SHEQUETA
Tell me about the Michael Jackson connection?

MICHAEL
Well it was really interesting. This is a very dear story to my life because like I said most people they’re just like no big deal but it is a big deal. When I first came to Hollywood, before Breakin’ and everything, Michael Jackson got a hold of me from “An Eye in LA.” Paul Moyer (at) Channel 7 news did “An Eye in LA” special on street dancing in the inner city. And we were just street kids dancing on Hollywood Boulevard. Matter of fact, you can google it or it’s on Youtube, “An Eye in LA” the street dance segment. They debuted me doing my backslide – my backslide and moonwalk – see I did a backslide and a moonwalk. See he did Motown 25 but when he saw me on there he got the news people to get a hold of me because I had raised the bar on his "Billy Jean" solo without even knowing it. I made a transition. I went from a backslide into a moonwalk and started doing a circle float. So that’s all I started working with him on. When the lady contacted me, contacted my parents, her name was Susan Scanlan. Matter of fact Susan Scanlan I think ended up doing the movie “Body Rock.” Susan brought me to the Jackson compound in Encino off of Hayvenhurst and she said Mr. Jackson would like for you to audition for him and his family.
MICHAEL
So I went up there and I started doing my stuff and sure enough there was Joe, there was Rebbie, there was Latoya, Janet, everybody, Jackie. And Michael put some tunes on. I started dancing and everybody started going wow look at this guy (he’s) like a little Jackie Robinson. He (Michael) excused everybody from the room and he says can you slow it down. I’m like yeah because I have like a hyper energy. And we just kept going over and over my way of moonwalking, my way of backsliding and he got it. He was like okay you can go home. He thought that I was just some kid and he could bring me from the streets and then throw me back out on the streets and be rid of me. Well survey says there was an audition for Lionel Richie. Ken Kragen was Lionel Richie’s manager and there was an audition for the video “All Night Long.” And me and Shabba Doo and all of our crew we went and got that audition for Lionel Richie. Now once we were in Lionel Richie’s video we went on that tour. When we got back to the United States to the Universal Amphitheater there he (Michael Jackson) was. Michael Jackson was Lionel Richie’s friend, they were working on “We are the World.”

SHEQUETA
Yeah.

MICHAEL
Michael Jackson came backstage and he was like oh there’s the guy again. That was the second time he seen me. He seen me first at his house teaching him the moonwalk. Now I was working with his friend he was really into me. Matter of fact, that picture is on the Breakin’ website. There’s a picture of that meeting where it’s me, Bruno, and Michael Jackson in disguise and we’ve got confederate coats on.


MICHAEL
That picture is documented backstage when Michael said you know what, I’m embracing you now. When he embraced me we went into me being his personal dance coach. Because every chance we got, within the parameters of what his schedule permitted, we would get together, go to the house, (and) we would work out. What was really interesting, he had “Poppin Pete,” he had Jeffrey Daniels, he had a number of freestyle dancers working with him. But my style stood out like gold to him because my style was more animated and robotic.

SHEQUETA
Yeah.
MICHAEL
Matter of fact, my style is what he’s doing. You know the kicking, you know the floating. I mean you look at the broom dance, that’s all Michael Jackson. I mean that’s exactly what he learned. Was really interesting because I sat back everytime one of his videos debuted after we would work out and I could see my student, I could see my work through him. And the only bad thing about it was I was kinda disappointed that when Oprah Winfrey asked him who taught you the Moonwalk and when books came out and nobody ever mentioned my name. Nobody ever said anything about me. That kind of hindered my choreography credits as far as my credentials and also it kind of closed doors on me as an artist. Like I said I was honored that he utilized my style more than anybody.

Michael actually didn't really invent the robot, he popularized it though just like he did the backslide/moonwalk.

Timmy84 said:

i know mime artists were doing similar things, but they weren't really moving and throwing down like MJ was in Dancin Machine. I don't believe everything MJ wrote in 'Moonwalk', but let me have that man!

Timmy84 said:

i know mime artists were doing similar things, but they weren't really moving and throwing down like MJ was in Dancin Machine. I don't believe everything MJ wrote in 'Moonwalk', but let me have that man!

Marrk said:

Did he say he came up with the moves in Moonwalk? I thought he'd always been pretty up front about the fact that he didn't invent most of these things. It's just the fans who like to think otherwise.

Did this really warrant a thread...
all respect to boogaloo, but who gives a fuck about his crusty ass now...
it's been a long time since "Breakin" breh...

EmbattledWarrior said:

It's not just about respect, though, because Michael Jackson made MILLIONS of dollars from performing these dances, for decades. All throughout the 80's and 90's, Michael's dancing was a huge draw for television, concerts, videos, etc.

Not that Michael owes money to anyone in that sense, but if Michael had name-checked the folks who taught him how to dance, they would have had many more doors open to them. You can't copyright a dance move, but Jeffrey Daniels and Michael Chambers would have had more choreography gigs and would have had sterling reputations.

As it is, they didn't do so badly. But as far as I know, there were no "Dance Fever" type shows in their resume.

Here's the deal. They taught them and Michael helped their careers. Boogaloo Shrimp AND Jeffery Daniels give Michael credit for helping his career throughout the years and they're pretty well off. Chambers has choreographed for several acts since then and Daniels, along with time in Shalamar, has done alot in the dancing scene.

Jeffery Daniels, Chambers, Geron Candidate, and Cooley Jackson taught Michael alot when it comes to popping and locking.


Now the ones I have a problem with is the Electric Boogaloos. Matter of fact, alot of Bay Area bboys have a problem in general

bboy87 said:

Were they the ones bitching about how Mike didn't give them credit?

Timmy84 said:

yep, saying how they came up with the ideas for Beat It and Thriller and how Michael stole the kick and moonwalk from....

even though they've been saying they invented popping when they actually stole credit AND the terms from the Bay Area groups.....

bboy87 said:

They ain't nothing but swagger jackers.

Timmy84 said:

I got respect for them because they helped make it popular and they're still in the community, but they've lied and started alot of shit. You know that guy Suga Pop in that little clip on Youtube. Dude has been with the EBs for about 10 years and has a real bad attitude. I've read about him jumping cats and breaking someone's nose for questioning what he was saying. I've rarely seen or heard any of the original EBs at a Bay Area bboy jam

Timmy84 said:

yep, saying how they came up with the ideas for Beat It and Thriller and how Michael stole the kick and moonwalk from....

even though they've been saying they invented popping when they actually stole credit AND the terms from the Bay Area groups.....

i looove boogaloo shrimp! I find it insulting mj labelled them as street kids like they were nobodies, what a sellout!

yeah but it's not like boogaloo wasn't known, he did commercials in the 80's and was on Family Matters in the 90's, best episode ever!

alphastreet said:

how do you think he got those opportunities? He has said before that Michael helped launch his career. He was also a dance advisor on the Victory Tour

Both are amazing at what they do. These days though, I just have a soft spot for those who are lesser known than public figures and am quick to give them credit.

That's good he is still active.

Michael just probably forgot his name, he did say 'inner city kids' while on Oprah, but everyone wants a namecheck!

When Boogaloo talks about his style being more robotic, perhaps he forgot Michael invented the robot for 'dancing machine' like, a full decade before, and that may be the reason he stood out to Michael above the others.