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The Sugar Creek resident had started hop-hop dancing and was perfecting his moves. One day, a friend taught him the glide, similar to Michael Jackson's famous moonwalk. Today, he's taken the glide and other moves to the classroom.

McMichen now teaches hip-hop dance every Monday for nine-weeks periods, at Amore Dance Studio.

It's the culmination of a dream that's taken him from the decidedly hip-hopless world of Sugar Creek to dancing on the club scene.

"It is a big step, to teach," he said. "I went from having knee surgeries to teaching myself, and now I am teaching it."

McMichen's knee problems first surfaced during his brief sports career at William Chrisman High School. However, injuries derailed his activities, forcing him seek out another physical hobby.

Julie Scheidegger/The Examiner

Not far from Amore Dance where he teaches a hip-hop dance class on Monday nights, Jon McMichen rules the dance floor at Cactus Cafe in Westport. He gets the perks of being a regular at the club - no cover, no waiting and he rarely pays for a drink.

Enter hop-hop dance, courtesy of a friend.

"He was a big kid," he said. "I saw him and I thought he was pretty cool."

After that, McMichen would imitate what he saw on MTV. A lot of his friends were break dancing, too.

"I would just watch music videos and copy the moves," he said. "I couldn't do it (all because of knee injuries)," he said. "We'd watch VHS breakdance videos for two, three hours straight."

After graduating from Chrisman, McMichen began attending Penn Valley Community College in Kansas City, where he studied communications.

While attending the school, people began to see his talent.

"I saw there was a talent show, and I decided to enter it," he said. "I had never performed in front of anyone."

Julie Scheidegger/The Examiner

Self-taught hip-hop dancer McMichen leads his class at Amore Dance in Westport through a routine he choreographed. In this beginning class he breaks down each technique for students Rodney McCay, left, Shawna Richard, center, and Vivienne, right.

McMichen danced and won the talent show, which garnered him attention. The notoriety gave him enough confidence to show a dance instructor some of his moves while waiting for a class to start one day.

"He came in and schooled me on some hip-hop," said Jessica Thompson, who also co-owns and operates Amore Dance Studio with Tony Witt in Kansas City.

The impromptu audition turned into a teaching opportunity when, in 2004, the school allowed McMichen to teach its first hip-hop class.

The school had offered a variety of lessons, except hip-hop dancing.

He immersed himself in general dance history and methods so he could have a good foundation when he taught.

"I really had to think about it. Teaching is something I never really thought about doing," McMichen said. It eventually got easier. "(Now) it is like dancing. It just comes naturally. I am lucky to be able to teach."

Julie Scheidegger/The Examiner

An Usher song plays from the stereo as McMichen takes a minute to watch his students' progress as they run through a hip-hop routine he choreographed for the class. His friend Stephen Rhodes dances in the front row to help lead the class. Jon teaches Monday nights at Amore Dance in Westport.

Every Monday, for nine weeks, McMichen teaches a dancing class at the studio. Mostly females take his classes.

"About 90 percent of my students are girls," he said. "It is really hard to get guys to come out and take dance lessons."

McMichen's class is fast moving. Music is constantly going, as McMichen goes through the specifics of each move. Once he shows the move, he has everybody practice it while he goes around and critiques and advises each student.

"He pays a lot of attention to his students," said Stephen Rhodes, a former student and friend, who helps out with class. "Sometimes I know what is wrong, but I don't know how to say it (to the student). Jon is really patient."

Since he has been teaching for several years, McMichen has some advanced students. He is going to start an advanced class this summer, which will be a new challenge, he said.

Teaching dance is not McMichen's only job. He juggles three jobs, so sometimes it is hard to find the time to just dance.

McMichen works as bellman at the Marriott Hotel in on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. Another gig he has is as a DJ, mostly on weekends.

"I disc jockey dances, weddings, and other events," he said. "Every once and awhile I'll go out there and dance," he said. "People will come up to me and ask, 'how did you learn that.' And I tell them, 'I teach it.'"

And, of course, McMichen likes going out and dancing. It gives him a chance to go out and just be himself.

It also is a good chance for him to show off and promote his classes.

Dancing has spread through McMichen's family as well. His brother is polishing his hip-hop dance skills while his sister, Morgan, is also into a dancing, except not hip-hop.

"I began going to the studio parties," she said, regarding the Amore Studio parties her brother would attend. "I love salsa."

Jon said his extended family teases him a lot.

"They give me a hard time," he said. "I grew up on country and rock."