Ann Arbor man carries on dancing tribute to Michael Jackson
<!-- m -->http://vimeo.com/5368297<!-- m -->
great story. there is also a video.
Ann Arbor man carries on dancing tribute to Michael Jackson with heavy heart
Published: Saturday, June 27, 2009, 9:35 PM Updated: Sunday, June 28, 2009, 10:01 AM
Geoff S. Larcom
Brian Woolridge danced Saturday, as he has during so many weekend summer afternoons in downtown Ann Arbor.
There he was, a familiar figure doing his dazzling impression of Michael Jackson in the backlit alley on Liberty Street, just west of the Michigan Theater.
But Saturday was different. The quick, electrifying moves were the same, as was the music, blaring from a boom box set beside a shoe box for donations.
But Jackson was dead, and Woolridge carried a heavy heart into the routines he's cherished since he began dancing in the alley 14 years ago.
Woolridge, 37, a 1990 graduate of Huron High School who lives across from Arborland, recalls dancing to Jackson's tunes at a very young age. In 1995, he began performing in the shaded, covered alley, a perfect setting for the strutting and flourishes that typify many of Jackson's songs.
NewsBrian Woolridge gets emotional as he talks about the recent death of Michael Jackson.
A man of few words, Woolridge says he finds dancing a powerful release, a way to express emotion while emulating his idol. His favorite song is Jackson's remake of the Beatles' classic, "Come Together."
For years, passersby have marveled at how he replicates Jackson's moves, including the star's trademark moonwalk. Saturday was no different. Crowds ranging from a few people to more than a dozen would gather for a song and then applaud at its finish.
As Shoshana Rubenstein of Ann Arbor looked on from across the street, she explained to her 9-year-old son, Blake, what Jackson meant to the many people who watched him mature from a child prodigy who performed with his brothers to a mesmerizing worldwide solo star.
"I grew up with this," Rubenstein said as Woolridge poured himself into another song. "It's really heart-wrenching."
Blake was simply impressed. "He's good," he said.
Woolridge said he's endured tough times in recent months. He formerly worked in the produce section at an area Meijer store, but is now drawing unemployment. He said he plans to seek a new job this summer, but he'll also dance through the Ann Arbor art fairs in mid-July.
He said he found out about Jackson's death when he went into a record store Thursday to buy one of his CDs. He saw the news on a TV and left the store. He didn't want to hear any more bad news about his hero.
He said he cried into Friday, though he felt comforted by friends and family who conveyed their sympathy throughout the day.
As people review Jackson's mixed legacy, Woolridge hopes they focus on his performances and not his struggles that garnered headlines in recent years.
"I hope when people talk about him now, it will be something positive," Woolridge said.
He arrived at the alley around 10:30 a.m. Saturday and danced into the late afternoon. He said he'd return today to perform some more.
"I appreciate people enjoying my dancing over the years," he said in his soft voice, before putting in another CD.
great story. there is also a video.
Ann Arbor man carries on dancing tribute to Michael Jackson with heavy heart
Published: Saturday, June 27, 2009, 9:35 PM Updated: Sunday, June 28, 2009, 10:01 AM
Geoff S. Larcom
Brian Woolridge danced Saturday, as he has during so many weekend summer afternoons in downtown Ann Arbor.
There he was, a familiar figure doing his dazzling impression of Michael Jackson in the backlit alley on Liberty Street, just west of the Michigan Theater.
But Saturday was different. The quick, electrifying moves were the same, as was the music, blaring from a boom box set beside a shoe box for donations.
But Jackson was dead, and Woolridge carried a heavy heart into the routines he's cherished since he began dancing in the alley 14 years ago.
Woolridge, 37, a 1990 graduate of Huron High School who lives across from Arborland, recalls dancing to Jackson's tunes at a very young age. In 1995, he began performing in the shaded, covered alley, a perfect setting for the strutting and flourishes that typify many of Jackson's songs.
NewsBrian Woolridge gets emotional as he talks about the recent death of Michael Jackson.
A man of few words, Woolridge says he finds dancing a powerful release, a way to express emotion while emulating his idol. His favorite song is Jackson's remake of the Beatles' classic, "Come Together."
For years, passersby have marveled at how he replicates Jackson's moves, including the star's trademark moonwalk. Saturday was no different. Crowds ranging from a few people to more than a dozen would gather for a song and then applaud at its finish.
As Shoshana Rubenstein of Ann Arbor looked on from across the street, she explained to her 9-year-old son, Blake, what Jackson meant to the many people who watched him mature from a child prodigy who performed with his brothers to a mesmerizing worldwide solo star.
"I grew up with this," Rubenstein said as Woolridge poured himself into another song. "It's really heart-wrenching."
Blake was simply impressed. "He's good," he said.
Woolridge said he's endured tough times in recent months. He formerly worked in the produce section at an area Meijer store, but is now drawing unemployment. He said he plans to seek a new job this summer, but he'll also dance through the Ann Arbor art fairs in mid-July.
He said he found out about Jackson's death when he went into a record store Thursday to buy one of his CDs. He saw the news on a TV and left the store. He didn't want to hear any more bad news about his hero.
He said he cried into Friday, though he felt comforted by friends and family who conveyed their sympathy throughout the day.
As people review Jackson's mixed legacy, Woolridge hopes they focus on his performances and not his struggles that garnered headlines in recent years.
"I hope when people talk about him now, it will be something positive," Woolridge said.
He arrived at the alley around 10:30 a.m. Saturday and danced into the late afternoon. He said he'd return today to perform some more.
"I appreciate people enjoying my dancing over the years," he said in his soft voice, before putting in another CD.
Comments