One of Motown’s premier groups in the 1960s, The Temptations showed the polish that Berry Gordy, Jr. was striving for – in the vocals, in the heavy drum beat and in the carefully organized and rehearsed choreography. No one in American pop music was attempting to create a polished black-pop sound with the sophistication of Motown. While the dance moves seem primitive by today’s standards, it was considered ground-breaking in the early decades of rock ‘n’ roll. The dance lessons taught by Cholly Atkins, Motown’s lead choreography, were part of the performances of Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Jackson 5 and other Motown groups. These lessons would become the foundation for Michael Jackson’s revolutionary choreography in the early ’80s videos of “Thriller,” “Bad,” and “Billie Jean.”
