Throughout his 76-year-long career, Fred Astaire had ample time to inspire the generations of artists to come… and that he did. His moves were so precise, so exact, that watching him move was like nothing else. He was a perfectionist, and it really showed in every TV and film appearance.
It's no wonder that Michael Jackson fell under Astaire's spell. While they might seem like two totally different performers to you… give it a second glance. Astaire was one of the biggest stars of his time, as was Jackson. Dance was a major part of both of their careers, which both spanned huge portions of their respective lives. Once you make the connection between the two, it's almost impossible to not see Astaire's movement in Michael Jackson's performances.
When you look at them side by side in this video, you see that Jackson mirrored his inspiration right down to the black strip on a cream-colored fedora. While MJ adds a modern twist to his version of the dance, both are extremely precise, enthralling, and innovative. With their slim frames which allowed them to move about so gracefully, both of these men had an unconventional charm to them that came along with their talent, too.
It wasn't just the dance moves, costumes, and physicality that inspired Jackson… he even used some of the lines straight from Fred Astaire's films!
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