Michael Peters
| Michael Peters | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Michael Douglas Peters August 6, 1948 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 29, 1994 (aged 46) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Choreographer, dancer |
| Years active | 1970s−1994 |
Michael Douglas Peters (August 6, 1948 – August 29, 1994) was an American choreographer.
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 choreographed Diana Ross' landmark July 1983 Central Park concert, "For One & For All", during which, he dances with Ross during her "Maniac" & "Pieces of Ice" numbers. Peters also appeared in Lionel Richie's video "Running With The Night".
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.
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