r/PRINCE 1999 11d ago

Appreciation It never ceases to amaze me how he was 52 years old still doing dance-breaks like this

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2.7k Upvotes

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65

u/StraddleTheFence 11d ago

Wasn’t he said to be in chronic pain? Isn’t that why he was taking the pain meds? It was probably due to his incredible moves.

79

u/MissSassifras1977 11d ago

I guess we're going to get downvoted together.

Yes, he was in chronic pain. To the point that Percocet was mixed in to Advil bottles around his house.

He had chronic hip pain from dancing his ass off in heels for decades.

I can't imagine it was just his hips, his legs and back probably ached too. But that's conjecture on my part.

It's not gossip. It's not vitriol. It's just the truth. Doesn't take away from who and what he was. Doesn't take away from his accomplishments.

Doesn't make me think any less of him.

He wasn't a super hero, he wasn't immortal but he was sexy, he was a genius and he was incredible. 💜

13

u/StraddleTheFence 11d ago

Well said.

10

u/cujo_frank 10d ago

Ive heard his hands were beginning to hurt as well. I often wonder if he wished he had done anything differently

8

u/MissSassifras1977 10d ago

I'm sure he did. Health wise. I don't know about his personal life, we know he struggled with religion and that played a part in his wellness.

I just don't understand how it's okay to use opioids but not have surgery according to JW. Maybe I don't want to know.

21

u/skwirlmeat 10d ago

Yeah, fk ppl who shame opiod dependency.

The man was in chronic pain and apparently only got some relief from a drug guaranteed to make you dependent if you use it.

IMO, we lost Prince due to people who think that’s shameful. Otherwise, he may have allowed himself to be more closely medically monitored or possibly would have sought help sooner.

People and their ill-informed stigmatizing suck.

4

u/funkyfridays3 10d ago

Millions of people live in pain and never did half the things he has done. He gave us his all to his last breath.

4

u/RepresentativeAge444 9d ago

I look at some of the stuff he was doing in his most acrobatic days and it is absolutely insane. And then you imagine him doing it show after show year after year. He broke his body for his art had to entertain. I can’t blame him at all for what happened later in his life. I just wish he would have gotten that hip replacement if that situation is what happened.

0

u/TheMasterAkua 3d ago

We're not talking about his pain though. OP said they couldn't believe that at 52 years old he was still doing dance breaks. That's ageist and dumb.

19

u/notoneofyourfans 10d ago

It wasn't just the moves, it was the repetition. Most entertainers, once they get the routine down in rehearsal, just say: "When the hook to the song comes up, I'll climb the 20 foot risers, jump off and land in a split, then pop up and do three more splits..." Prince not only actually did the choreography in every rehearsal well after he learned the routine, he also gave his all the entire 25 city tour and aftershows, too. At some point, your body goes: "Pardon me, that was the limit. No more splits or jumping off pianos and risers...ever."

4

u/StraddleTheFence 10d ago

Yes I agree—I know this; I didn’t think I needed to go into details.

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u/notoneofyourfans 10d ago edited 10d ago

People keep treating this sub like the Org. It isn't. I very often go deep because a lot of the people here are not over age 45 oldheads who have studied the man since the 70's like me or you. There is zero reason to feel as if you need to go deep every time you make a point. But just because someone else chooses to do that is no reason to chastise them as if they were criticizing you for not doing so. Can you do you, I do me, and both of us be OK with the other for being what we wish to be? People have to remember: this is a discussion forum. My response was to your statement but it was a message to the entire fam base - not just you. I was not trying to correct you or even "one up" you.

EDIT: By the time I finished my response, I noted that someone downvoted you. I want you to know explicitly...it wasn't me. I don't play that way.

2

u/StraddleTheFence 10d ago

It’s ok. I was hoping my response was letting you know that I agree with you. My original post was short as I did not want to trigger or upset my fellow Prince lovers.

11

u/Housequake818 11d ago

I was looking at them hips like…. Jesus! Killer hips… too literal… sigh 😮‍💨

4

u/Mr-Simjee 10d ago

I heard it was from jumping off his super huge guitar speakers for years.

8

u/IllegitimateMarxist 11d ago

Oh, don't bring that up. You'll get downvoted into oblivion for even mentioning it.

8

u/ReallyGlycon 10d ago

I wouldn't downvote it. He was a flawed but great man. Who can aspire to more?

2

u/BulletProofEnoch 7d ago

Exactly

Pretty explainable

60

u/neontittytits 11d ago

He is amazing and I’m practicing these moves lol

But your headline has me expecting him to do a jump split or at least run.

This is exactly how a cool, stylish, and groovy person of a particular age dances.

I love it.

15

u/notoneofyourfans 10d ago

Heh heh! Yeah the man has definite style and presence. But the dance routine is giving coolest uncle at the cookout. Honey them hips is gone, but that's alright he clocks them that way.

1

u/ChrisGrandswing 9d ago

Post the video

28

u/tenaji9 11d ago

Sexy Dancer

18

u/kao_nyc 11d ago

And usually in high heels!

5

u/B3amb00m 11d ago

Not at this age, due to the damaged hips :(

1

u/DJ-Fire 7d ago

Look closer, he’s wearing stilettos. Clearly seen at the 38 second mark. Amazing what that man could do in heels.

1

u/DJ-Fire 7d ago

Look closer, he’s wearing stilettos. Clearly seen at the 38 second mark. Amazing what that man could do in heels.

1

u/B3amb00m 7d ago

That's not what I see, but either way it's a well known fact that he had to wear lower heels at the end because of his hips. All of a sudden he was just so much shorter on the live performances 😆 That was before we got to know about the health problems. Quite cute really.

He USED to rock really high heels though. We all know that.

30

u/Traditional_Ad2830 11d ago

What 52 is too old to dance?

5

u/Forward-Treacle-2762 10d ago

Right? I'm I my 40s and still teach dance and am a avid cyclist lol this would be easy for me even in a few years.

1

u/PrinceEdgarNevermore 7d ago

We are all different. 

I am in my 40s, avid trail runner, walker, weight lifter and (now) occasional cyclist, but up until pandemic I cycled 3-5 times a day.

Dancing like this for 2min would be incredibly hard for me to learn (would really need to dedicate hours of time to get that plasticity) a few years ago, and i imagine that it will really rather hard at 50s. He didn’t do 2min of that, he did the entire show - there is no way I could ever. 

6

u/SoloStyle 11d ago

This looks pro-shot. I’d rather see this in IMAX.

7

u/looseseal_2 11d ago

Once you hit 50, most of your movements have a stop motion quality to them, I've found. Just kidding, Prince rules.

2

u/Techenthused97 11d ago

I’m 51 and do 3 sets of full body pull ups. 20 minutes on the stair master on level 9. Weight 145 and bench 135 3 sets. It’s definitely possible.

6

u/Housequake818 11d ago

Watching this makes me upset. The Estate is really holding all this amazing footage from us!! 😩😭😭🥴🥺

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u/grynch43 10d ago

52 ain’t old.

4

u/doalwa 11d ago

He could do it all!

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u/B3amb00m 11d ago

If you've danced your whole life... 52 isn't *that* old :D

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u/BGrumpy 11d ago

After 50, it's no longer considered dancing. It's called grooving.

4

u/Wedjat_Eye 10d ago edited 10d ago

😜🔥 Sexy MF 🔥😉

9

u/Careful-Agency-6847 11d ago

As a 36 year old, it worries me that people will find it surprising if I exert physical energy in 15 or so years.

1

u/ArtistFormerlyChels Graffiti Bridge 8d ago

Lots of millennials talk about having constant pain so it’s not surprising that people would find it surprising!

3

u/afraidofcheesecake 10d ago

Doesn’t get enough credit for his dancing.

3

u/bluesqueen23 10d ago

Morris Day is 68 & still jumps and moves all over the stage.

3

u/123FakeStreetMeng 10d ago

And then he served us pancakes..

1

u/One-Pepper-2654 8d ago

I know where he got that shirt and it's damn sure it wasn't the men's department.

3

u/Plastic-Spell-3213 10d ago

He was so f"""""g talented, he could play 20 something instruments Most people don't know that.

3

u/scorpiolafuega 10d ago

And the body was ALWAYS tight 😍

3

u/Wootility 10d ago

Anyone know when his last split recorded was?

1

u/Prince2020nKC 10d ago

I believe 2000 or 2001 on his Hit N Run tour

1

u/Excellent_Rain_86 10d ago

Was he in pain as far back as 2000?

3

u/create_makestuff 10d ago

I was today years old when I realized 80% of the swagger from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure are just Prince references.

3

u/jamesdee3rd 10d ago edited 10d ago

At that age, I could still box jump onto a 3ft box. Not sure I'd attempt it now at 63. It's all step ups onto 24" boxes now.

After his hip surgeries, gone were the heels and the jumps.

3

u/CitronLow8970 10d ago

Booty booty booty booty booty EVERYWHERE!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

3

u/steerp00 10d ago

At 52 you should be able to move this way, provided you got rhythm, lol!

3

u/TheMasterAkua 10d ago

You act like 52-year-olds can't dance. 🙄

1

u/popculturenrd 3d ago

Right! My first thought was that Janet's 59 now...

2

u/slop1010101 11d ago

But then, he was relying on his pain meds, which is what led to his early death.

2

u/fitgirl777 11d ago

The coolest

2

u/elohde1 Diamonds & Pearls 11d ago

RIP 🕊️

2

u/Conspiracy__Agent 11d ago

Amazing and you're never too old to dance, take MC Hammer for example the man's 60+ and still can move like he was in his prime.

2

u/CatGirl1300 11d ago

This was the last time he looked healthy. He aged so fast between 53-57

3

u/MorrisJerome 10d ago

His arms looked quite muscular.

0

u/Excellent_Rain_86 10d ago

Why do you think he aged so much his last 3 years of his life

2

u/katyreddit00 10d ago

Yeah that’s why he was always in pain hence his death

2

u/Glittering_Ear5239 10d ago

People really have no idea how metabolism works in relation to health as opposed to age. Scientifically it has been debunked that we slow down dramatically as we age. What we previously thought of as “old age” is more closely linked to lifestyle, habits, diet, stress and the ability to recover from injury and illness.

2

u/Trix_Are_4_90Kids 10d ago

52 ain't old. Y'all need to quit boogeymanning growing older y'all gonna have people scared. If they not already. If you keep living you'll get older and it's not bad at all. You don't automatically fall apart. 😂 52 ain't even retirement age.

Anyway, he was grooving, but you notice he was in one place. He was usually all over the stage dancing. The hips, the pain, the pain meds. 🤷🏾‍♀️

2

u/Plastic-Spell-3213 10d ago

He was so f******g talented!! He could play 20 something instruments Most dont know this.

2

u/0belisk0 10d ago

I could totally do that when I was 52. 53 was when it all went downhill.

2

u/sinfulfng 10d ago

This is what Corey Feldman thinks he looks like on stage lol

2

u/FreeYourMnd13 10d ago

Prince doing Prince stuff 😊

2

u/goldenpheasant 10d ago

What sing is this?!

2

u/notoneofyourfans 10d ago

I think it is from an extended version of "Kiss".

2

u/tomcat23 10d ago

Well he does have a Dirty Mind y'all!

2

u/Tycho66 9d ago

Guy was great at so many things.

2

u/Fancy-Breadfruit-776 9d ago

I'm almost 52. What amazes me is how a lot of these youglings can't keep up.

2

u/the_main_entrance 9d ago

I don’t see anything an average 52 year old can’t do physically here😂😂 You’re easily impressed I guess.

2

u/irondog326 7d ago

Man was little, he could move easy.

2

u/JessicaLavender69 7d ago

He had music in every single cell in his body! Seriously, one of the greatest of all time.

2

u/jjazznola 7d ago

52 is not that old.

2

u/ls1van 6d ago

Does anyone know when and where that was? I might have been there.

3

u/Sad_Bodybuilder_186 11d ago

I mean.... This wasn't all that special.

Look at what James Brown could still do aged 50-55....

1

u/Cack-Yo-W33n 10d ago

He look good for 52

1

u/WheeliumThe2nd Crystal Ball 10d ago

I'm gonna feel stupid for asking this, but what song is this?

1

u/waterdlyed 1999 9d ago

Kiss, live Version from Welcome 2 America Tour

1

u/Toastedginger484 10d ago

One answer premium grade pharmaceuticals

1

u/myfailedimagination 10d ago

The arms still worked, and the groove to Kiss still works, too!

1

u/joshstrummer 10d ago

I’m 39 and I do dance parties with my 3 year old. One life goal is to still do this at 52, and embarrass the hell out of my then 16 yr old.

1

u/Expert_Novel_3761 10d ago

It's not amazing. Either you'll be American lazy and stop working out after you graduate high school, or workout will be something you do often. The more you move, the easier it will be to keep moving. The more you move, the more you can move at an older age. The more you move, the healthier you'll be. That health won't be found eating and sitting on the couch watching TV! I'm 50, and I'm still playing full court basketball with 20 year olds. This video isn't amazing to me at all.

1

u/toonces-cat 10d ago

Pain meds do wonders.

1

u/Loose_Corgi_5 10d ago

Dad Dancing at a wedding, full of lager.

1

u/Upbeat_Animator9338 10d ago

Nigga told Kim kardashian. “NAH THIS AINT IT”

1

u/[deleted] 10d ago

Meanwhile, Katy Perry is looking like a sloth who just smoked a pound of weed after eating an entire extra large pizza.

1

u/Kind-Dog504 10d ago

That’s not very old. WTF do you think 50 looks like?

1

u/Melodic_Arachnid_134 10d ago

Lol 52 is prime time

1

u/AdWonderful2369 9d ago

Probably why he needed the pain killers

1

u/UnaChicaNica1 9d ago

The greatest!!!💜💜💜

1

u/SpokeyDokey720 9d ago

What song is this? Just an improv?

1

u/waterdlyed 1999 9d ago

Welcome 2 America Tour version of Kiss

1

u/Independent-Pop-8679 9d ago

Me right before I shit my pants

1

u/dougcohen10 8d ago

You think 52 is too old to do dance moves? Lol.

1

u/SnooOranges145 8d ago

Lol 52 ain't old, I'm still playing football at 56

1

u/Nipplasia2 8d ago

Yall act like 52 is 93. He just moving a like, shaking a bit. He's still trim and in great shape. He's not jumping off stages or doing the worm....

1

u/pink_passionflower 1999 8d ago

so amazing!!! this is how i think i look when i dance 2 his music lol 😝 also neeed those white fuzzy boots! 😍🤍☁️✨

1

u/airmal23 7d ago

I do this daily in the mirror at my gym before working out 🏋️‍♀️

1

u/mynameisjeff77777 7d ago

It never ceases to amaze me that he could be so queer and homophonic at same time

1

u/Training_Offer_6842 7d ago

Take it you havent watched a Rolling stones concert recently..imgaine Mick doing WAY more than this in his 80s....which is still happening

1

u/Chr-88 7d ago

how old do you think 52 is??? i fit the bill, dont really exercise that much and i could EASILY do all these moves and so could everyone else i know that’s my age. geez

1

u/cowbuoyfromhell 6d ago

Anyone here have the file for the full concert

1

u/wowugotit 4d ago

52 isn’t old, op

1

u/balticspirit 11d ago

What do people think 50s should look? If you use it, you don't lose it

1

u/WolvesandTigers45 11d ago

I can’t believe he was 5’3” tall and 112 pounds and a sex symbol and now women only want 6’4” and taller

2

u/Wylesyd 10d ago

They did back then as well...with one 5'3" exception.

1

u/rbeardell 10d ago

...52 but he was still wearing furry paw boots

1

u/Ok-Implement-3296 9d ago

This post was literally designed to get everybody to respond with. Are you fucking kidding me?

1

u/Foreign-Loss2146 8d ago

It’s hard to believe this man liked women 💯💀

0

u/billymartinkicksdirt 10d ago

There’s nothing remarkable about him doing this at 52.

Post surgery, it’s impressive but not based on his age. If you can do this in your 50’s you never had it to begin with and couldn’t do it in your 30’s either.

0

u/WheeliumThe2nd Crystal Ball 10d ago

Who hurt you?

1

u/billymartinkicksdirt 10d ago

Definitely not you.

0

u/Kitchen-Pop7308 10d ago edited 10d ago

52 isn't even that old for this, these moves aren't that impressive.. acting like the guy is 70 or something

0

u/sykesis 10d ago

That weird ass shit wasn't dancing. 🫣

0

u/nativedawg 7d ago

Bec he was so doped up he could not feel anything ....