How to Spin Like Michael Jackson

Getting Ready

Put on comfortable clothes. You may want to dress up later, but start with comfortable clothes to begin with. Very tight clothes restrict your movement and make it difficult to practice. Wear a pair of loose pants, sweatpants, or leggings. Put on any type of shirt that you feel comfortable wearing. Workout or dance attire is ideal while you’re practicing.

Put on some music. It’s much easier to practice the spin when you have some music on to motivate you. Ideally, you should put on a Michael Jackson song since he was the one to popularize the spin. Songs like “Billie Jean” and “Smooth Criminal” could work well. If you can’t find a Michael Jackson song or don’t want to practice to one of his songs, then put on any sing that you enjoy dancing to. Keep in mind that the spin may not be recognized if you don’t do it to a Jackson song.

Watch Michael Jackson videos. The best way to learn about spinning like Michael Jackson is by watching the man himself. You can look up videos on YouTube of Jackson spinning. Full length videos of his hits, like Billie Jean and Smooth criminal, are available to watch. You can also watch spin compilations if you only want to specifically focus on examples of the spin.

Practicing the Spin

Practice on a smooth floor. Michael Jackson couldn’t have done his famous spin on the wrong type of flooring. Some floors can be dangerous to spin on and promote injury. For example, a carpeted floor would not be easy to spin on, and it could aid injury. Outside environments, like the grass and sidewalk would not work well either. A smooth, concrete floor, linoleum floor, and wooden floors would be possible to spin on. The type of floor in a dance studio is ideal.

Start by facing front. Begin by facing the front of whatever room you are in. Stand with your back straight. Put your left hand on your stomach, right arm at your side, and right foot about six inches behind your left. This is the stance you will begin with. Stand with your left foot back and right foot front if you want to spin in the opposite direction.

Kick your right foot to the front. Bring your right foot quickly to your left in a slight kicking motion. The foot should land on the left side of your left foot. Your legs will be crossed. Your left foot will be flat on the ground, and the right foot will be in demi-pointe. Demi-pointe means rising up onto the ball of your foot. Your heel should be off of the ground in this position.

Bring your right arm over your left arm. Begin turning your right shoulder to the left side of the room. When your body is no longer facing front, cross your arms over your body. Crossing your arms will help you spin.

Spin on the ball of your left foot. When you begin to spin, left your left heel off of the ground slightly. You don’t have to lift it very high off of the ground. Only lift it enough so that the weight is on the ball of your left foot. On your right foot, lift your toes off of the ground. Your weight should be on your heel. Your right heel should be off of the ground if you’re spinning in the opposite direction.

Use force to help you spin. Practice the spin a few times very slowly to get the motions down. Once you understand the mechanics of the spin, you will need to use force to help you spin quickly. Gather the momentum for your spin by using force when you kick your right leg forward and cross it over your left leg. Moving your right shoulder to the left will help with the momentum of the spin as well.

Finish by separating your feet. Once you start to lose balance or turn quickly, uncross and separate your feet. If you are having trouble stopping, stomp your right foot on the ground for a firm stop. Don’t keep your legs crossed when you are finished spinning because you could easily lose balance.

Watch yourself in the mirror. It might be difficult to watch yourself while initially learning the spin, but watch yourself once you have learned the basic motion. Watching yourself in the mirror is the best way to see what you’re doing wrong and right. Record yourself while practicing with a smartphone, camera, or video recorder to get a better look at yourself later.

Perfecting the Spin

Have a good attitude. While you are practicing the spin, keep a positive attitude. Michael Jackson most likely put a lot of work into perfecting his spin. He also had the help of choreographers and an optimal setting. Keep this in mind if you grow frustrated with spinning during the learning and practicing process. Once you have learned the spin, maintain a confident attitude and look on your face to pull off the Michael Jackson persona.

Work on multiple spins. Work on a single spin at first. Practice and carry out the single spin until you are confident you have perfected it. Try two spins when you are bored with a single spin. You can achieve multiple spins by increasing the force of the kick and tightening your abdominal muscles as you turn. A smooth floor and smooth shoe soles helps you achieve the multiple spins.

Dress up like Michael Jackson. You can dress up like Michael Jackson while you’re practicing to achieve the right mindset, or you can dress up like him to show off your newly learned move. Michael Jackson had a lot of looks, but choose a look that would be highly recognizable. Wear a white button-up shirt, black pants (as tight or loose as you’re comfortable with), and a black blazer. Wear black dress shoes that you have practiced spinning in. To finish the look, wear one, glittery or sequined glove on your right hand. A white or silver glove is ideal.