Jeffrey Daniel, a legendary dancer and member of Shalamar, has shared how he introduced Michael Jackson to the iconic moonwalk.
In an interview on Channels TV, Daniel said Jackson first saw him performing the “backslide” on Soul Train in 1979 with his dance group Eclipse.
“Well, I mean, it’s funny because now it’s in a totally new context. Michael saw me doing the backslide in ’79 on Soul Train,” he said.
The following year, he said Jackson approached him at Disneyland, where his group was performing, and asked him to teach him how to dance.
Daniel recalled: “He brought little Janet Jackson and they stood in the wing and watched us dance. Then he asked me to teach him to dance”.
This encounter marked the beginning of a long-term collaboration between Daniel and Jackson, spanning over 20 years.
Daniel said he worked closely with Jackson on several projects, including choreographing videos for “Beat It” and “Smooth Criminal,” traveling to Brazil for “They Don’t Really Care About Us,” and contributing to “Ghosts.”
He also served as A&R and creative consultant at Jackson’s record company, MJJ Music.
“I worked with Michael over a 20-year period, and the last job I had in America was at MJJ Music, his record company, as A\&R and creative consultant,” he said.
Daniel also shared a surprising personal revelation, explaining that he and the Pop Legend were cousins; something they didn’t know until their later years.
“Because my father didn’t raise me, but in 2008, my father showed me my family tree, and I found out that I’m Michael’s cousin. So all the years we were working together, I never knew that we were related to the Jacksons.
“We now call each other cousin all the time. We speak — Jermaine Jackson, Janet, Randy, and the older sister, Rebe. We call each other cousins all the time. But all the time we were working, I never knew we were related,” he said.
Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, revolutionised the music and dance landscape with his trailblazing performances, cutting-edge choreography, and chart-topping albums like “Thriller”, the best-selling album of all time.
Jeffrey Daniel’s choreography was instrumental in crafting the visual spectacle of Jackson’s live shows and iconic music videos, leaving a lasting impact on the industry.
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