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.🧵
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°.
2. The mystery lasted decades.
Fans, dancers, and scientists debated theories:
Superhuman strength?
Invisible cables?
Magic?
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.
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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.
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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.
6. Michael had an extraordinary core and back strength.
Even with the special shoe, an average dancer would get injured trying to reach 45°.
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.
8. The inspiration came from an unexpected place:
The astronauts' boots, which hook onto a surface to work in zero gravity.
9. The result was an invention that combined engineering, biomechanics, and spectacle.
A choreography that defied logic and became iconic.
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.
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.”
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