to move up and down
Album art for Earth, Wind, and Fire’s 1979 album I Am, by Shusei Nagaoka.
Rock Steady by Aretha Franklin, Soul Train 1971
Today the world lost Don Cornelius after he took his own life. It’s a sad way to go for someone whose life was built on the joys of music and dancing. Here’s a great video of how he’ll be remembered.
Here’s Michael performing his classic song on a Diana Ross TV special in 1981. The two of them were supposedly great friends, and I think it’s obvious from the interaction they have at the end of the video when Diana does an impromptu duet with Michael where they spend more time dancing then singing.
Watching Michael dance is still incredible to me. He moves so efortlessly. I don’t know if this was choreographed or not, but I feel like it wasn’t, and that he was just doing what he felt. I enjoy watching him dance from this period more so than his dancing during the mid-80s and forward. Something happened after the release of Thriller where his moves became much more aggressive and choppy, and even his facial expression changed. He no longer had that look of pure joy, replacing it with a look of anger and intensity. He seems so much more at ease here.
