As the Jackson Five’s young frontman, Michael Jackson was everyone’s darling. And then as a solo entertainer, he skyrocketed to the top of the charts. His 1979 album “Off the Wall” spawned four top singles (including “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Rock with You”). He outdid himself with his 1982 opus Thriller. But on March 25, 1983, on the television special “Motown 25: Yesterday Today Forever,” Jackson sealed his status as a pop phenomenon when he performed the Thriller song “Billie Jean.” He looked every bit the star with his fedora and sequins, but it was a dance move that mesmerized the audience. In a visual illusion, Jackson walked forward while moving back. He dubbed the gravity-defying step the Moonwalk. It was actually a variation on a three-year-old move called the Backslide. Michael Jackson had first seen the step on “Soul Train” and reportedly paid one of the program’s dancers a thousand bucks to teach him how it was done. It became Jackson’s signature move and sparked renewed interest in Thriller, the biggest selling album of all time.

Do you want to take a stab at the Moonwalk? Here’s a set of instructions from one of Michael’s fan sites.