Animated Nutcrackers That March

[Ralph A]

This year I'm adding to the display two six foot Nutcrackers. These guys will be my narrators and therefore I will make their mouths move, do the lip-sync thing! They will also have a drum and drumsticks. All that is the easy part.
Now for the big question. I want to be able to make them march in place, of course, along with parts of the music. Since this is viewed from the front I have found this to be a challenge to place the lights in the correct pattern to make it look right. It is simple from the side. I have two channels per leg, up and down. I've used cardboard and places lights in different patterns with varying results of which I am not pleased. Has anyone seen this done before, the marching in place from the front, so I may get a better idea of how they may have gone about it?

Thanks for the advice in advance, and hope all your plans for your Christmas displays are going great, and that we are having FUN!
Ralph