The First Moonwalk - Bill Bailey - The Apollo Theatre - New York - 1955

[sugafoot777]

let the man have his place in pop culture. People on here really want to take the time to break down the intricacies of the "moonwalk", which is really the back slide and what constitutes an authentic moonwalk or not? Really??? Crazy. Just dance and enjoy it

[fanisvradis23]

mj also was inspired by something but he developed the move in more funky way

[mariadelamor21]

GENIAL!

[mariadelamor21]

Enchanter!!!

[poppindoc]

not a moon walk ( or backslide ) if foot leaves contact with the floor but still very cool

[Mrl1lace]

what just happend ...

[KeInEaHnUnG951]

first: omg what is he doing? That´s awesome

then: OMG that is really a moon walk!!!!

[2tonsolid]

not a moonwalk. more like exit stage left. jeff daniels invented the moonwalk cuz he looked like he was walking backwards. the apollo had an all white audeince at one time?

[sugafoot777]

@2tonsolid the apollo did not always allow black customers, neither did cotton club etc. white people were comfortable allowing black people to cook, clean, serve and entertain, but not enjoy alongside them. Much of that hasnt changed

[MrToosox]

sorry not finished - style done LA side breaking east side?

[MrToosox]

backslide people - backslide. wasnt moonwalking the style

[lexiconlover]

well, look at that. That sure is a moonwalk.

[nancymcgill]

Not only was he an awesome dancer, but a great musician as well (percussionist). I miss tap dancers!!!

[prettycountrygirl2]

Yep, that was truly a moonwalk.

[h311ra1zah]

THIS WAS THE SHIZNIT!! ALL IN ALL ALL ARTISTS RECYCLE THINGS THAT THEY ADMIRE FROM PRECEDING ARTISTS, AN ONGOING PRACTICE EVEN TODAY. NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. TO B HONEST ENTERTAINMENT WOULDNT HAVE EVOLVED TO WHAT IT IS TODAY HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR RECYCLING! "REPITITION IS THE FATHER OF LEARNING".

[TheSKZSKZ]

Interesting. In hip-hop that move is called "the slide", which is obviously close to "backslide". I don't know where the term "moonwalk" came from.

[TheChino0110]

Moon Walk Starts at 2:03.

[bolder2009]

Sammy Davis Jr once said there were so many great dancers he knew of from the Vauldeville era, who were lost to the world. Names that history has unfortunately forgotten or didn't acknowledge in the first place.

[legokeane]

moon walk starts on 2:02

[Spryt07]

wasn't there a backslide(moonwalk) done in the 1929 movie "Hallelujah"? I'm pretty sure i thought the main character Zeke did it in one of his sermons...

[hithisisscottysun]

How interesting. The first MOONwalk happens to be at the APOLLO theatre!

[jsilence418]

@hithisisscottysun lol oh no a conspiracy has started! this guy is incredible the moonwalk was icing on the cake .

[rerebeccaw]

@hithisisscottysun well that explains the name, i always did wonder where it came from.

[hznfrst]

Too cool!



[12ozNoob]

1:24 "Bitc*es love this'n" lmao

[sirschadenfreude]

Imagine, all those moves, the talent and not a crotch grabbed!

[SuperOldschool1994]

the moonwalk was made popular on soul train in 1979

[mrohyoudidntknow]

@SuperOldschool1994 what's the difference between first and popular.

Hint: There is one.

[MooPotPie]

@mrohyoudidntknow Television.

[MooPotPie]

@mrohyoudidntknow ….besides there are "Moonwalk" clips on here from the 1930's … 20 years before Bailey. See Cab Calloway.

[mrohyoudidntknow]

@MooPotPie Actually, if you really want to get technical, the first moonwalk was from Charlie Chaplin. But that's only if you want to get technical. 

[MooPotPie]

@mrohyoudidntknow I've seen that clip…you're right. I'd forgotten about it.

[liamthefish1]

@reddragon4430 Thank you so much! you wouldn't happen to know if there is a full version of this band anywhere? no worries if not. CHEERS!

[liamthefish1]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!! Does anyone know the song/tune name? it is soooooo good!!!

[fiddlerpin]

I knew Jackson stole it!

[MJTruthSeeking]

@fiddlerpin He didn't stole it! He never claimed that he had invented it in the first place!

[apmirkin]

@fiddlerpin to make such a comment, your obviously not a professional dancer or have any insight into dance.

you cant define jazz or street dance anymore and a "type" of move... its an "attitude"............

No one just "comes up" with a dance move.. its like the wheel. it just "evolves"... So Mj revolutionized dance.. A bit like a cup of tea.

he never invented the cup, the water, the tea leave or the milk... but he infused it and made it better! :) thats an anology!..

wise up!

[fiddlerpin]

@apmirkin No I'm not a dancer and since you are an expert in dancing I'm sure you can figure out what I meant. I'll rephrase it for you. Michael Jackson copied it! I never said that he invented it. Have a cup of tea!

[apmirkin]

@fiddlerpin there is copying and then there is copying... Michael jackson did a lot to it. he does not just "execute" the move.. mj uses upper body.. but the old jasper just toe walks it.. lol... he dont drag the slide back properly.. mj always made an "MJ" way of doing somthing. even wen producers told him to sing a certain way.. he would say "NO!".. so then he did two versions of each song.. and "MJ's" way was ALWAYS best!.. he re-invented everything... if MJ made! 2 sugars please! ;)

[FunkyWhitePimp]

Back then, these people used to practice tapdancing 'til their feet bled.

Why is tapdance so unpopular nowadays? I find it just as cool as breakdance.

Not only is it a dance, you're also instrument playing.

[apmirkin]

@FunkyWhitePimp tap dancing means you got the pace and detail... bally is for suppleness and grace...

street dancing is the attitude...

i more or less agree with your comment btw! :)

[MeYouView]

History does repeat itself (2:04). Michael Jackson you made for music television fool! There really was nothing "new" about you!

[apmirkin]

@MeYouView The artisty, the self exprssion.. the sounds.. he also molded and defined dancing in "unison" and also a "canon".... he was innovative. no other erson rocked liked that to there own song.. only opera told stories in music... but opera is not about the music.. its more about the story...

michael is about the music and the expression..then the story...

[KindaLikeWater]

OMG! He actually moonwalked! Some videos on here are misleading, claiming to show vintage footage of moonwalking, but they don't show anything even close. This is the first older clips I've seen that actually shows moonwalking! Thanks!

[PhaboiakaDaartist]

vedi NICE!

[1luiszepol]

no doubt about it

[newislandguitar]

See: "Michael Jackson dancing Tip Tap" and "Michael Jackson Tap Dancing 1977" he observed,studied,learned from many sources from the past...Marcel Maceau, Fred Astaire,James Brown,..West Side Story(see: Bad and Beat it)...a creative painter still uses paint.

[newislandguitar]

of course MJ was influenced by several..u can find MJ (J5) actually performing in this exact genre "Jazz Tap dance" here on yt with MJ taking a tap "solo" during the tap routine. All the jacksons were trained in Tap dance and wouldve seen (many) of the well known dancers including Fred Astaire who was still very popular in the 60's and 70's and all of the well known Black dancers.One could actually credit his father for (making) them study and learn many styles.

[10INTM]

1955 - Bill Bailey does the moonwalk.

(28 years later)

1983 - Michael Jackson demonstrates the moonwalk as we know it by adding the illusion of walking forward while inexplicably moving backward.

(28 years later)

2011 - Umm...dub step guy? The moonwalk has not been made to be more complicated (thank God) but it STILL requires the illusion. Anything less is just considered shuffling your feet backwards (sorry Bill Bailey).

[rydertupua]

@10INTM lets say "CAB CALLOWAY'' invented the moonwalk and it was called "The Buzz" and Bill Bailey took it for the first time on Television.

[DrOchenKruto3]

This was actually called the "get-off" because it was a novelty step hoofers used to get off stage and later was called the backslide, which is the name it still has today. As far as the funk/hip-hop generation the moonwalk goes forward as if walking on the moon like Armstrong.

[torib303]

NOPE!NOPE!NOPE NIEL ARMSTRONG DID THE FIRST MOONWALK!!!!!GET IT

HAHAHA

[fothgt]

moonwalk in the 80's was not michaels at motown special but in hip-hop movie 'wildstyle"

[juandaru2112]

that is 100%, without a doubt the MFing MoonWalk!!

[BigGayDance9000]

He would probably be a beast ass skater :O

[vimiu]

ok haters, stop hatting. we no the mj is great but give some credit to the originals. mj did not perfect every dance move he learned. you r just saying that because u love mj. don't blame u but grow up. James brown was great and so many others. mj even admitted to this. grow up haters

[3DON291]

i wished i lived in the early 1900s for many reasons. but this is a ew one, so that if i new how to tap dance, it would actually be considered cool

[GuitarBoyRockingOut]

most of michael jackson's dance moves weren't created by him it a lot of it originated from african american culture back in the days. Michael jackson just made it more popular and modern.

[apmirkin]

@GuitarBoyRockingOut Yeah.. but lets face it.. the little leg kinks and the shoulder pops are MJ! i dont mean the crazy ankle flicks that james brown was known for... i mean the lil kinks...

[amriaaAA]

Try watching the video with no audio.

[THEOMGProduction]

All the MJ fans are mad? Oh well its just a dance move. relax

[chargerfanphil]

im sorry but i had 2 b the 1st doochebag 2 dislike this

[fhdxeleven11]

WHAT IS SPECIAL WITH MJ MOONWALK IS THAT HIS WHITE SOCKS WHEN HE DOES IT SO IT WAS SOOOOOOOOOO DIVERENCE U CAN SEE MAJIC AS THE KING OF POP MR.MICHAEL JACKSON

[Ghindachica]

@fhdxeleven11 MJ shoulda given credit where it was due! :>

[apmirkin]

@Ghindachica Mj did give credit and he said it was thanks to the children in projects that are amzing dancers that spend there time doing stuff like that.. inc the runing man too!.. watch mj with oprah winfrey and you'll see.!

wally chops!

[oatstao]

SWEET - I love that proverbial Mr.Bojangles

[WillYouBeThere2009]

So different than Mike's Moonwalk :) Michael took ideas and made them better... cause... he's the best, that's all :) <3<3

[TheOnlyOneKingElvis]

@WillYouBeThere2009 Watch Jailhouse Rock and see another dance, stance and clothes stolen by paedo

[123gummyworms]

Im 11 and I no how to brake

[XRayCam]

Bravo......!!!

[liamthefish1]

anyone know the name of that nice tune?

[danielrjal]

Fantastic!

[NAFIMJJ]

THATS FAKE MAN.MJJ RULESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS­.

[hasithable]

@NAFIMJJ not fake he is a good dancer but may not famouse like mj on that times

because mj comes with all talents not only dancing...

[Shodan1440255]

That guy is a genius! He has magic feet. Also nice to see some more of the origin of the moonwalk. Michael Jackson himself said a lot of the dance moves he used originated decades ago and are heavily ingrained in black African-American culture and ethnicity.

Thanks for the upload.

[apmirkin]

@Shodan1440255 Michael jackon was the guy who re-invented old and orginal moves... and also interpted music with his body... so Mj filled the gaps..  Mj did create a few things.. no one had the self expression like MJ... or the attitude!

[Shodan1440255]

@apmirkin That is true. I always feel when you watch Mj dance, it's an expression of his soul. I never feel like he's just performing a move for the sake of it. His dancing and choreography has inspired a whole generation of dancers and will continue to do so for all time. Thanks.

[Hikikomori013]

Thanks for showing the whole number. That was definitely time well spent.