Charles Klapow | |
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Klapow at the Young Talent Time Media Event, Luna Park Sydney, 2012
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Born | July 5, 1980 |
Occupation | Choreographer, dance instructor, dancer |
Charles "Chucky" Klapow (born July 5, 1980) is an American choreographer and dance instructor who has performed and choreographed for various performers and several television and stage productions. He is also known for his teachings of the mental approach to dance. Klapow's mother is Filipino and his father is Russian American.
Charles began his dancing career at age 12, dancing for Patti LaBelle, Celine Dion, Sheila E., Salt-N-Pepa, Melissa Etheridge, and others in an all-star concert for the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. This included a dancing spot in the Paula Abdul music video "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah". By the time he was 15, Charles was an assistant to choreographer and mentor Marguerite Derricks. He assisted Marguerite and danced in Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997), 3rd Rock from the Sun, Fame L.A., among others. Charles created a dance company with partner Wade Robson in the mid-1990s called L.A. Images.
In the fall of 2000, Charles Klapow started choreographing for the Swedish pop group the A*Teens. He was their choreographer for music videos including "Floorfiller", "Halfway Around The World", "Sugar Rush", "Can't Help Falling In Love", and "I Promised Myself" as well as their tour director and choreographer from 2001–2003. These tours took Charles to Germany, Sweden and all over the United States, with additional spot dates in Mexico, Spain, Russia, and Denmark.
Ever since the inaugural season of the WNBA Charles has been a choreographer for the "Sparkids", the hip hop squad which performs at all Los Angeles Sparks home games. In 2005, Charles became co-director of the squad under the direction of Christy Buss and he assumed most of the choreography duties for the Sparkids during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.