Floating (dance)

Floating, gliding or sliding refers to a group of footwork-oriented dance techniques and styles closely related to popping, which attempt to create the illusion that the dancer's body is floating smoothly across the floor or that the legs are walking while the body travels in unexpected directions. It's most famous for its use by Michael Jackson and his moonwalk (a.k.a. the "backslide"), but is commonly utilized in popping with much greater variation.

The terms "floating", "gliding" and "sliding" can also be used to refer to more specific areas, though still closely related:

;Floating:"Floating" is a simple traveling technique of alternating between the toe and the heel of the feet to make the body float smoothly across the floor. It is normally performed sideways.cite web | title=Move Lessons | author=Mr. Wiggles | work=Dance Lessons | url=http://www.mrwiggles.biz/move_lessons.htm | accessdate=2006-05-16]

;Gliding:"Gliding" uses the float technique but also adds a push and a pull to cause the feet to glide over the floor, taking up more space and creating a bigger illusion. Gliding can be performed in many directions, but most common are the "sideglide" and the "circleglide".

;Sliding:"Sliding" and "airwalking" are a kind of "walks" that make it appear as if the dancer is walking in the air or on ice, with no friction under their feet, while traveling in unexpected directions. Common sliding moves are the "forward-" and "backslide" (the latter referred to by Michael Jackson as the moonwalk).

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