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Michael Peters

Michael Peters, choreographer, “New York Times” (January 14, 1984)

''I think he's really Peter Pan,'' said Mr. Peters. ''He is this constant dichotomy of man and child. He can run corporations and tell record companies what he wants, and then he can sit in a trailer and play Hearts for hours with a friend who is 12 years old. He loves fantasy, and when he writes about real life it's a role for him, a fantasy - he sees it from his bubble.''

“Ebony” magazine (June 1984) (archived)

One of the people in the business who was aware of [Michael Peters’] sharp, powerful choreography was Michael Jackson. "We first met in 1976 when I was working with Lola Falana", says Peters, who received the NAACP's 1983 Image Award and also an American Music Award for Best Video Choreographer. "When he saw our act, he said, 'I want to leatn those moves!'"

..."I enjoy working with Michael", says Peters, who has also danced in such musicals as "Purlie", "Raisin", and "The Wiz".

"We share the same intense creative energy, and he amazes me, because he is a constant dichotomy of man and child. He also has the sense of knowing exactly what he wants to do and, at the same time, is capable of trusting other artists to contribute to the project."

It was pretty easy to work with Michael, says Peters, because the multi-talented star is "a natural mover". But some of the other singers he has worked with weren't too light on their feet. In those cases, he has had to stage the production in a fashion that makes both the star entertainer and the dancers and singers behind them look good. "To be honest", Peter says with a smile, "I do that with everybody, even Michael."

The working relationship between Peters and Jackson has contributed heavily to the success of music videos which, some say, "meet the needs of this generation to express its emotions."

..."Michael Jackson has leaped across religious, racial, age, and sex barriers, thus forcing people to look differently at Black artists.”

“Right On! Focus” magazine (Fall 1984)

“Michael is what I consider 'a dancer in his soul',” Peters comments on the most famous and highly-touted member of the Jackson 5. “He has never studied, he’s not a professionally-trained dancer. He never took dance classes, and you wouldn't hire him to be part of the core of a dance company. But he has the sensibilities of a dancer”, the veteran choreographer points out. “He just *dances*! You know? I can put him in the middle of 30 trained dancers--who make their living at that and have studied for 20 years--and he can do it. Of course, you have to adapt the piece to what he can do.”

...“Michael is an innovator,” states Peters, who has seen the superstar grow up from his teenage years. “I think you can tell that from the kinds of things he’s done in the past couple of years. He likes to be first and do things that no one else has. That is his playtime. That’s one of the reasons we're all in the business--we get to play and fantasize, make all our fantasies reality and vice versa.

“He is that wonderful dichotomy of man-child. On the one hand, he's very naive and cushioned to the world, and on the other hand, he's an incredible business person and diplomat. He loves to play, which is really quite nice.

“When I was a dancer with Lola Falana, he used to come and watch.” the dancer recalls. “He'd ask me, 'How do you do that move?' I've seen him from time to time over the years, but the chance to work together, finally, was really great for both of us.”

Peters sees no reason why the upcoming Jackson 5 tour should in any way seem like a regression for Michael--after all, he points out, all they had to do was take the stage for the Motown show and the crowd went delirious. And isn't nostalgia something that music fans love to revel in? The reunion with his brothers, Peters thinks, can't hurt Michael Jackson one bit.

“There's a certain point in your career", Michael Peters stipulates, “where it doesn't matter what you do. And Michael is at that point. His success is due in part to the Jackson 5 and them getting back together is like The Beatles or any of those groups reuniting. The promotional and advertising budget, ! have heard, is something like $5 million. It'll be incredible. I don't think it will have any effect at all on how people perceive him. People are so sentimental--they love things that were.”

Peters says that whether he and Bob Giraldi are working with Michael or Lionel or Diana or whomever else is supplementing their music with video--which is almost a requirement these days—the people who are attracted to them are “high energy.”

“To spend the kind of time and money and energy on these videos that you have to, you really have to want to do it,” he insists. “All the people we've attracted are just gung-ho about doing it. It's about how you design it to make them look their best. They all have this incredible quality which makes them stars, that casts an aura over whatever they do. They have superb gifts and a desire to share them. It's what you put out, and as creative people, we feed off that.”

...It seems likely also that Michael Peters will be there to handle the choreographing chores.

"Michael is an incredible performer", Peters says very simply. "It's sort of nitpicking to go on about his lack of formal dance training. If you were to ask anybody in the world if they thought Michael Jackson was a great dancer, they'd say, 'Yes!' And he is! But, obviously, if he were to turn to that solely, he'd have to develop a different kind of dedication to it."