MICHAEL JACKSON had the moves every pop star envied. So it is no surprise that 20 of the city’s most talented dance students jumped at the chance of getting the inside track on how their idol did it.

Jackson’s dance teacher and friend for more than 20 years, Lavelle Smith Jnr, spent two days teaching a masterclass for students at Liverpool’s Institute for Performing Arts.

The Emmy Award winning choreographer created some of the star’s most iconic moves and worked with him on tours including Bad and Dangerous.

The pair – who became good friends – also worked together on Jackson’s hit videos including The Way You Make Me Feel, Black or White and Scream.

He said: “I’ve been in Liverpool before, with both Michael and Janet, and I still love it here.

“The city reminds me a lot of my home town in Kentucky. People here have the attitude to just get on with it and make it work.”

Lavelle began working with Jackson in the years after the star had entranced the world with the moonwalk – which he first danced to for Billie Jean, in 1983.

He said: “Michael already had that going on. He saw some kids doing it in the street and he took it to a whole new level.

“Michael taught me how to moonwalk but I would never try to teach it to anyone – I wouldn’t even try to be an expert at that.”

He said Jackson, who died aged 50 last June, became arguably one of the world’s greatest dancers for several reasons.

“It wasn’t just that he was a great dancer. Lots of people have the talent and the ability.

“It was the work Michael put in. He challenged me to take everything further.

“He never wanted to do the moves that were popular at the time. He wanted to be ahead.”

Lavelle was joined by casting and creative director Mark Summers – who spent four months working on the European casting for what would have been Jackson’s final tour, This Is It. He gave the students a masterclass in casting and how to ensure success at auditions.