How To Pull Off The Michael Jackson Side Slide

Step 1: You will need

Step 2: Starting position

Stand with your back straight and your chin up. Place your feet shoulder width apart and pointing diagonally outwards.

Step 3: First move

Bend your left leg at the knee and in the direction that your foot is pointing while raising your left heel off the floor.
Keep your body upright and straight. You should feel the muscles in your left thigh working as they take your weight.

Step 4: The Pivot

You are now going to pivot on your left toe and right heel, so that both your toes are pointing inwards.

Step 5: Leg snap

Your left knee will be bent and your right straight. Snap your left knee back and your right knee forward so that this is reversed. Snap! Snap!

Step 6: Right ankle

To prepare for the sliding motion you should turn your right heel in towards the other leg while keeping your toe in contact with the floor.

Step 7: The Slide

You are now going to use your right foot to slide to the left. As you push off, turn your left foot in the direction that it's sliding and take the weight onto your left toes to stop the slide.

Step 8: Heel drag

Next drag your right heel towards your left foot while pivoting on you left toes. Your heel should slide along 'into' the floor in a straight line.

Step 9: Toe flip

At the end of the heel-slide flip your foot so that your toes are touching the floor and your heel is raised.

Step 10: Second slide

From this position you are now going to push off into another slide. Push down and into the floor with your right foot while sliding your left foot away. Remember to point your left toe in the direction you are travelling and keep your back upright and straight at all times.

Step 11: Heel drag

Repeat the heel drag as before by sliding your heel inwards to the left while pivoting your left toe inwards. At the end of the movement flip your toes down and your heel up once more.

Step 12: Join it up

You now have all the necessary foot work to pull this off but next you have to join it up into one continuous line by repeating these moves to build up speed and smoothness.

Step 13: The Arms

To complete the look add some upper body movement. Keep your arms straight and bring them to the front of your body with your fingers pointing outward and your palms parallel to the floor. Next move your arms up and down from the shoulder. Add in a rotation so that your arms look like pistons driving the motion in the rest of your body.

Step 14: The head

Keep your back straight and make a circular movement in a clockwise direction with your head. Be careful not to jerk your neck. This movement should be smooth and steady.

Step 15: Practise

Now all you need is some practice. Don't worry if you don't get the Michael Jackson side slide straight away. It won't be long until you've nailed the dance and can use your sweet new moves to impress friends and family.