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History of use
Cab Calloway executed steps similar to the moonwalk (sidewalk / toe stand) as early as 1932
There are many recorded instances of the moonwalk, similar steps are reported as far back as 1932, used by Cab Calloway.[5] In 1985, Calloway said that the move was called "The Buzz" when he and others performed it in the 1930s.[6][7]
In 1944, Judy Garland and Margaret O'Brien featured the move in their performance of "Under the Bamboo Tree" in Meet Me In St. Louis.[8]
In 1955, it was recorded in a performance by tap dancer Bill Bailey. He performs a tap routine, and at the end, backslides into the wings.[9] The French mime artist Marcel Marceau used it throughout his career (from the 1940s through the 1980s), as part of the drama of his mime routines. In Marceau's famous "Walking Against the Wind" routine Marceau pretends to be pushed backwards by a gust of wind.[10]
In the 1950s, Dick Van Dyke performed a similar variation of the moonwalk and camel walk in his comedy routine called "Mailing A Letter On A Windy Corner". Mexican dancer/comedian Adalberto Martinez "Resortes" also performed the moonwalk during his shows.
In a November 1969 episode of H.R. Pufnstuf, Judy Frog teaches everyone a new dance called "The Moonwalk", which includes two instances of a stationary moonwalk.[11]
James Brown used the move[12] and can be seen performing it in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Another early moonwalker was popper and singer Jeffrey Daniel, who moonwalked in a performance of Shalamar's "A Night To Remember" on Top of the Pops in the UK in 1982[13] and was known to perform backslides in public performances (including weekly Soul Train episodes) as far back as 1974. Michael Jackson was a fan of Jeffrey Daniel's dancing and would eventually seek him out.
Also in 1982, Debbie Allen performs a moonwalk during a scene with Gwen Verdon in Season 1, Episode 10 ("Come One, Come All") of the TV series Fame.[14]
In 'Flashdance, the move was used in the B-Boy scene, where Rock Steady Crew's Mr. Freeze (Marc Lemberger) with an umbrella prop, mimed the wind blowing him backward as he first walks forward, fighting the wind, then starts moonwalking backwards. Mr. Freeze's version was also shown in the first Hip Hop movie "Wild Style" and Malcolm McLaren film clip "Buffalo Gals".[15]
Derek (Cooley) Jackson and Geron (Caszper) Canidate taught Jackson the moonwalk. He saw Cooley & Caszper do the moonwalk dance on Soul Train, so he had his manager call Soul Train to introduce Cooley & Caszper to Jackson. The dance was brought to further public attention in 1983 when Jackson performed it during a television special, Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever on March 25 that year.
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Yes, fewer illegal immigrants working equates to more job opportunities for American citizens.
Rochard
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