JEFFREY DANIEL REVEALS HOW HE TAUGHT MICHAEL JACKSON THE MOONWALK

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BY OWOLABI OLUWADARA

Jeffrey Daniel, an iconic dancer and member of Shalamar, disclosed how he acquainted Michael Jackson with the renowned moonwalk during an interview on Thursday with Channels TV.

Daniel is widely acknowledged as a trailblazer in the realm of dance within pop music, credited with introducing the backslide—a maneuver that would subsequently evolve into Jackson’s signature moonwalk—to a broader audience.

Prior to his affiliation with Shalamar, he established the dance ensemble Eclipse, which highlighted his creative choreography on popular programs such as Soul Train.

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Daniel recounted that Jackson first observed him executing the move in 1979 on Soul Train while Daniel was performing with Eclipse.

“Well, it’s amusing because now it exists in a completely different context. Michael witnessed me doing the backslide in ’79 on Soul Train,” he stated.

Daniel mentioned that in 1980, Jackson attended a performance of his group at Disneyland.

“He brought along young Janet Jackson, and they stood in the wings to observe us dance. Afterward, he requested that I teach him the dance,” Daniel reminisced.

Throughout the years, Daniel collaborated extensively with Jackson, choreographing videos such as ‘Beat It’ and ‘Smooth Criminal’, accompanying him to Brazil for ‘They Don’t Really Care About Us’, and contributing to ‘Ghosts’.

“I partnered with Michael over a span of 20 years, and the last position I held in America was with MJJ Music, his record label, serving in roles as A&R and creative consultant,” he remarked.

Daniel also divulged a surprising personal discovery, revealing that he and the Pop Icon were cousins—a fact they only learned later in life.

“My father did not raise me, but in 2008, he revealed my family tree to me, and I discovered that I’m Michael’s cousin. So, all those years we worked together, I was unaware of our connection to the Jacksons.

“We now refer to each other as cousins regularly. We communicate—Jermaine Jackson, Janet, Randy, and the eldest sister, Rebe. We refer to each other as cousins all the time. Yet throughout our collaboration, I had no idea we were related,” he noted.

Michael Jackson, frequently recognized as the King of Pop, revolutionized global music and dance with his innovative performances, groundbreaking choreography, and record-setting albums, including ‘Thriller’, which remains the highest-selling album in history.

Daniel’s choreography was instrumental in shaping the visual allure of Jackson’s live performances and music videos.