A dancer’s shoes

Dance · Fashion
  Zaldy, the trendy costume designer for Michael Jackson’s aptly named  “This is It” tour, speaks in the film’s DVD-extras about the custom loafers he created for the singer-dancer. The designer describes how he knocked off the cut and dimension of [hundreds of] loafers that [Jackson told Zaldy], “I can dance in.” Michael Jackson was ...

Michael Jackson’s gold trousers

Dance · Fashion · Film · Music
Google michael jackson gold trousers. There are a bunch of images. It’s a look he liked, and it reminds me of the Yellow Brick Road. At left, the gold sequined pants he dons so terrifically in the rehearsal documentary, “This is It.” I saw the film last weekend and was thunderstruck by how talented and ...

MJ, not dying, not depressed, in “This is It”

Dance · Film · Music
We spent the last two years thinking that on some level Michael Jackson wanted out. A disaster was heading his way in the form of the humongous London tour he was embarking upon. This is what we assumed. It is therefore startling to see in Kenny Ortega’s wonderful rehearsal documentary, “This is It,” Jackson working ...

Michael Jackson rehearses “Billie Jean,” “Human Nature,” from “This is It”

Dance · Film · Music
Two years plus after Michael Jackson died, I finally had the heart to rent this film.  This is only a portion of “Billie Jean” and he’s just sketching, but good god what an original mover. The clip below just heartbreaking. What a waste.   Like this? Read more: Death of a Great Dancer