So he can sing, but can he dance? Below is PPcorn’s top 5 dancing male musicians with serious moves. We had room for five this time, around, so honorable mentions go to The Temptations, Justin Timberlake, David Bowie, Chris Brown, Prince and Ricky Martin. Who do you think should be on the list? Make your suggestion in the comments below.
Number Five: Usher. Usher can probably do any dance move you ask him to, so it’s hard to decided which is his signature, although he is well known for the slide glide (inspired by moonwalk). He’s also got the jerk, the pop and lock, the dougie, the two-step, the walk it out, the Cupid shuffle, stanky leg, Spongebob dance, and – need I go on?
Number Four: Mick Jagger. Mick Jagger’s wiggle hips have been the subject of pop song lyrics even. The Hip-Hawk is a swagger that has yet to be successfully imitated by another artist. So far, they all only have their own renditions of it. Go ahead and try yourself; stand on tiptoe, arms up, out, hips sway lazily (but in time to the music) left to right, and keep it all separate from any other body movement. You can’t do it, can you? Think of those inflatable dancing man balloons outside of music festivals and car dealerships.
Number Three: James Brown. James Brown is famous for all of his crazy dance moves, but is most well known for his splits trick and the camel walk. The forward traveling slide (otherwise known as camel walking) had been around for ages, but Brown’s version of it added speed and a kind of popping move to it. The split is tricky because the hard part isn’t going down, it’s coming back up in one fluid movement. You have to be quick, strong, and flexible to pull this move off. Especially in the inner thigh area. Also in Brown’s dance repertoire are the Boogaloo, the funky chicken, and the mashed potato.
Number One: Elvis Presley. Elvis the gyrator. Elvis’s pelvis certainly moved fans (and parents of fans) during the 1950’s. His signature “Rebel Legs” move was first seen on the Ed Sullivan Show, where Elvis was reportedly so nervous to perform that he stood up on the balls of his feet and bounced slightly, which created a gyrating effect in the neat pleated crease of his baggy pants. Fans were screaming as Elvis sang. When he got offstage, Elvis asked why people were so mad at him. Scotty Moore told him, “It was your leg man. It was the way you were shaking your left leg.” When a reporter later asked him if he thought he might get rid of that “wiggle” Elvis replied, “Well, sir, you take the wiggle out of it, and it’s finished.”