March 28, 2024

‘Kingston’ of Pop

9-year-old learned Michael Jackson moves watching YouTube vids

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DES MOINES — The 9-year-old Michael Jackson dance impersonator, Kingston Turner-Leanhart, made sure he was first in line for check-ins at the Sprout division semifinal round of the Bill Riley Talent Search Thursday at the Iowa State Fair.

The Laurel boy had been waiting with his great-grandfather, Del Turner, long before show officials had even begun to set up their space under the shaded tent east of the Anne and Bill Riley Stage inside the fairgrounds. When host Bill Riley, Jr. arrived, the son of Mr. State Fair spent a few minutes with Kingston and the 12 other entries in the talent show as they waited in line, offering words of encouragement. By the end of the competition that day, only two acts would be chosen to move on to the grand championship round Sunday.

“Win or lose, hold your head high,” Riley said. “The fact you all made it this far is a reflection of how hard you work.”

With an hour to kill before the 13 Sprouts competed onstage in front of a full house of fairgoers, many of the entries decided to practice their routines. But not Kingston. The boy was relatively reserved leading up to his performance, almost to the point of shyness. His Michael Jackson clothes and accessories — including the signature sequin glove and the black fedora à la “Smooth Criminal” — remained hidden away until it was his turn to wow Iowa State Fair visitors, yet he could barely sit still.

He checked the time or paced around the front of the stage or ran over to another seating area to chat with his next door neighbor who had stopped by to watch him dance. Kingston was a bundle of energy just waiting to burst.

The boy was scheduled to be the seventh act to perform the talent show.

“Did you know seven is my favorite number?” he asked his great-grandmother, Judy Turner.

Despite his somewhat quiet demeanor, the miniature King of Pop was clearly excited to show off the dance moves he had only just learned more than six months prior to the Iowa State Fair talent show. Kingston’s dress rehearsals at Newton Fest and Baxter Fun Days were behind him. His younger brother, Rowan Breckenridge, was actually the first to attempt Jackson’s signature dance moves. Kingston thought he might give it a try, too.

“He tried to be like Michael Jackson, but then I tried,” Kingston said Wednesday, prior to his semifinal performance. “He got mad because I was way better than him.”

Kingston repeatedly watched Jackson’s dance-heavy music videos on YouTube and taught himself how to moonwalk, hip thrust and circle slide — just about every dance move except that anti-gravity lean, which Kingston says is only possible through specially made shoes that attached to the stage. Oh yeah — the 9-year-old Jackson fan has done his homework.

Upon advancing to the semifinals after his preliminary show Monday, Kingston prequalifies for next year’s Bill Riley Talent Search, an annual contest which showcases the skills of Iowa’s youth. This was Kingston’s first time entering the competition, but he had some practice at other fairs and festivals like Newton Fest. Was he nervous? No way, he told the Newton Daily News.

Minutes before showtime, the boy followed his dad backstage to change into his black-and-white outfit, all the while listening to Jackson’s songs through the speakers of his wireless headset. When Riley finally called for Kingston to walk onstage, the boy was in the zone, striking a Jackson pose. Gone was that slightly shy kiddo from before, replaced with a pint-sized Jackson with some serious dance moves.

The crowd roared from the opening notes to “Billy Jean” and the accompanying hip thrusts from Kingston. Tossing away his fedora to reveal his short and sporty blond hair, Kingston glided across the stage, kicking his legs and snapping his arms like Jackson. He lip-synced the words to the musical medley track, snarling his lips and looking as comfortable as he could be.

Dad and Grandpa, Jordan and Jay Leanhart, watched Kingston’s performance from the first row, giving the tiny dancer a boost of confidence with cheers and applause. Jay said he is still dumbfounded when he watches his grandson dancing onstage.

“Because he literally taught himself everything,” Jay said. “And he always critiques himself and watches the videos and learns new moves. He told me as soon as he walks out there and takes that pose, he gets in the Michael Jackson mode.”

To support his son, Jordan appropriately wore a Michael Jackson T-shirt to the Thursday talent show. Happy to see Kingston performing alongside songs he grew up listening to, Jordan said he is willing to let his son take this new venture as far as he is willing to let it.

“We’ll see how good it gets,” Jordan said. “When he was a baby, one of the things I’d do is moonwalk. So he’d see me moonwalk when he was little. He does it better than me now so I don’t try to do it too much. He didn’t know I used to watch Michael Jackson about as much as he does.”

When it came time for Riley to announce the two winners of the Sprouts division, Kingston stood alongside his competitors onstage elbow-to-elbow and placed his hands on his hips, waiting to hear the verdict. His name was not called. No tears. No tantrums. No signs of sadness. Kingston held his head high. His dad is undeterred, convinced Kingston will continue to improve.

“He’s got room to work until then,” Jordan said. “He’s going to make it next year. He’s going to win next year.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com