He Was Not Called Elvis the Pelvis for Nothing

Forget what Forrest Gump said. He never taught those famous Elvis moves to the King. If there's one thing that made Elvis move the way he did, it's probably the music. After all, Elvis was a young kid who grew up in the South listening to different kinds of music including country, western, blues, R&B and especially gospel.

Dancing like a prayer
According to DJ Fontana, one of the musicians who played with Elvis during his early days as a musician, Elvis was already dancing the way he did even when they were just performing at small bars. He believes that Elvis must have learned to move that way after seeing how people in the local churches sang and danced.

The frenzied, jerky and fast moves now associated with Elvis were similar to the moves people did when they went to church. Many churches in his hometown featured lively gospel reading and singing and since gospel music was a huge musical influence on the young Elvis, he probably took the moves of the music that so appealed to him and used them in his performance.

Dancing a controversy
Elvis' moves are some of the most copied dance moves in history, probably just a little more than Michael Jackson's. When he first appeared on TV dancing like he did, the sexually suggestive gyrations and hip movements combined with a growling, sneering vocal style delighted many young fans but shocked older, more conservative people. These moves are best appreciated on TV shows like The Milton Berle Show and a variety show that was hosted by Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey.

The moves were considered very controversial at the time and Ed Sullivan, a famous TV host, once said he would never invite Elvis to appear on his show. He changed his mind later when another show hosted by Steve Allen exhibited Elvis' signature moves and knocked out the ratings. On Sullivan's show, however, producers still tried to censor Elvis' moves by showing him 'from the waist up' only on TV. It wasn't long before he was named 'Elvis the Pelvis' and millions of fans copied his moves around the world. To this day, many people are still dancing and moving like Elvis.

Moving like Elvis
There are Elvis impersonator guides and kits you can refer to if you want to be like Elvis. However, the best way to learn how to move like Elvis is to watch him. Some of his best moves were showcased during his earlier performances, specifically his TV appearances in '56 and '57. These shows will give you a good idea of the effects those moves made on his growing fan base.