The Five True Inventors Of The Moonwalk: Uncovering The Shocking History Behind Michael Jackson's Iconic Move

The Moonwalk is arguably the most famous dance move in history, forever synonymous with the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. However, as of December 11, 2025, the true, complex, and fascinating history of this backward-gliding illusion is far more layered than a single artist's creation. The dance move that Michael Jackson introduced to the world on the *Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever* special in 1983 was not his invention, but a culmination of a century of dance and mime artistry. This deep dive reveals the multiple pioneers who contributed to the birth of the "backslide," which Jackson famously renamed the "Moonwalk." The collective curiosity about the move's origins is warranted, as its true lineage spans from vaudeville tap dancers and French mimes to R&B pioneers. The key to understanding the move is recognizing that the "Moonwalk" is simply the name Michael Jackson gave to an existing dance technique known as the "backslide." The question of "who invented the moonwalk" is best answered by recognizing the five key figures who perfected, performed, and popularized the illusion over decades.

The Complex Lineage: Five Pioneers Who Created the Illusion

The dance move we recognize today as the Moonwalk is an optical illusion where the dancer appears to be walking forward but is actually sliding backward. This technique has a long and storied history, predating Michael Jackson's legendary performance by decades. It is a fusion of different artistic disciplines, from theatrical mime to street dance.

1. Adalberto Ramirez "Resortes" (1950)

While often overlooked in Western narratives, evidence suggests that the earliest recorded performance of the move belongs to a Mexican comedian and dancer, Adalberto Ramirez, known professionally as "Resortes." Reports indicate that he performed a version of the move in Mexico in 1950. This predates the more commonly cited American and French performances, placing the move's origins in a broader, international context. This early performance highlights that the illusion was a natural development within vaudeville and theatrical dance long before the era of pop music.

2. Bill Bailey (1955)

The American tap dancer Bill Bailey is another critical figure in the Moonwalk's history. In 1955, Bailey performed a move that looks remarkably similar to the modern Moonwalk during his routine at the Apollo Theatre. His performance was recorded and is often cited as the first clear on-camera example of the backward-sliding technique. Bailey, the older brother of actress and singer Pearl Bailey, incorporated the slide into a comedy routine called "Mailing a Letter on a Windy Corner," where the backward motion perfectly mimicked the struggle against a powerful gust of wind. His contribution firmly roots the move in the tradition of American rhythm dance.

3. Marcel Marceau (1940s-1980s)

The French mime Marcel Marceau is often credited as the primary artistic inspiration for Michael Jackson. Marceau's signature mime routine, known as "Walking Against The Wind," created the powerful illusion of a person being pushed backward by an unseen force. Marceau performed this routine for decades with his iconic character, Bip the Clown. Michael Jackson was reportedly a fan of Marceau's work and drew direct inspiration from the mime's theatrical illusion to create his dance version. Marceau's work transformed the physical slide into a storytelling device, giving it a profound artistic context.

Jeffrey Daniel: The Man Who Taught Michael Jackson

While the move had existed in various forms for decades, the direct link to Michael Jackson's performance comes through the American R&B dancer Jeffrey Daniel. Daniel was a member of the influential R&B group Shalamar and was a pioneer of street dance styles like body-popping and the backslide.

From Backslide to Moonwalk

Daniel is widely recognized as the person who taught Michael Jackson the technique he called the backslide. The backslide, as performed by Daniel, was a smooth, rhythmic, and stylized version of the earlier slides, perfectly suited for the contemporary pop and R&B stage. Daniel performed the backslide on *Top of the Pops* in the UK and during Shalamar's performances, gaining notoriety for the move. * The Connection: Daniel and Jackson met, and Daniel showed the move to the King of Pop. Daniel has been quoted as the man who "taught Michael Jackson the moonwalk." * The Renaming: Jackson took the "backslide" and, inspired by the idea of weightlessness and his own cosmic persona, renamed it the Moonwalk. This rebranding was a stroke of marketing genius that elevated the move from a street dance technique to a global cultural phenomenon.

The Global Phenomenon: Michael Jackson’s Iconic Performance

The true history of the Moonwalk cannot be discussed without acknowledging the monumental role of Michael Jackson in its global popularization. While he did not invent the physical steps, he invented the *icon* of the Moonwalk. On March 25, 1983, during the televised special *Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever*, Michael Jackson performed "Billie Jean." Towards the end of the song, he executed the Moonwalk for the first time on a major global stage. The audience reaction was electric, solidifying the move's place in history. Jackson's performance was revolutionary for several reasons: * Technical Mastery: His execution was incredibly smooth, making the illusion of gliding backward appear effortless and magical. He perfected the timing and control, transforming the move from a novelty into a breathtaking piece of choreography. * Cultural Impact: By performing it on a stage celebrating Motown's history, Jackson symbolically connected the new era of pop and street dance with the R&B roots of the music industry. The move instantly became his signature, synonymous with his name and his album *Thriller*. * The Name: The name "Moonwalk" evoked the Apollo space missions and the idea of defying gravity, giving the move a futuristic, otherworldly quality that perfectly matched his image. In the end, the question of "who invented the moonwalk" has a multi-part answer. Adalberto Ramirez "Resortes" and Bill Bailey were the earliest known performers of the physical slide. Marcel Marceau provided the theatrical, mime-based inspiration. Jeffrey Daniel taught Michael Jackson the street-dance version, the backslide. Finally, Michael Jackson took this rich history, perfected the technique, gave it the iconic name "Moonwalk," and launched it into the stratosphere of pop culture. The Moonwalk is not the invention of one person, but a powerful example of how art evolves, with each artist building upon the foundation laid by those who came before. The move remains one of the most recognizable and enduring pieces of choreography in the world.