's not simply "inspiration" when Michael Jackson's entire look and repertoire of dance moves came from Bob Fosse. He was just a cheap and repetitive version of Fosse.

[candygourlay]

@DancingDukess Oh I wouldn't say that. He was a great fan of Fosse, in fact he recorded 'Morning Glow', a song from the Fosse musical Pippin. They may well have talked dance at some point or another.

[ricoco1]

I have been a Fosse fan for many years, this is an eye opener...

[tinymavy]

Fred Astaire--->Bob Fosse---> Michael Jackson

[robynsegg]

I like to think that they're dancing together in heaven!

[kimo9449]

oh shit

[35quique]

Michael was saying in interviews that they admired and was inspired by great artists like Gene Kelly. James Brown ..... Michael left his mark, and Bob Fosse as follows.

Wonderful !!!!

[PoetGerri]

Wow! How awesome. It is clear from this clip and many others I've seen of Bob Fosse dancing that Michael was definitely influence by him. One master learning from the other. Thank for this video!

[blackaristo]

Thesis, antithesis, synthesis, that is what Michael did. He studied the masters from African dance to contemporary dance like Fosse, put it all in a blender and we got MICHAEL JACKSON! Now, the young ones are emulating HIM. There will never be another Michael!

I wonder if these two men ever met?

[mpny]

I cant believe what I just watched - Amazing! Thanks for sharing this!!

[Nancy4591]

The only thing I know about Bob Fosse is Cabaret. But Holy Shit! I didnt know he danced like that! Amazing! I think I did read Michael was influenced by him. I can see it now.

[mogroovee]

Love this! Thanks for putting it together. Fosse was inspired by Fred Astaire and Jerome Robbins who choreographed On The Town and West Side Story. You can totally see that here but like Jackson he took jazz dance to another level.

[hhn1000]

Michael may have taken dancing lessons with BF. He was a mast dance stylist. Both were fine performers.

[abalaity]

Just watched All that Jazz for the first time after I Wiki'd Cabaret which I watched for the umph time this weekend. Finally putting all the dots together. Cabaret, Chicago, All that Jazz and thanks to this video another of my favorites MJ. At 51 I am blessed that all this occurred in my lifetime. Little did I know that Bob Fosse was the link. He clearly was one of the most talented choreographers ever and his footprint will forever be stamped his musical history. Thank you Bob!

[candygourlay]

@abalaity me too! me too! i loved cabaret, chicago, all that jazz, pippin ... all fosse musicals. he's one of a kind!

[Maher890]

Michael Jackson is a genuis because he watched genuises, many of them, and put together all that inspired him to form his own dance! His own style! This is what makes genius great because they watch the greats and practice hard, vary hard to be like them and the next thing they know is that they have become masters of their craft, just like their the people they admired.

To have talent like Michael Jackon or Bob Fosse or anybody else takes 10,000 plus hours of practice and most of all passi

[nellyei]

credit to Bob Fosse, but i'd prefer to watch MJ over Bob Fosse

[candygourlay]

I just discovered that Michael Jackson covered Morning Glow and Cornere of the Sky, a song from Bob Fosse's little appreciated musical Pippin back in 1973 - there definitely was a connection between those two!

[AnaNord]

Bob Fosse was probably the greatest in his time. I am also proud to say he is half norwegian/irish, born in USA. Michael was a young modern dancer in our time, there had been so many great dancers before him. One could see he had the dance-talent, he danced himself and jackson5 into Motown? only 10 years old. Watching videos with little Michael from he was a child, you'll see he already had the moves. He had the rythm. He was later inspired by several dancers, and Bob Fosse was one of them.

[sprtan007]

it IS pretty cool to see some of MJs influence, but he added his own spark to the dance moves, really turning into HIS dance

[oliviaolas]

this is an awesome maship. two great dancers and the little prince is so wonderfully weird, like mj. I have very little patience for him but the influences is obvious.

[electronictrip]

Is anyone else creeped out at the fact that Fosse's raw, sexual, super-duper intensely sensual dance is performed in front of a very young boy? the dance is over the top hot, but at times i was grossed out , not by Fosse's dance, but that there's little kid involved!

it's shocking how much Jackson danced like Fosse. Jackson's style is like James Brown meets Bob Fosse .

[robynsegg]

I believe that they are together again up there in heaven dancing up a storm!

[intresseklubben]

love it

[Beauj4ngles]

MJ also took things from Sinatra, Astaire, Kelly, Brown and others and transformed it into his own way. See how fast and crisp he made the leg angles look compared to Fosse. MJ is the man thats why

[eleiordache]

ok guys

let's talk about the unique person (genius) he was:

1 i just can't wait until someone come here and just say that ''earth song'' is an inspiration from someone or to someone

2 superbowl 1993

3 the shoes made special from smooth criminal

4 the short films

5 we are the world

[hhn1000]

Fosse was an original and he was famous for his choreography and for his influence on other dancers. Maybe Michael credited him when he first did this dance. But I don't suppose you can "copyright" a dance.

[Dulcimerist]

I just watched The Little Prince, and totally freaked out when I saw the Snake! It's cool to see others saw this similarity and made videos comparing them! :)

[eMJaeTV]

wow never expected this one, omg changes things big time

[shiira24]

I love Bob Fosse's dance next to Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire... ^__^

And all of them have been a great and wonderfull influence for Michael's choreographies,'cause he was really elegant and perfect dancing

[hhn1000]

Bob Fosse was the most famous dancer and choreogrpher of the last 50 years in the "pop" field (as opposed to ballet). And there's much on here about him.

You may want to find his Sweet Charity video here on youtube.

[reeceewing]

everybody weather creative or not is influence by someone. That is how things are handed down and passed forward.

[jyso25]

oh who cares, MJ was the best to ever do it

[melissarose8585]

I can just see a young Michael Jackson dancing in his living room to old Fosse movies. He did learn from one of the best, but he always put his own flavor into it. I'm just glad people still look at Fosse's techniques and see his originality.

[remnow]

Amazing thanks for opening my eyes to how much MJ did bite fosse.

[happysouthpaw]

No genius can jump over the past greats. He/she must pass through. And so they bring with them the residue of the past masters. In every masterpiece of originality one can find the influence of the teacher.

[embolicat]

Wow!

Fosse was indeed an original!

[980graziella]

C'est génial que ce document puisse mettre en valeur cet homme formidable que j'ai toujours trouvé très enthousiaste à l'idée de transmettre sa passion pour la Chorégraphie...Il respire , transpire tout cela...

[rcocenzo]

Bob Fosse. Fred Astaire. Charles Chaplin. Elvis Presley. James Brown. The Lockers. Jeffrey Daniel. Electric Bugaloo.

That´s why he was the most complete dancer/artist from all time.

[aa70queen01]

Wow, I'm not sure what to think! I mean, I love MJ but I didn't know that half of his moves were not original! I just hope he gave credit to the originators...go Fosse!

RIP MJ.

[feroxcvpiditas]

Really fascinating! I had no idea Jackson was influenced by Fosse. To quote Oscar Wilde: "Talent imitates, genius steals." A wonderful example of the evolution of artistry.

[feroxcvpiditas]

Fascinating. Thanks for posting!

[ACinDorset]

Wow. Superb vid. I wish it could be longer - footage of all those great dance moves. Well done.

[miamired1]

Let me add that what I did not like about the video is that you need to let the viewer decide for themselves. I think that a similar video that is void of opinion is more tasteful and effective.

[miamired1]

I do not think that this is direspectul to Michael Jackson. Bob Fosse was well known but his populartity was no where near that of MJ's.

I see Fred Astaire influences through Gene Kelly's work but I don't think that it could be argued that each was a great preformer unto themselves.

Let's embrace it all.

[hhn1000]

Each talented, in their own way.

Bob Fosse was amazing.  He had a long career as dancer, choreographer, actor and director. He was a major influence in broadway musicals and films over a period of several decades. The film "All That Jazz" was a bio of of Fosse; if you haven't seen it, you should.

[oneydee]

EVERYBODY in the 20/21 centuries borrows from the masters of the past. A great man once said..."There is nothing new under the sun."

[GIQUE900]

Well Michael Jackson obviously admired and respected Bob Fosse. I mean he immulated his moves as well as his wardrobe style - the all black outfit with high pants, white socks, gloves and hat. Bob Fosse was great so at least MJ took his ideas from the best. There are still a lot of MJ's own touches in his dances. And he did have a natural ability to dance. That, you can't teach.

[msdogooder]

Love it Fosse and Jackson!! :-)

[thebadthinker2]

oh my god, bob fosse is pure magic...

[TheEdumacator]

Wow. very good.

[reddragoninuyasha]

@thefonkykid the idea my not have been original but Michael took them and made them his own with many variations. Michael is also very original because every music video he did had never been done before like thriller a music/movie or smooth criminal with the lean in full light or black or white with the morphing of different races. So don't u dare say that Michael Jackson is not original.

[Renatabailarina]

Na verdade seria Duo e não Pas de Deux!!!

[thefonkykid]

There is a big difference between a influenced and a thief, MJ was a thief, he took the soul of James Brown, the Fosse moves, Prince's music innovations and the Motown machinery to turn himself into a "artist". MJ din't do anything new, he just copy.

Michael Jackson was no original at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[misspinkoriginal]

@thefonkykid I think james brown, foose an prince are very different. They are. Prince's music was innovative but Mj did not use it. Prince was very sexual with his music and went from low to high and high to low with his voice. mj didn't do that. Mj was motivated by James Brown. That is not taking anything. Mj reacted from James Brown. As for Fosse, Fosse is more jazz and ballerina. He mimed with his movement. And Mj's moves were illusions. but they were more clean cut, popping, body flow.

[misspinkoriginal]

@thefonkykid the shoes are not the same. Those are not fosse's socks. its part of his shoes, dance shoes looked like that back then or formal shoes. For many years. I did not see the point of the black and white dance since it did not look similar to any of MJ's moves. MJ did do new things. He made a movie-music video, He started pop dance, he started having dances in m.v. and showing a story. He started trends. He sent messages of what happening to the world. He was magical.......

[misspinkoriginal]

@thefonkykid he didn't give the soul james brown gave. He gave his own soul. He didn't give the music prince gave, definitely not. lol He showed those moves in a different way and different rythm and motion. MJ has said the moves derive from jazz and broadway.

[8mycrab]

"Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the Creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of an eye but the dance lives on ..." From Dancing the Dream by Michael Jackson

[97jrobbins]

Michael Jackson took influence from many different sources - michael's genius was in how he used the movements - some of wich had been out of fashion for decades, how he made them work with the music, and how he brought it all into the mainstream

[rbound827]

@97jrobbins  Same thing Elvis Presley did, and many other great artists.

[maltesedogs]

I dont think that MJ ever mentioned being influenced by Bob Fosse even once. WOW, I am baffled. I thought MJ was the creature of all these moves. I am floored.

[misspinkoriginal]

@maltesedogs He mentioned his moves are derived from jazz and broadway. Bob fosse it part of those categories. and mime. I think he was in his list of his favorites. I might be in his book Moonwalker.

[sandiegoactress]

The Art of Influence.

[epdeux]

Dicen, que Bob, dijo a Michael que era heredero de sus movimientos, asi su pe yo, quizas dos magos del arte inimibles, ya que son similares no identicos, Bob genial como coreografo, Michael unico como artista integral del movimiento y su magia musical., es mi humilde opinion.

[rstar2008]

MJ's appeals lies in the fact that he can SING and DANCE. I mean REALLY sing and dance.

[misspinkoriginal]

@rstar2008 what do u mean?

[janet060948]

Michael Jackson always admitted that he was influenced by the greats. Just watch the dancing of Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and James Brown. He even said that he learned the Moonwalk from children dancing in the street. I don't think there is any dancing legend that won't admit they were inspired by another. Just take a look at how many people MJ has inspired. It staggers the mind.

[danieldevice]

nice work, whoever made this clip. nice one.

[hhn1000]

Fosse was great. I like that MJ incorporated some of Fosse into his routines.  He may have seen the film with Fosse was came out about 1974.

[hotjavacool]

What an eye you have!! Absolutely brilliant! Well done.

[thecatatemyhomework]

Every great artist is influenced by sombody else. It's what you do with it, and what Michael did with it was nothing short of genius. It was genius X 10000000000.

[porterhouse1974]

Fosse was accused of stealing his style form Jack Cole...it's all influences...that's what dance is.

[MrsNdao24]

YOU DID A GREAT JOB! THIS IS AWESOME!

[Ladysugarshaft]

Go Bob Fosse!

Awesome Video;-)

Love you MJ!

[seadawgg65]

Yeah! Bob Fosse as The Snake in "The Little Prince" 1974 vs. Michael Jackson in the 1980's!

[KahnBB6]

Fosse was seminal. Jackson loved "The Little Prince" and undoubtedly studied all he could from any film Fosse appeared in. He did make those moves his own and took the classic Fosse poses and song-halting traits successfully into pop music performance. Not a whole lot of this on Broadway or in pop music any longer, sadly.

[eCoverSource]

I had no idea what an influence fosse has had, what a talent

[smrpflanders]

em far enough jackson learned from the best but he didnt do it better....it took many things from bob fosse and put his own twist on them....like cunningham still used gramhan in his pieces he jus added his style to it....

[michaele349]

he might of done it better but he should have gave credit where credit was due. Not doing so is not cool at all...!!! he capitalized on something that was already established...

[jellric]

Everyone stands on the shoulders of others. MJ made those moves his own.

Nothing new under the sun.

[girlscott411]

Michael Studied the best and did it BETTER!!!!

[Vanee2012]

michael copion

[Fashion4life]

@bbyr1 I agree with what you're saying but I think the twists and turns comes from watching James Brown and Jackie wilson..Bob Fosse is great but is more of a broadway dancer and MJ got a lot inspiration from there but dont forget all the Motown dancer he saw while growing up! Peace n love :) great video btw

[CTSpeed413]

TAP was a good movie!

check netflix! :)

This was a nice mix!

[ITalkTheTruth]

Great video. Mj was always an artist who always took from the past and reinvented it into his era in his own style.

[KeepTrue56]

Yeah Michael was always looking at other greats stuff and then pioneering it into his own persona and style. Like Bob fosse wasnt the first one to wear bowler hats, Fred astaire and charles chaplin did it before fosse, but Fosse, chaplie, astaire, jacksons, etc all added their own flavor.

They all had idols then created their own merit.

[misspinkoriginal]

@KeepTrue56 EXACTLY THEY SEPERATED THEMSELVES FROM EACH OTHER. But beyonce didn't do that with single ladies. Three girls, same exact moves, same style of motion. MJ didn't have the same style, persona, and style of motion as Fosse nor James Brown. They seperated themselves from each other. Same for most pop artist today, Well, gaga, they havent seperated themselves from the legends.

[managerka]

Did anyone see the movie TAP with Gregory Hines and

Sammy Davis Jr. Check it out if you haven't. Those guys were great! I think Sandman Sims is in it as well. I am sure

MJ saw it. So inspirational

[Sistererica]

So he stole it from Fosse step for step, practically. Should have known, Fosse always used a hat. I'm not saying stolen in a bad way.

[candygourlay]

oh i would never say he stole it. i did pick and mix when i assembled the video.

[managerka]

Did anyone see the movie TAP with Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr? Check it out Those guys were great!

 I think Sandman Sims is in it and others as well.

I am sure MJ saw it. So inspirational.

[candygourlay]

i saw that a long time ago. wonder if it's on youtube. must go check.

[Redfooser89]

@Sistererica I agree with candy. Tons of choreogrpahers have used Fosse's sexy elegant styled dance moves. Mj just used that style to bring into the pop generation.

[misspinkoriginal]

@Redfooser89 It's not really the same style. Mj really brought his own moves to pop. Fosse was mime, jazz, and ballerina like. MJ is soul, freestyle, pop, robotic, and clean cut. Most of the moves are not even that much similar. But I see how it is quite similar. However, the moves serve a different purpose. Nothing is really new under the sun. But you can show something differently under the sun.

Bob fosse and beyonce was same exact. Now that is copying. three girls, same moves

[misspinkoriginal]

@Sistererica thats a charlie chaplin hat btw. its not really that similar. i'm a very detailed person so I can see that. look at my previous comments on here. I explained it.

[DryTung]

I usually don't like these mashups, but this clip does a great job of showing Bob's influences on MJ. Thanks.

[candygourlay]

thanks, Dry Tung.

[bbyr1]

MJ learned from the greats and then took it to another stratospheric level. He said "The Greatest Education Is Watching The Masters At Work" He was the best of the best!!

[AvidActress007]

Michael always said he was inspired by the greats, and this is a perfect example of how closely he studied the technique and greatness of others and applied it to his own act. Michael Jackson was an absolute genius as a performer and an incredible pupil, and Bob Fosse was a brilliant, brilliant man.

[klassic8]

Also recognize that not only that Mj use tap , jazz mxed in with his dance but Poppin and lockin were also 2 major influences... the last cuts from blame it on the boogie were NOT fosse those were black dance feels which you will see on soul train ...look into fred astaire , gene kelly , james brown and several other Mj was obviously great but people he learned from are just as talented in my eyes

[candygourlay]

thanks for the thoughtful comment. Don't you wish someone would make a film about this?

[klassic8]

@candygourlay I do , i wish there was a movie purely based on the dancers that shaped what we see now not the singers..cause they are a vry small part of the picture

[iliveintimbuktoo]

I've just transferred my love to Fosse btw.

[iliveintimbuktoo]

If MJ announced publicly that he was a huge fan of Bob Fosse then my full appreciation of MJ will be partially reinstated. 

Watching the full Snake in the Grass number was a real awakening! I feel I've been duped!

Love your video. Brilliant. TY

[candygourlay]

michael jackson's influences included a broad range of tap and jazz dancing from way way back. there's a video somewhere on youtube that shows this but i couldn't find it to share with you. at least MJ kept all those moves alive.

[candygourlay]

watch 'Origins of the Moonwalk'

[iliveintimbuktoo]

Well, I'm afraid I thought MJ had created his moves and of course I was so impressed! I think millions of people still think that MJ was an original in terms of his dancing.

This caused me to vow not to see the new MJ movie. I wouldn't give a dime to the big rip off machine.

[candygourlay]

@iliveintimbuktoo i saw the movie - it's worth seeing even if only to see what goes into putting on a massive show like they planned. and the talent of the back up dancers and singers was awesome - i felt so sorry that they didn't get to perform after all the energy they put into the show.

[SouthernWonderWoman]

@iliveintimbuktoo Grow up! And the movie was good...

[8mycrab]

@iliveintimbuktoo '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". From Moonwalk by Michael Jackson (talking to him about his first performance of Billie Jean)'

[draivableCj]

@iliveintimbuktoo no he jsut knew the moves but new how make them look like something modern all dancers have done tht dancing dont jsut take focus and strength it takes imagination and yu put yur style in it but old skool and new skool

[dz4shzy]

@iliveintimbuktoo Seriously? Have you never heard the saying "Imitation is the greatest form of flattery."? It rings true and I promise you Fosse, being a choreographer and dance lover, had no problem with beings MJ's influence. After all, everybody is inspired by somebody. Fosse himself was influenced by Fred Astaire.

Ease up and enjoy the beauty of dance.

<3

[mossandthesea]

Very nice

[kanakake829]

Thank-you, great and poignant we all stand on the shoulders of the giants who come before us to create our own art. MJ was clearly influenced by Bob Fosse thanxs for pointing it out.

[tnr1173]

why do people erroneously think that people or MJ has said he invented the moonwalk? there is nothing new under the sun. The moonwalk can be seen in old movie clips from the early 1900's.  I forget which decade...the 40's maybe. Anyway, MJ has said HE personally adapted it from streetdancers back in the day. he was only 24 when he did it on Motown 25 so he was rather young and was influenced by the time and day HE was growing up in. he's always given credit to his influences

[candygourlay]

wow, that's really interesting. just goes to show that there IS a connection! all power to your act!

[WFCooper]

I too, impersonate MJ, and knew that Jackson was inspired/emulated Fosse. Michael Just did it to a beat, sprinkled some soul in... Fosse, Astaire and kelly inspired MJ in so many ways. Fred actually called MJ "his descendant" shortly before his death.

[candygourlay]

love it, deca2k! and what an amazing coincidence .. there you go. you look fab by the way.

[deca2k]

Wow! I have impersonated Michael Jackson at a Convention in Vegas, and I teach Master Classes on the Fosse Style...I was a featured artist with the Broadway Show Fosse. Ironically, I never made the connection...but it is obviously evident even in my own career choices...great job...I am adding my latest Fosse video for your enjoyment.

[MsAshley4ever]

cool

[naniko2003]

Thanks! Great combination. I was looking to this kind of video.

[DStyle86]

Great Juxtaposition! This video deserves much more views than it currently has.

What's that b/w sequence at the end from? Is that a young Fosse?

[candygourlay]

laureninjapan, mj is not necessarily copying fosse ... i think they had the same influences (and bob fosse may have been a big influence on mj) - from tap, vaudeville, etc. see the film that appears on the right - origins of the moonwalk.

[laureninjapan]

Very interesting. Considering the Bob Fosse performance was 10 YEARS before Micheals famed FIRST moonwalk. Copy?

See Beyonces Put a Ring on It as well.

Bob Fosse was obviously an original.....

[therobinyoung]

amazing; I'd seen them compared but not like this. Great job!

[mrsbung]

Genius Candy and, indeed, time well spent x

[bogenhafen]

Time well spent, C :)