Video: Michael Jackson Dies, A Look at His Lean Illusion

Michael Jackson died today, and since I grew up with the man who many would argue is one of the greatest entertainers of all time, I thought we’d do a tribute to one of the cooler pieces of tech that played into his dance moves. If you remember the Smooth Criminal Michael Jackson video, he did an amazing lean. We know the video used special effects to make that look as good as it did, but he also incorporated that lean into his live show.

In the video above, you see that Michael and his dancers have special shoes that seem to hook into the stage, allowing them to lean. Notice how one of his backup dancers gets his foot stuck and has to shake it loose afterwards.

We’ll miss you, Michael.