GRAVITY-DEFYING dance moves by the late, great Michael Jackson have been explained in a new Journal of Neurosurgery paper authored by scientists from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India.
The music video for Jackson's song Smooth Criminal shows him leaning from the ankle at a 45 degree angle while keeping his body completely straight.
A BBC report quotes the researchers saying many have tried to copy the move, but warned it requires extreme core strength as well as specially designed shoes which linked into a "hitch member" (a nail in the floor) allowing him to lean further forward (pictured).
The mechanism, which was patented by the music superstar, was apparently inspired by boots worn by US astronauts, which can be docked to a rail to allow them to work in zero gravity.
However even knowing the secret, extreme strength is required in the lower leg and spine, and "the chances of injury to the ankle are significant.
"Several MJ fans, including the authors, have tried to copy this move and failed, often injuring themselves in their endeavours," the paper concluded.
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