- Michael Peters
-
Michael Peters Born Michael Douglas Peters
August 6, 1948
Brooklyn, New York, USADied August 29, 1994 (aged 46)
Los Angeles, California, USAOccupation Choreographer, dancer Years active 1970s−1994 Michael Douglas Peters (August 6, 1948 - August 29, 1994) was an American choreographer.
Contents
Biography
Peters was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in New York City to an African American father and Jewish mother. His first major breakthrough came when he did choreography for Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby" in 1975. He went on to stage other memorable dance sequences for music videos, including Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield" (in which he has a brief cameo) and Lionel Richie's "Hello" (in which he also has a brief cameo as the dance instructor of Lionel Richie's blind love interest).
However, he was most recognized for his choreography work in Michael Jackson's videos. Especially the smash hit "Thriller", directed by John Landis, and "Beat It" directed by Bob Giraldi, which is vaguely reminiscent of West Side Story: Peters co-stars as one of two gang leaders who prepare for a dramatic showdown/knifefight, which is averted at the last moment by Jackson. Peters is dressed all in white, and wears sunglasses during the piece.
Peters is also widely credited for the striking transformation of actress Angela Bassett into Tina Turner in the 1993 biopic What's Love Got to Do with It.
Peters danced with Talley Beatty, Alvin Ailey, Bernice Johnson, and Fred Benjamin, and worked with Michael Bennett. Bennett and Peters shared a 1982 Tony Award for Best Choreography for their work on the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. In 1985, he directed and choreographed the Ellie Greenwich jukebox musical Leader of the Pack.
Peters died in Los Angeles, California of an AIDS related illness at 46.
Awards and nominations
- 1982 Tony Award for Best Choreography – Dreamgirls
- 1987 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography – Liberty Weekend
- 1993 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography – The Jacksons: An American Dream
- 1994 American Choreography Award for Outstanding Achievement in a Feature Film – What's Love Got to Do with It
References
- Jennifer Dunning (1 September 1994). "Michael Peters, a Choreographer Of 'Dreamgirls,' Is Dead at 46". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE7D71738F932A3575AC0A962958260. Retrieved 2008-08-13.
External links
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography Tony Charmoli (1976) · Ron Field (1977) · Ron Field (1978) · Kevin Carlisle (1979) · Alan Johnson (1980) · Walter Painter (1981) · Debbie Allen (1982) · Debbie Allen (1983) · Michael Smuin (1984) · Twyla Tharp (1985) · Walter Painter (1986) · Michael Peters / Dee Dee Wood (1987) · Alan Johnson (1988) · Walter Painter / Paula Abdul (1989) · Paula Abdul / Dean Barlow / Michael Darrin (1990) · Debbie Allen (1991) · Paul Taylor (1992) · Michael Peters (1993) · Linda Talcott (1994) · Ulysses Dove (1995) · Anita Mann / Charonne Mose (1996) · Marguerite Derricks / Sarah Kawahara (1997) · Marguerite Derricks / Peggy Holmes (1998) · Judith Jamison / Marguerite Derricks (1999) · Rob Marshall (2000)
Complete list: (1955–1975) · (1976–2000) · (2001–present)
Tony Award for Best Choreography (1976–2000) Michael Bennett / Bob Avian (1976) · Peter Gennaro (1977) · Bob Fosse (1978) · Michael Bennett / Bob Avian (1979) · Tommy Tune / Thommie Walsh (1980) · Gower Champion (1981) · Michael Bennett / Michael Peters (1982) · Tommy Tune / Thommie Walsh (1983) · Danny Daniels (1984) · Bob Fosse (1986) · Gillian Gregory (1987) · Michael Smuin (1988) · Cholly Atkins / Henry LeTang / Frankie Manning / Fayard Nicholas (1989) · Tommy Tune (1990) · Tommy Tune (1991) · Susan Stroman (1992) · Wayne Cilento (1993) · Kenneth MacMillan (1994) · Susan Stroman (1995) · Savion Glover (1996) · Ann Reinking (1997) · Garth Fagan (1998) · Matthew Bourne (1999) · Susan Stroman (2000)
Complete list · (1947–1975) · (1976–2000) · (2001–2025) Categories:- 1948 births
- 1994 deaths
- Actors from New York City
- African American actors
- African-American choreographers
- African American television directors
- AIDS-related deaths in California
- American choreographers
- American television directors
- American people of Dutch descent
- Emmy Award winners
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni
- Tony Award winners
- People from Brooklyn
- African-American Jews
- Jews in the African diaspora
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.