Smooth Criminal Project

The Technical Direction III class (finally) finished their "Smooth Criminal" project today. The assignment was to design and fabricate a rig allowing them to demonstrate the leaning maneuver the dancers do in the video.

Tech Design Project #1 – Smooth Criminal

Everyone was marginally successful. I'm not sure anyone had the process they wanted, and I doubt if they had to do the thing professionally if any of them would transfer their solution completely; but overall the results were positive.


We discovered that this move really strains your back (we were expecting more abs). Jimmy demonstrates it's much easier to go side to side:


Also we found that really the most difficult part of the project is more about modifying shoes not intended for the task than anything having to do with the anchor, interface, or control.

It'd take quite a bit of practice to get the whole lean to the left, travel to the right and then stand straight at the end kind of sweeping motion. A couple of them tried it, but nobody really had it down and Naomi looked like she had it, and then:



That's the kind of thing that coulda ended at the hospital, but didn't, so it's hysterical. What happens that you can't see is the boot upper tearing free of the sole. Better that than your leg snapping mid-calf. Really this project is all about the shoes.

Anyway, big fun. Not sure if I'll assign it again.