Talk:Moonwalk (dance)

Charlie Chaplin did it First!! (who's surprised? not I)
Sorry guys, but Chaplin did it first in his movie Modern Times in 1936. You can watch the video on youtube. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Exhaledeeply (talk • contribs) 20:51, 6 September 2011 (UTC)

Origin of name
But it does seem (from items cited) as if the actual name just derives from Apollo 11 connected Moon fever, in HR Pufnstuf ! 150.143.161.221 (talk) 08:17, 21 July 2019 (UTC)

Not Created by Mike
Break dancers were doing it before Mike and Mike lifted it from them. Mike just made it famous and acceptable. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.61.187.106 (talk) 22:19, 29 June 2009 (UTC)

How-To
I (and perhaps many other curious folks out there) would really, REALLY like to know if someone who is knows the dance really well can conceptualize a dance diagram on this article for the rest of us to learn and practice -- Anon 2005-12-20.

i believe i saw it once on videojug somewhere Abb615 (talk) 02:42, 20 February 2010 (UTC)

Michael the Inventor
I am not interested in this article at all. But I think you may want to know Michael Jackson is one of the co-inventors of the moon walk mechanical stage apparatus. U.S. patents are in the public domain you can use pictures from Michael patent documentation. -- Toytoy 15:20, Apr 14, 2005 (UTC)


 * I looked for information on that and didn't find any; I did find information about an apparatus to "simulate anti-gravity", used on the "leaning forward without falling" routine. Can you please give a link to the apparatus you mention? Or was it a mix-up? -- tmegapscm 2005-08-10

That was a mix-up for sure. You don't need any mechanical apparatus to perform the moonwalk. 88.116.53.226 (talk) 23:43, 23 August 2008 (UTC)

WTF People. Michael Jackson invented this dance. This needs to be known in history. It would be a travesty if the universe did not know about Michael Jackson and at least embellish on his contribution.

Michael Jackson did not invent the moonwalk, it was being done way before he did it and was generally called the back slide. However it probably should be noted that MJ did perfect the move and increased its popularity immensely. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.107.235.182 (talk) 20:04, 4 July 2009 (UTC)


 * Not only did Michael Jackson not invent the backslide, I don't even agree that he first popularised it worldwide. Jeffrey Daniels was widely seen and imitated performing the move as part of his pop-locking routines while touring with Shalamar at the peak of their fame. This was from 1980 onwards. Similarly, he did not 'perfect' the move. I witnessed youths in Nigeria performing sophisticated versions of the backslide in 1981 (before Michael Jackson first publically performed it). As opined above, MJ increased its popularity immensely. To see convincing argument that backsliding was popular as a streetdance in urban California and New York even further back, see section below:
 * Centrepull (talk) 07:16, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Thank You for referencing my material stating that Micheal Jackson did not invent the Moonwalk because I know this because i was a pop locker and was doing the moonwalk years before that and many other African American kids were doing it years before me. This is not something that i read from a book it's what I have lived and I was just one of the thousands of contributors to the dances original popularity because upon returning to the east coast coming from the west coast in 1980-81 I exposed it to lots of people who had never seen it nor Pop Locking before at that time. Keep in mind that at that time the dance was not even nationally known let alone globally. Video evidence also confirms that before that it was indeed called the Backslide and was done first as far as we know by tap dances of the 20's and 30's I believe which was new information for me upon watching a Spike Lee Joint where he included a clip during the closing credits. I also agree that there were semi popular moonwalkers before MJ who had achieved a level of popularity that never existed in urban America before.

However, I disagree that MJ was not the one who popularized it and exposed it to the nation and to the world. Having been a Pop Locker and Moonwalker I was quite in tune with what was going on in the urban dance world at that time and I lived through MJ exposing it to the world although a lot of people were already familiar with it expecially in inner city African American urban America. In fact the dance was all but a passing fad beginning to die out by the time MJ revived it in 1983. He did in fact perfect and popularized the dance nationally eventually globally although in the general urban environment it was already popular there and was no need for his influence for it to be popular there. And I believe so even though I had seen with my own eyes much better moonwalkers than the king of Pop that were NOT caught on tape in the streets of L.A.. But the urban environment has its own (usually ignored by mainstream media) market of talent, innovators and fans that usually don't make into mainstream media until they are close to dying out and urban innovators have begun to move on to bigger and better things in their world. This is where the term "Ghetto Superstar" comes from. MJ by NO MEANS invented, pioneered nor co-invented or even modified the dance, but he does get the credit from this old school Pop-Locker/Moonwalker for perfecting and "Popularizing" it nationally and Globally. (J.Parham Old School Pop Locker/Moonwalker (1978-1984)) Please don't misunderstand my comments because I have great admiration of Micheal Jackson and Like all of us grew up with him as part of my life. I don't remember a time without MJ. I also admired his ability and desire to stay in touch with the urban environment and incorporated those dances into his dance style. They say immitation is the highest form of flattery and I believe the was Mikes way of showing how much he admired unrecognized urban talent through imitation. This is a part of MJ's phylosopy and legacy that has been forgotten but growing up I heard him say many times how he studied and admired street dancers and other talents.

P.S. I quit Pop Locking and Moonwalking at the ripe old age of 18 in 1984 because I felt I was "TOO OLD" for it and it was time to move on to bigger and better things which for me was music and college. Besides except for Micheal Jackson doing it the Pop-Lock/Moonwalk trend had actually died out in mainstream urban America and unbenounced to me had gone deep underground after that only to resurface in the 90's although still not to its original popularity even till now in 2010(J.P) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.211.16.50 (talk) 00:25, 21 February 2010 (UTC)

Much Earlier Michael Jackson Moonwalk
During a 1975 Carol Burnett Show appearance with his brothers, while they were performing their hit "Dancing Machine" Michael did a few dance steps which were very similar to his later moonwalks. This indicates that he was doing the moonwalk long before his groundbreaking "Motown 25" performance of Billie Jean in 1983. User:TimothyHorrigan Timothy Horrigan 01:13, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

I took a look at that clip and the moves Mike did were nothing like the moonwalk and the rest of the moves were from a dance called "The Robot" which was popular at the time which Mike also took from the urban African American crowd which he is part of and incorporated into their act. Keep in mind that Mike ALWAYS paid close attention to current dance trends and incorporated them into his own original dance moves. Only 50% of most of his most famous moves were original, the rest were incorporated from national urban African American dance trends througout his career right up until the Moonwalk. Mind you I was born in 1965, watched Jacksons contantly including their cartoon. There were'nt many black shows on then. I became a street dancer in LA in 1978 through 1984. We Pop-locked moonwalked (on concrete mind you) and Electric Boogalloed day in and day out. I'm African American and part of the African American urban crowd, and also lived on the East coast after rap became popluar and saw all the changes of Hip Hop. This is history I've lived not read about. Now if you have better credentials on this subject than that please state them if not open ears and take notes. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jparham3 (talk • contribs) 08:20, 15 October 2009 (UTC)

Bill Bailey
I removed this reference, Bill Bailey seems to have been quite a tap dancer but it's not even close to a backslide and there are other pieces of fact in the article showing that Michael Jackson was not first anyway.
 * However, it is important to note that the earliest video for the backslide is that of Bill Bailey from 1955.

Arru 10:25, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

A surprise in the Bill Bailey video. I have just viewed Bill Bailey's routine, and I didn't see anything resembling a moonwalk until the very, very end. Then, boom, there it was...a walk-off move. Perhaps a bit more like a backslide, but nevertheless very legitimate. Maybe the editor who removed the link wasn't aware that the anticipated move was at the very end. I have been studying the moonwalk for about a year now, and I think Bill Bailey's move should be noted. Thanks Mbanak 04:35, 23 July 2006 (UTC).

Well what do you know! I reinserted it together with a note that viewers need to wait until the very end of the video. I've put it in external links since, given the other information in the article, Bill Bailey was not pioneering the backslide. Arru 14:26, 23 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Given other claims in the origins section, Bill Bailey's reference was put there instead. I've refactored this part to make it less self-contradictory. Arru 15:01, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

One Step Ahead
2 years prior to Jackson, New Zealand band Split Enz had a video clip based on the Neil Finn hit One Step Ahead. The keyboardist Eddie Rayner performed the move, & though his feet were moving backwards in accordance to the technique, he actually slowly moves forwards. The video can be found here
 * I removed this because the article can't claim it's a moonwalk prior to Jackson and an incorrect one at the same time. IMO it's a pretty skilled front float. Arru 15:01, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

I do not know who Billy Bailey is but the Moonwalk, although not as polished was performed during the musical 'A Cabin in the sky' by a tap dancer. This film was from the late 1940's. Please give credit where credit is do!67.177.215.166 21:46, 27 June 2007 (UTC)

Bryan Layne
Excised the following:
 * A variation more closely resembling the modern-day moonwalk was invented by Bryan Layne, a cabinet installer from Mississippi, who called it the backslide.

Claims of "invention" must certainly be backed up by citations. Until then, it rests here. Arru 15:01, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

Graeme Garden
Removed for lack of citation:
 * Prior to that Graeme Garden had performed a similar type of walk on The Goodies.

Arru 15:01, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

Black crowd
where he debuted it during his famous "Billie Jean" routine, in which the black crowd was on their feet cheering. What is the relevance of the crowd being black? Saintkevin 23:00, 14 November 2006 (UTC) The relevance of the crowd being black was because the crowd happened to be black because the channel that he did it on was called BET, that stands for Black Entertainment Television. The Black Entertainment Television was a product of the same forces that created African American History month which was a lack or proper reprentation in media and entertainment for black Ameicans...FUBU. Whites want to be apart of things once they become popular but shun them when they are not. The relevance is that blacks created and embrased these dances when whites would have nothing to do with them. That's the relevance of the crowd being black. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.211.16.50 (talk) 03:46, 7 December 2009 (UTC)


 * A full paragraph of non sequiturs in reply to Saintkevin that proves nothing. I know, I know, these mzungus are terrible, ain't they? I wish they would stick to rock'n'roll, jazz, and the other stuff they invented. Oops! But it doesn't even look like BET had anything to do with the Motown 25th Anniversary show, anyway. Anyone clicking the link about the show should be able to draw their own conclusions about the composition of the audience, if they are interested. Centrepull (talk) 09:19, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

These mzungus as you say did not create Rockin' Roll or Jazz, African Americans did. If we were going to tell you to stick to something that "these mzungus" created it would be Blue Grass, country music and classical.

Jazz, Blues, Rock & Roll, Dance, Pop, R&B, Hip Hop, Soul, Neo Soul, and Rap are all African American innovations. I think you failed American Music History 101. Find a big word for "one who is grossly missinformed". Remember that it is better to be thought of as a fool then to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

Cooley ASSNAB??
"The actual inventor, Solid Gold dancer "Cooley ASSNAB", taught Michael Jackson the moonwalk. This was evident at the extraordinary Motown 25 Concert, where he debuted it during his famous "Billie Jean" routine, in which the crowd was on their feet cheering."

What kind of crap is this? Nowhere else I've heard that "Cooley ASSNAB" be the "actual inventor" of Moonwalk. Also, how can the crowd's cheering for Michael Jackson make it "evident" that he was taugt it by Assnab? Someone please explain to me... Bab —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 84.238.26.77 (talk) 10:49, 19 February 2007 (UTC).

Even as an old School pioneer of Poplock and Moonwalk I don't claim to know exactly who taught Mike the dance but I do know that whomever taught him either was or learned it themeslves from the street kids of Los Angeles. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.192.91.108 (talk) 02:08, 28 June 2010 (UTC)

Cleanup
Okay, I get it, it's Michael Jackson's signature move. I don't think the article needs to mention that half a dozen times. Toscaesque 19:43, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

Photoreq
I know there's already a photo for this article, but I have requested a new one because the current one is of very poor quality. Dar-Ape 03:12, 29 August 2007 (UTC)

Boogaloos
i found this video of the boogaloos from the 70's, doing moonwalks and the MJ "Cobrasteen" before MJ did it. http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=4702017

What a strange article
Almost the entire text of this article seems to be concerned with making absolutely sure that the reader knows that Michael Jackson did not invent the move. There are numerous examples of performances before Michael Jackson, all apparently under the heading of "origin". Shouldn't the origin just be concerned with the first time the move was performed or created? The article currently reads as if it has a chip on its shoulder about people thinking that MJ invented it, and just wants to reinforce over and over again that he didn't. The first section clearly explains that MJ didn't invent the move, and that should be sufficient. Yet the next sentence is simply "Jean-Louis Barrault mimed the Moon Walk before Michael Jackson." OK, we get it! Other people did it first!

I suggest we rename this article to "Moonwalk, Michael Jackson Did Not Invent The". --86.129.110.156 (talk) 10:02, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

What about the Kamikazi Kid episode of Quantum Leap, where Scott Bacula teaches a young Michael Jackson how to moonwalk? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.239.229.213 (talk) 07:21, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

I agree that the text that displays that Michael Jackson did not invent the move, needs trimming. It is verifed however in other articles including the Michael Jackson biography that despite popular belief the move was not his own, so I think it should be mentioned... but I think one time in the lede would be enough. Wolfpeaceful (talk) 18:22, 26 June 2009 (UTC)

I took this out of the article:
 * "As Stern and Stern wrote in their 1992 Encyclopedia of Pop Culture, Michael Jackson's signature moonwalk "became the single best-known bit of celebrity body language since the four Beatles."(ref)As quoted in Ben Schott, Schott's Mischellany Calendar 2009 (New York: Workman Publishing, 2008), November 22.(/ref)

because, I feel, that its an unnecessary regurgetation of the preceding sentence... and this might be better included on one of the articles on Michael Jackson. Wolfpeaceful (talk) 18:27, 26 June 2009 (UTC)

and this:
 * "In numerous interviews, Jackson has attributed the dance that he now is credited for, to ordinary children, whom he saw doing a variation of what we now call the moonwalk and he took it that step further to first perform it on Motown 25 where he wowed fans and is now a feature of perhaps his most popular single Billie Jean."

This also would be better suited for a Michael Jackson article. Wolfpeaceful (talk) 18:30, 26 June 2009 (UTC)

The How To
The "Perform The Moonwalk" section needs rewriting. I'd normally suggest deleting it, however since it is a popular staple dance move I think it should be changed from a "How To" format, to a descriptive nature of the dance moves instead. "How To's" are generally unencyclopedic in nature. Wolfpeaceful (talk) 18:19, 26 June 2009 (UTC)

Add a video?
While browsing the Michael Jackson article, I saw this video. Maybe a good fit for this article too? MaximusBrood (talk) 13:09, 27 June 2009 (UTC) thumb|Jackson moonwalks during his performance on Motown 25

Say huh
This line "David Bowie is probably the first rock musician to perform the move, however he remained stationary" makes no sense. If the dancer remains stationary, the move cannot rightfully be classified as a Moonwalk, because by definition the dance requires mobility. Also, since this states "probably" there really is no verifiability to this claim, despite the sourcing. If it remains in the article, perhaps it shoud be reworded to state that Bowie "is probably the first rock musician to "immitate" the move..." Wolfpeaceful (talk) 17:21, 9 July 2009 (UTC)

Question for DKqwerty
Hi, you said in your edit summary that the large chunk of material I restored was removed because it lacks sources. I was wondering how you knew that's why it was removed. It was another account that removed it, and that account left no edit summaries about sources, and no explanation on this page that I can see. Was there a discussion about it elsewhere? SlimVirgin talk| contribs 19:52, 10 July 2009 (UTC)


 * It's self-evident. Most of this article should be removed because half the references are YouTube videos. But then there would be nothing left. However, that doesn't excuse additional unsourced info being added; two wrongs don't make a right.
 * BTW, the  tag doesn't isn't intended to excuse the addition or re-addition of unsourced material while reference are being sought. The only reason I didn't revert it is because of the 3RR rule; ineptitude alone doesn't constitute vandalism. However, this does not mean you were correct in doing so. DKqwerty (talk) 20:02, 10 July 2009 (UTC)


 * Sorry, I don't understand what you're saying. I am adding material and references. You sound as though you'd prefer that the article give no information. Perhaps we should delete it? SlimVirgin  talk| contribs 20:07, 10 July 2009 (UTC)


 * I'm saying you re-introduced information that was removed because it was unsourced, and are now finding references while using the  template to inappropriately excuse this re-addition of unsourced content.
 * Wikipedia operates by finding references, then adding the material with proper citation(s), not the other way around as you have done. DKqwerty (talk) 20:13, 10 July 2009 (UTC)


 * No, that's not how Wikipedia works. Please read the sourcing policy, WP:V. If someone offers to find references for interesting material, the very last thing you do is revert their work while they're in the middle of doing it. SlimVirgin  talk| contribs 20:25, 10 July 2009 (UTC)


 * WP:V has nothing to do with my point, notwithstanding that "interesting material" is not mentioned anywhere. If you think something is worth adding, bring it to the talk page or find the reference first. If you can't figure out what you did wrong, then so be it. As far as I'm concerned, this discussion is over. DKqwerty (talk) 20:34, 10 July 2009 (UTC)


 * WP:V has everything to do with it, because it's the sourcing policy, and we're discussing the addition of sources. It says, "Any material lacking a reliable source may be removed, but editors might object if you remove material without giving them sufficient time to provide references, and it has always been good practice, and expected behavior of Wikipedia editors (in line with our editing policy), to make reasonable efforts to find sources oneself that support such material, and cite them." That means whoever removed the material should have looked for sources himself before doing so, and it means you should not have reverted an editor who was trying to add them. Please follow the policy in future. SlimVirgin  talk| contribs 20:49, 10 July 2009 (UTC)


 * Ugh, that applies if you immediately objected to the content removal. Instead, you've come around days later and tried to add it back. In addition, had I not reverted it because it was unsourced, I find it unlikely that you would have started searching for references yourself. WP:V says nothing about adding the information back. You should have found sources before simply reverting an edit that removed unsourced content and brought it to the talk page. And for the record, I didn't initially remove the material, all I did was revert the (re-)addition of unsourced information.
 * Okay, this time, I'm done. DKqwerty (talk) 21:01, 10 July 2009 (UTC)


 * DKqwerty, why are you taking it upon your shoulders to police this article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.163.120.100 (talk) 22:00, 14 July 2009 (UTC)

Breakdancing or Bodypopping?
I am not sure if I agree that the moonwalk is a breakdancing move. I would have said that it is a bodypopping move. I first saw it when Jeffrey Daniel introduced bodypopping to the UK in June 1982 when he danced his way through his group's (Shalamar's) "A Night To Remember" on Top Of The Pops. What do others think? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.163.120.100 (talk) 18:45, 16 July 2009 (UTC)

i'd agree
it's more popping than breaking. in fact it's the opposite of breaking because it's so smooth

No, that's not accurate. The Moonwalk was around years before breakdancing came onto the scene. The moonwalk (the modern version) started in around 1977-78 and breakdancing started in the early eighties. Until the 80's Hip Hop dancing did not include many moves on the ground except "The worm" and an occasional dance routine that required one or both dancers to be on the ground, but the introduction of Breakdancing incorporated with already established moves of Pop-Locking took dancing to the floor in a way that had never been seen before. Breakdancing incorporated moves from Brazillian marshal arts hence the floor moves of breakdancing, not the reverse. Eventually Pop-locking, the Electric Boogaloo, Breakdancing, moonwalking all merged together as time went on but they all started as separate dances. Because of the popularity of Hip Hop and video, East coast and west coast styles of dancing and dress began to merge into one main look and one main dance style. And at that time most street dancers were not the colorfully dressed, cartoonish, multi-racial, version portrayed by T.V. and movies. Most street dancers at that time had a much less colorful yet still flamboyantly harder edge and a harder street-gang look. In fact LA street gangs were the major contributors to its poplularity and its spread and later on because poplular with a less hardened street dancers. Many gang members of the time who had to relocate to different parts of the country due to police and rival gang threats took Pop-Locking moves with them before the trend became a national trend. Much of this history is lost because no one wants to glorify or encourage gang activity and neither do I but this is the truth of the matter. Even the poplular style of the pants hanging off the the butt comes from LA gangs who spent time in jail and where not allowed to where belts. The trend continued even when gang members where released into the street after serving their time. Eventually it and Pop locking became urban trends that continue till today. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jparham3 (talk • contribs) 07:13, 15 October 2009 (UTC)

The Missing History of the Moonwalk
Nearly every reference to the moonwalk refers to Cab Calloway, the tap dancers of the 20's or Micheal Jackson. But all of these references have one thing in common; television. All of these sources refer to history that can be seen on television. However, there is history that has not been recorded on television. Well after Cab Calloway and shortly before Micheal Jackson there were the Pop-Lockers of Los Angeles (not to be confused with Break Dancing). Break Dancing didn't come on the scene until the 80's and merged with Pop-locking. Pop-locking started in the 70's and incorporated in the many dynamic and electrifying moves of Pop-Locking was the moonwalk. Los Angeles and the neighborhood kids was the birthpace and the inventors of the modern version of the moonwalk. This version invented by street kids and also done by Micheal Jackson included backwards, forwards, sideways, circular motion and even slow motion illusions. In 1978, the moonwalk was being done all over the streets and playgrounds of Los Angeles and was a very competitive dance. Many High schools hosted Pop-Locking and Moonwalking competitions. With the onset of Hip Hop going from a local underground to a national mainstream musical art form with the hit song "Wrappers Delight", Pop-Locking and Moonwalking also became a national trend. Micheal Jackson being a fan of any kind of dance picked the moonwalk and the famous "lean" up from street dancers who had already been doing it for years, as early as 1977. Black audiences at the time were already familar with the dance but for mainstream white audiences it was their first exposure to the dance as well as the rest of the world. By the time Micheal Jackson perfected his own moonwalk the trend was actually beginning to die out and still did as far as the urban environment was concerned. During the 1983 BET awards, Micheal Jackson with his already staggering fame introduced the world to the dance and made it his own, causing mainstream and most audiences after that to mistakenly believe that he had created, invented or pioneered the dace with he had done neither. Although Micheal Jackson was and will always be the greatest entertainer ever he did not create, pioneer nor invent the moonwalk, but as he always did since he was a child he incorporated moves from other dancers into his own, such as James Brown, Fred Etair and more. "Popularization" to the mainstream would be a more accurate description of Micheal Jacksons contribution to the dances current fame. He simply learned it from the street kids and brought it to the masses. Micheal didn't just incorporate moves from famous people he also looked to the streets to what street kids where doing as well and incorporated those trends into his own unique dance style throughout his entire musical career. But for those who absolutely must have video evidence here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhxM0wZFUJA. these are the soul train dancers in 1980 popin and moonwalking. But the dance was being done on the streets for "at least" 2 to 3 years before this video. And here is another video even earlier 1979. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvtdUpodfiw. So please get that New Zealand crap out of your heads. Pop-Locking, Moonwalking, and the Electric Boogaloo was invented by African Americans right here in the good old USA.

References: Me, Street Dancer 1978-1984 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jparham3 (talk • contribs) 05:29, 14 September 2009 (UTC)

' Popper comments' I have been poppin for a while and this move is defantly a poppin move and not b-boying. The move name moonwalk is actually incorrect. The moonwalk is a totally different move similar to something called a roman twist but performed in a circle with rise and falls but the illusion of gliding is still maintained somewhat. The move which has become incorrectly known as the moonwalk is actually called the back slide / back glide. Moonwalks, slides, glides and floats all come under the category gliding. Floats are different as they are the foundations of the glide. A glider will learn to float first before moving onto glide. The float teaches heel toe control which is the foundation and secret to successful footwork in popping.

Nonsense!

bad definition
the opening line is a bad definitin, because moonwalking is not only done backwards.

I've know that since 1979 because I was doing it but thanks anyway for the English Lit lesson. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.211.16.50 (talk) 06:04, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

 NO ... this move name is WRONG. This is called the BACK SLIDE/ BACK GLIDE NOT the Moonwalk. The moonwalk is totally different and involves moving in a circle with rise and falls with pivots similar to a move called the Roman Twist. It's well known in the poppin industry that the move was named wrong. As well as back slides you have the side and front glides and many variations of. Trust me, this is written by a popper. 

Look I'm not into the "my evidence vs your evidence thing", I am simply saying I was a Poplocker in 1979 til 1984 and it was called the moonwalk. Take it or leave it because I'm not looking for validation, I was there and I was myself one of the early Poplockers. I don't need to justify my experience to people that weren't even born yet or check any literature, my reference materials are my own eye and my own ears and my own two feet, because I was there doing the dance in 1979. It may have been called the backslide back in the 1920's but since 1978 (at least) it's been called "The Moonwalk". When I say it was called the Moonwalk, I'm not referring to the media because the media was not even aware of the dance at that time. It was called the moonwalk (which was a part of Pop-Locking)by us street kids of the day that created the Pop-lock combinded Moonwalk dance. It's amazing that first hand experience is being debated by people that weren't even born yet. I guess that's just the arrogance of youth. Every generation does it I guess. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.192.91.108 (talk) 01:44, 28 June 2010 (UTC)

Well I am 44 years old now almost 45. I started Pop-locking and Moonwalking in Los Angeles in 1978-79 up until i graduated high school in 1984 when i started getting more into music. Every kid in Los Angeles and Orange County and many parts of California was doing it but it was the gangs that lead the trend, and the only name I have ever known it by is the Moonwalk. And that's several years before Micheal Jackson even knew what it was. I've seen the mainstream think it was Micheal Jackson and because they control the media this is what the masses believe but I and thousands of other kids before me were doing the MOONWALK as early as 1978 from my 1st hand (not second hand) knowledge. I'm not sure about the Cab Calloway or Bill Bailey days but its been solidly called the Moonwalk since at least 1978 that I can verify from my own eyes and ears. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.211.16.50 (talk) 01:59, 20 February 2010 (UTC)

Super Moonwalk by Eric Nash (OneLoveCandyman)
Video here (>6M views). Plenty of reliable, secondary sources. Examples: dailymail.co.uk and huffingtonpost.com. --82.170.113.123 (talk) 18:02, 12 November 2012 (UTC)
 * By the way, it's not fake. He also made a how to video, available here. --82.170.113.123 (talk) 18:04, 12 November 2012 (UTC)

moonRUN
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4JtRIECpG0 for example of what this refers to.

I am wondering if a moonrun article would be appropriate on its own, or if it might at least deserve a section on this page, due to the name being based on the moonwalk.

The specific guy in this YT vid was also covered on an episode of a TV series. I forget the exact title but I think it had something to do with 'brain tricks'. They ended up interviewing the guy and he explained how he did the maneuver. I am wondering if I someone could help locate the name of this show and the episode number to help use as a reference for covering moonrunning on Wikipedia. Ranze (talk) 01:58, 12 November 2014 (UTC)

History: the Damita Jo connection
from interview at "Diary of an Ex-Soul Train Dancer Presents: The One and Only Damita Jo Freeman"

Soultrain.com: You have been friends with Michael Jackson and the Jackson family for many years. You were one of the first people, if not the first, to teach Michael Jackson the Moonwalk, or as it was originally called, the Backslide. How did that come about?

Damita: Michael Jackson was a good friend. Years ago, I watched a Marcel Marceau special on PBS and he was doing this mime routine called “Walking Against the Wind” in which imaginary wind would be pushing him and he appeared to be walking forward and backward at the same time. I was taken away by what I saw. So when I choreographed and appeared in Cher’s show at Caesar’s Palace, I did the routine, which would later become a street dance called the Backslide. Michael happened to be in the audience for this show. After the show, he came backstage and asked how I did that dance step. I showed it to him and then I told him I learned the move from watching Marcel Marceau. So after that, Michael began studying and watching Marcel Marceau. Other people taught him the move also. It would become his signature dance step, the Moonwalk, which he first did on the Motown 25 special. Michael always stated that he was not a creator of that dance step.

http://soultrain.com/2012/08/20/diary-of-an-ex-soul-train-dancer-presents-the-one-and-only-damita-jo-freeman-part-1/

ps WHY does Damita not have her own wikipedia page?! (see her on youtube on soultrain with james brown "super bad". incredible.) She was also apparently the first female locker - her dance partner on soultrain was Don Campbell the creator of locking. etc. Yesenadam (talk) 08:53, 18 December 2014 (UTC)

Reason for removal
I have removed the section which says "Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin famously did the moonwalk on live television in 1969." It should be obvious, but apparently isn't to some, that the article is about the moonwalk-dance, not a walk on the moon. Moriori (talk) 21:28, 22 April 2017 (UTC)

Symarip
In Skinhead Moonstomp by Symarip there is a spoken line saying "Do the moonwalk". IS this the same move? // Liftarn (talk) 09:25, 21 March 2018 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 12:12, 30 December 2018 (UTC)
 * Michael Jackson ao vivo 1993.jpg

Not supported by refs
The lead says "Jackson has been credited as renaming the "backslide" to the moonwalk". Apart from the poor grammar, that statement is not supported by either of the three refs. More likely some PR/journo. Moriori (talk) 21:37, 6 June 2019 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 07:37, 30 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Minnie the Moocher (1932).webm