In 1987, Michael Jackson broke the laws of physics.
In “Smooth Criminal,” he leaned 45° forward and didn’t fall.
For 30 years, no one knew how he did it.
Until a team of neurosurgeons revealed his secret.
Here’s the story.🧵 https://t.co/pMY4BOGcYj
1. The scene was not a camera trick.
Jackson was truly leaning forward, almost suspended in the air.
No dancer could replicate it.
The human limit was 30°. He took it to 45°. https://t.co/JQaK4hSsnB
2. The mystery lasted decades.
Fans, dancers, and scientists debated theories:
Superhuman strength?
Invisible cables?
Magic? https://t.co/ZRCpn3NHLM
3. In 2018, a group of neurosurgeons from the Institute of Medical Education in India published the response in the Journal of Neurosurgery.
The key:
Shoes.
But not just any kind. https://t.co/mps4cYmmIr
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4. Each shoe had a V-shaped notch in the heel.
On the stage, a nail protruded at the exact spot.
The shoe would fit and lock the foot in place. https://t.co/JXm51PxQfz
5. Thus, the weight did not fall solely on the torso.
It was distributed to the Achilles tendon and the spine, allowing the impossible angle.
But there was a second ingredient. https://t.co/eGBHe4NE5W
6. Michael had an extraordinary core and back strength.
Even with the special shoe, an average dancer would get injured trying to reach 45°. https://t.co/27bLAAnLUN
7. Before patenting the system, MJ used cables and waist harnesses.
But he wanted something that could be taken on tours and live stages without obvious tricks. https://t.co/JUR4uPZ5wd
8. The inspiration came from an unexpected place:
The astronauts' boots, which hook onto a surface to work in zero gravity. https://t.co/8Ic2dCGf1D
9. The result was an invention that combined engineering, biomechanics, and spectacle.
A choreography that defied logic and became iconic. https://t.co/7E8gWuDoC5
10. The patent was registered in the name of Michael and two collaborators.
Even today, it remains one of the most talked-about stage tricks in the history of music. https://t.co/Iu8xXM3BMa
11. Genius lies not only in what you do, but in how you do it to make it seem impossible.
That was Michael Jackson’s “lean.” https://t.co/ob5jWQ0MoS
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