Smooth Criminal Choreography

The "Smooth Criminal" routine is a story told in movement, set in a smoky nightclub where Jackson and a crew of dancers move as one crisp unit. It first reached audiences in the 1988 film Moonwalker. The dance mixes gangster-film cool with tight ensemble timing: white suits, fedoras, a slow menacing walk, and bursts of synchronized action. Its most talked-about moment is the anti-gravity lean, when the whole group tips far forward and holds. Jackson drew on the look of old Hollywood musicals, especially the elegance of Fred Astaire, and updated it with harder edges. The result is one of his most cinematic dances, part choreography, part short film, and a favorite target for recreation by dancers everywhere.

The routine relies on unison work, with a line of dancers hitting the same shapes at the same instant, broken by Jackson's solo flourishes. Elements include a slow rhythmic strut, hat throws and catches, sharp turns, and freezes on the beat. The centerpiece anti-gravity lean uses a specially engineered shoe and stage rig for live shows, and wires on film, letting the dancers tilt forward past the normal balance point. Clean group timing and stillness between hits give the piece its tension. This is a description of the staged routine, not a training guide.

The choreography was built for the Moonwalker film release around the song, drawing on Jackson's love of classic movie musicals. To perform the lean on tour without wires, Jackson and two collaborators developed the patented shoe system covered by US Patent 5,255,452. The routine became a fixture of his later tours and one of the pieces most associated with his stage persona.

"Smooth Criminal" stands among Jackson's most imitated dances, from talent shows to professional tributes. Its white suit and lean are instantly recognizable, and the anti-gravity moment is often the first thing casual fans mention. The routine deepened his reputation for turning songs into short, stylish films built around movement.