‘The Moonwalk’ Existed As Far Back As the Late 1800s
Contrary to popular belief, Michael Jackson did not create the 'Moonwalk'.
It goes back to the late 1800s - early 1900s when a similar step called the 'Cake Walk' was demonstrated in some film footage from the 1930s. There is more video proof of it's existence from 1955 when a performer named Bill Bailey did the 'Backslide'.
Dick Van Dyke even did a version of it during a comedy sketch on television in the 1960s. In the 1970s there were other performers who demonstrated this step on television - you can see all these videos below, and see how it all culminated with Michael Jackson in the 1980s.
BILL BAILEY, 1955:
DICK VAN DYKE:
ORIGINS OF THE BACKSLIDE/MOONWALK:
MICHAEL JACKSON AND THE APPEARANCE THAT MADE THE 'MOONWALK/BACKSLIDE' FAMOUS: