Groom Steals The Show With His Slick Dance Moves To ‘Smooth Criminal’

Jun 23, 2021 by apost team

These days, it is popular to have a special dance to entertain guests at your wedding. This is a great chance to express individuality and creativity on this special day. In a viral video from 2011, the groom, Jeff Loehrke, amazed the guests at his wedding with his dance performance to Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal." 

The wedding of Jeff and Cara Loehrke took place on July 16, 2011, and the video of the performance has since gone viral on YouTube with over 11 million views. The video begins with Jeff alone on the dance floor, wearing his white shirt and jacket and a white hat. The groom does a great job of looking serious and in the right headspace for his performance. There are no signs of nerves, and as soon as he begins dancing, you can see why: Jeff is an extremely good dancer!

After dancing solo for a bit, Jeff was joined by two other gentlemen, and the three danced together in unison. The effect was quite impressive and really shows all of the hard work they must have put into practice for the performance. Even with the support of the other dancers, Jeff is still the star of the show, which is fitting since it is still his wedding day.

After some time, the men were joined on the dance floor by a couple of members of the bridal party who were wearing sunglasses. The girls kept up nicely and their performance is even more impressive when you know they only had a chance to practice together in person once before the wedding. Prior to the day before the event they had learned the dance through video chat. 

The video footage of the performance went viral and almost 2,000 people stopped to share their comments and well wishes for the happy couple. One person wrote, "I know it's been a few years since this video was posted but I just couldn't get enough of watching this guy dance, he is phenomenal...I pray that their marriage is still going strong....keep dancing it looks good on you."

Another person pointed out that the performance would have done Michael Jackson proud. "As an MJ fan, standing ovation to the groom! May you have 100 years of happiness & fun dancing with your beautiful bride," they wrote in their comment under the video. Jackson was known for his incredible dance moves as well as his singing career.

Jackson released "Smooth Criminal" on his seventh album titled "Bad." It was written by him and produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The song came out as the album's seventh single in 1988 and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was also certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

"Smooth Criminal" made it to number one in Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands and Spain. While it did not reach number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, it is still lauded as one of Jackson's best songs ever released. It appears on many of the artist's greatest hits albums and was performed during his solo concerts. The music video for the song premiered in September 1988 and is the centerpiece of the film "Moonwalker." 

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According to American Songwriter, Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” started with a similar track called “Al Capone.” It’s not surprising if you’ve never heard of it, as the demo track was only released in 2012 on the “Bad” reissue “Bad 25.” Although there are certainly a few notable differences — most notably the lyrics — “Al Capone” has many of the same elements that made “Smooth Criminal” a hit. Both songs are thematically inspired by crime, and both tracks feature an aggressive synth bass.

Not everyone loved the song, especially when Jackson first wrote it.

“(Jackson) and Quincy Jones reportedly butted heads over including the irresistibly menacing "Smooth Criminal" on Bad, and Jehovah's Witness elders visited the set of the song's video and expressed disappointment with its violent imagery. But Jackson held his ground, and the result is his best blend of R&B groove and rock edginess, and a turning point in his shift toward darker, harder-edged material,” Rolling Stone Magazine writes in its feature of the pop star’s 50 best songs.

“Smooth Criminal” took fifth place on that list, behind other hits like “Billie Jean” and “I Want You Back.”

Just as the dancers in this video have breathed new life into “Smooth Criminal,” other prominent musicians have put their own spin on the popular track. Memorably, the rock band Alien Ant Farm covered the song back in 2001, and the rendition quickly climbed the Billboard charts. Similarly, 2Cellos did an instrumental cover of the track in 2013, which has accumulated more than 37 million views. 

In any case, it’s clear that “Smooth Criminal” continues to live on — both in the hearts and minds of fans and in the wonderful performances it has inspired. 

Were you impressed with Jeff Loehrke's performance? Do you enjoy dance performances during weddings? Let us know your opinions and be sure to send this story on to your loved ones.