Michael Jackson wanted to recreate one of the most memorable moments from "Smooth Criminal" during his live performances. The solution was part dance, part engineering — and part stage illusion.
That wonderfully theatrical phrase is the actual title of U.S. Patent No. 5,255,452, granted in 1993 to inventors Michael J. Jackson, Michael L. Bush and Dennis Tompkins.
THE IMPOSSIBLE LEAN
Fans of Michael Jackson's 1988 "Smooth Criminal" short film will remember one particularly impossible-looking moment. Jackson and his dancers lean dramatically forward, carrying their bodies far beyond the point where they should be able to maintain their balance.
The original filmed effect was accomplished using cables connected to harnesses worn by the dancers. That worked for a carefully staged film, but it created a problem when Jackson wanted to incorporate the same dramatic movement into live performances. Connecting and disconnecting cables during a show would interfere with the choreography and restrict the performers' movement.
Jackson, costume designer Michael L. Bush and designer Dennis Tompkins developed a different solution.
A DANCE MOVE BECOMES AN INVENTION
Their invention used specially designed footwear that could temporarily engage with a mechanism built into the stage. Once engaged, the system provided additional support as the performer leaned forward beyond his normal center of gravity.
The shoes could then be disengaged, allowing the performer to continue moving normally around the stage.
The patent describes the purpose of the invention as creating an "anti-gravity illusion" for entertainment. In other words, although audiences knew Michael Jackson primarily as a singer and dancer, the problem he and his collaborators were solving was essentially a classic problem of stage magic: how do you make something apparently impossible happen in front of a live audience?
THE PATENT
MAGIC, ENGINEERING AND SHOW BUSINESS
The patented system didn't eliminate the physical demands of the movement. The dancers still needed strength, balance and precise choreography. What the invention provided was a practical way to create the extraordinary visual effect as part of a live stage performance.
That's what makes Michael Jackson's patent such an interesting piece of magic history. It wasn't a conventional magician's prop, but it used the same combination of engineering, concealment, theatrical presentation and audience perception that illusionists have relied upon for generations.
The patent is part of the official U.S. patent record. It may have been created for a pop concert rather than a traditional magic show, but its stated purpose says it all: creating an anti-gravity illusion.
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