The MJ Influence

Like many who were doing the night club scene in the 80's, I danced a lot to Michael Jackson's music. Other than that I can't say he really "influenced" me but he did have a very unexpected influence on one of my offpsring.

You've heard me talk of Mr. Minimal, my giant 13 year old son (almost 6'2", size 14 shoe etc. etc). Like my other two, he has a touch of the performer in him - the Ball & Chain says it's my genes, but he cannot be serious! Me - dramatic? The very thought! Mr. M and the Queenager (3 years older) had the entire performance of Riverdance down pat when they were little. Every time I sat down to rest my weary bones they sprang into action and wouldn't stop until the entire rendition was done!

I remember watching the Jackson 5 Reunion show years ago with them both, and when Michael did the "Beat It' song with all those West Side Story looking dancers, Mr. M leapt up and said he wanted to do that. I explained that they were all trained dancers, and was promptly instructed to sign him up for ballet. (The Queenager had been going for years so he knew the school and the drill.) My huge 7 year old did ballet for two years and didn't give a hoot that he was the only boy in class. He gallopped round like a baby elephant and giving the arm movements just a hint of a golf swing just for fun. When baseball finally proved too much of a clash with the ballet lessons, he sent a tearful letter to his teacher explaining his dilemna - then promptly signed up for tap for a couple of years.

Here he is (was) at that tender age, paying homage to Michael just before bed time :


There was never any danger/chance of him becoming a dancer but I like to think it gave him a broader outlook and turned him into the Renaissance man (as they say here) that he now is. He plays violin, (actually they switched him to viola because his hands are huge) and guitar, golf and baseball. Well-rounded I think you'd call it. Don't get me wrong, he will also sit in front of Xbox or You Tube all day if you let him, and he doesn't move unless he absolutely has to. This summer however, he's being the all-American boy on the baseball diamond.