Affirmation- I claim my body as my own

This "classic sit" is MJ's most popular position. It's the starting pose of "Billy Jean" and other in lots of choreography. Bend one knee deeply and rest the other toe to the side. Do not "turn out" your legs, but keep them in parallel.

Affirmation- I am centered and grounded to Mother Earth

Warm up for this pose-

It's good to stretch your quads before doing this pose. Stand on one foot (you can hold a chair for balance) Hold your other foot behind you with the knee bent and gently pull your foot toward the back of your leg. Try to keep your knees together.

Also- stretch your "turn out" muscles by getting into the grand plie in
2nd position (shown in the video) and gently press your knees open with
your hands or forearms. 

When you are in this position remember to keep your knees pushed open to the side so they are bent over your toes (not in front of them) and bend your knees deeply.

Affirmation- I stand firm in my power

Think of being a flamenco dancer in this pose and really thrust your energy upward. Get into the pose as fast as you can, then move out of it quickly, too.

Affirmation- "V" is for Victory of my Spirit

Make sure the bottom of both feet are on the floor. From this pose it's easy to spin out of it by unwinding your self toward the back leg. Experiment with different combinations of steps!

Affirmation- I turn inward to find my truth

Use a mirror for this pose to be sure you are getting right angles in your arm and hand. Keep your body weight slightly forward on your toes to free up your heels to flick open to the side.

Affirmation- I am open to receive The Light

When you lean back, only lean with your upper body, keep your pelvis straight under you and your belly tight. Arch your body from the waist up and hold energy in the legs to stay grounded. Feel the light of God (Spirit, Goddess, The Divine etc) shining on you! Feel your self opening to source energy.

Affirmation- I acknowledge those who are beside me.

MJ Lyric reminder:

"You are not alone, I am here with you, though we are apart, You're always in my heart"

To start this arm point you can use the scoop action that will be taught in lecture #15.

Really lean sideways into this pose and crunch your waist toward the lifted arm.

Affirmation- I skip joyfully through life

You gotta have some attitude with this traveling move! It's a fun step but not too bouncy, stay more grounded than "up". Really drop down when you land on the forward leg.

Affirmation- I connect deeply to the ground beneath me in celebration

The sound on this video is low, my apologies! 

MJ did this traveling step in the video Black or White when he was dancing with the Native Americans on the platform in the desert.

When you toss your head back also try to arch your body back. Curve forward with the two heel dig hops. This is a very difficult move to perfect and requires core strength and spine flexibility. Be careful of your neck when tossing your head back so you don't strain your neck muscles. 

Please warm up your entire body before doing this "full out".

Affirmation- I kick away all that does not serve my highest good

Stay very planted on your standing leg with the knee bent for this kick and flick the working leg out with a "snap". Be careful not to jam your knee. After the kick bring the foot back in toward you with the leg still up (this is when you can hit your thigh with an open hand or fist) and hold that for a moment then drop the foot to a point.

Affirmation- I send obstacles flying away from me

Stay strong on your standing leg for this kick, don't let the swinging leg throw you off balance. Loosen up the hip so your leg can swing through. Practice standing on one leg for a while and get the feeling of the other leg swinging like a pendulum with the knee bent. 

This one takes more practice than the first kick!

Affirmation- I spin as easily as the cosmos, in a dance of the Universe

Spinning takes practice! Just work on a single spin which is really just a 3/4 spin since you prep facing 1/4 way around.

After you cross your back leg over your standing leg, keep it close to you so your center of balance is tight. Hold your core muscles and be sure to get all the way around. Don't twist your body away from the direction you are turning. If you are turning right, take the left side of your body with you and keep your arms right in front of you.

The tendency with turns is to leave part of your self behind. Take all of your body (arms, back, shoulders) with you when turning.

Affirmation- I energize my body from within

The most important thing to remember with a pelvic thrust is to keep your standing leg bent. Do not straighten the leg you are on, it looks weird! Stay in the"'classic sit" position. Review that pose in lecture 2. Your quad muscle will be working like crazy in this position. It only appears you are initiating the thrust with your hand, but you are using your abs like in a "crunch". 

MJ does this move in the beginning of Billy Jean to the beat of the drum.

Affirmation- Life may take me to unexpected places. I am willing to go there

There is a lot to put together in this move.

1. Scoop the air to a right hand point while pointing the same foot away from you on the ground. Sit back into your left hip.

2. Bring your right leg next to your left and shift your weight from your left leg to the right leg and extend your left leg into a classic sit. At the same time move your right hand to the back of the head and the left hand goes to your privates.

Affirmation- I take risks and I succeed

Warning- Practice balancing on your toes while holding a chair or counter top. Keep your ankles straight and strong and knees together. Be sure you have shoes that support your weight and keep your balance (I used to be a ballet dancer and it takes years to learn how to dance on point!) 

Note- My arms were out in this demo, but it's better to pull your arms in next to you with fists at your hips or hands in pockets (takes practice!). See attached pic of MJ.

Affirmation- I am open to all of life's experiences

This move is super cool when done really fast, but practice slowly so you get the weight shift from toes to heels (just for a moment) then onto the whole foot in your 2nd position plie.

1. Stand with your legs parallel just wider than your hips.

2. Heels flick outward.

2. Shift off of your toes to the heels (really quickly) and open the toes out to the side. You should end up in a wide 2nd position with knees bent. (plie')

Affirmation- I dance with joy throughout my life

Remember that when your feet are in the open position they are both "turned out", so your toes are away from center. This is similar to a 1st position in ballet.

Always alternate your weight from right toe and left heel, to left toe and right heel. Once you get this step it's really fun! Add a bounce in the knees every time you open and every time you switch weight.

Affirmation- I am grounded to the Earth, but also flexible

Warm up your shoulders well before you do this move using shoulder circles and also stretch your neck. If you are not getting the circular motion in the body it's ok to just accent the shoulders.

Affirmation- I am able to shift my position as needed

First get the feet action, shifting from one foot to the other while flicking the heels away from you. 

Then add the hip rock, then lastly the figure 8 in the arms. 

The hand will want to do its own thing (as you may have noticed mine did after about 5 figure eights!) You need to control the upper and lower portion of your body and practice them separately, then put it all together.

Affirmation- Even though I'm sliding backwards, I keep my site on what's ahead

This will be your trickiest and most brilliant move! Practice slowly, then add speed and smoothness. Remember to keep the gliding foot with the heel down on the ground and don't lift the heel until you switch your weight to the back foot. Keep the gliding leg completely straight. The sharper you make "the switch", the more it looks like you are taking a step. It's an illusion! 

Once you get the legs moon walking you can add your head (not shown in this video). You will thrust your head forward keeping it level to the ground (like a chicken) with every other glide backwards. (one head thrust per two glides)

You can also add a smooth arm gesture with one arm only. While you are gliding back on the left leg, glide your right arm forward with the arm straight, thumb leading, then pull it back with a slight bend and the elbow leading back.

Now that you know lots of poses, moves and grooves, you can combine them in any order you want.

For instance

1. Side to side rock, happy feet, kick, spin, toe stand

2. Ole',  spin, scoop to point, classic sit, pelvic thrust

3. Heel flick, shoulder rock, spin and receive the light pose

4. Skip, spin, moonwalk, spin, toe stand

Play with all the moves and different ways to combine them until they feel natural. Make a game with your friends of someone calling out the moves and challenge the others to dance them. Be creative!

Congratulations! You've come to the end of your tutorial, but you are just beginning your journey into MJ dance moves. It takes a lot of practice to get these steps smooth, so practice! 

2nd level training will be coming soon. Shoot me a message which dance you want to learn and if you want a make-up tutorial. 

I love you more,

DEV as MJ