“Michael Jackson“ from Almaty Arbat surprised foreigners

"Kazakhstan has its own Michael"

A reader contacted our WhatsApp editorial line a reader sent in a video from Almaty's Arbat, where a street artist in a recognizable costume and with signature fluid movements performs the King of Pop's famous dance steps.

"You have such a cool guy performing on the Arbat — he dances exactly like Michael Jackson! Kazakhstan has everything, even its own Michael. I don't know him; I'm just a tourist and happened to see him on the street," the girl shared.

The person behind the image

We managed to find the star of the video. He turned out to be 28-year-old Almaty resident Dassiz. In his daily life, he teaches choreography at a dance studio and performs at private events, while he has been honing Michael Jackson's legendary style for the past eight years.

"I really love Michael's style. He knew how to convey incredible energy as an artist and singer, keeping the audience in a special kind of suspense. It is this style of dance that inspires me," Dassiz admitted.

Where to see him

The artist performs on the Arbat only on weekends. According to him, audiences almost always react very warmly, and they love the performance to "Billie Jean" the most.

Dassiz himself admits that he takes to the streets not just for the money.

"I dance for myself and for those who enjoy the performance. Tourists and city residents react loudest to 'Billie Jean' — they like this track the most. As for earnings, I'm not complaining. Generally, it's enough to live on," he shared.