ACCRA, Sept 19 (The African Portal) – Jeffrey Daniel, a legendary dancer and member of Shalamar, has revealed how he introduced Michael Jackson to the moonwalk, in an interview on Thursday with Channels TV.
Daniel is widely recognised as a pioneer of dance in pop music and is credited with popularising the backslide – a move that later became Jackson’s signature moonwalk – to mainstream audiences.
Before joining Shalamar, Daniel formed the dance group Eclipse, which showcased his choreography on shows such as Soul Train.
He recalled that Jackson first noticed him performing the move in 1979 on Soul Train while he was with 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,” Daniel said.
The following year, Jackson went to watch Daniel’s group perform at Disneyland.
“He brought little Janet Jackson and they stood in the wing and watched us dance. Then he asked me to teach him to dance,” Daniel remembered.
Over the years, Daniel worked closely with Jackson, choreographing iconic music videos including Beat It and Smooth Criminal. He also travelled with him to Brazil for They Don’t Really Care About Us, and contributed to Ghosts.
“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 revealed a personal connection to the King of Pop, explaining that they later discovered they were cousins.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Michael Jackson, often hailed as the King of Pop, revolutionised global music and dance with his groundbreaking performances, choreography and record-breaking albums, including Thriller, which remains the best-selling album of all time.
Daniel’s choreography was instrumental in shaping the visual and performance style that helped define Jackson’s career.
