Directors Taylor Golonka Starring Michael Chambers, Bruno Falcon, Vidal Rodriguez Genres Arts, Entertainment, and Culture, Documentary Subtitles How did it feel listening to them talk about your achievements? In addition to his starring roles in the popular Breakin and its sequel Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo, Quiones choreographed for and worked with many top singers, including Frank Sinatra, Madonna, Lionel Richie and Chaka Khan. Now, Chambers is teaching dance, making appearances and helping mold the next generations of dancers. Chambers was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about his life, work, and involvement in the, Austin Trunick [Under the Radar]: As someone, whose career has touched so many facets of pop culture from. Tom Sizemore, Saving Private Ryan actor, dies after brain aneurysm, Daisy Jones & the Six becomes the first fictional band to hit No. In a 1984 interview with the Sarasota Sun-Herald, he recalled moving to California with his mother when he was 16, and how he would hitchhike from their home in Anaheim to Hollywood for 14-hour filming sessions of Soul Train in 1971-72. The documentary focuses on Chambers's life and dance style and his time as Turbo on "Breakin.". Hollywood heartthrob and S.W.A.T. Justin Chambers arrives to Opening Night Preview Party of the LA Antique Show benefiting P.S. We both put water under the bridge and were talking as men.. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois in October 1985. Amazon.com: Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo : Lucinda Dickey, Adolfo Quinones, Michael Chambers, Susie Coelho, Harry Caesar, Jo de Winter, John Christy Ewing, Steve . Chambers, aka Boogaloo Shrimp in the Breakin films, told Variety that he and Quiones had been estranged for a long time but reconciled over the last three years, due to their shared spirituality as Jehovahs Witnesses. Notify me of follow-up comments? Michael Chambers (lef) and Adolfo Quinones in the 1984 film "Breakin." Just a day before he was discovered unconscious, Quiones had posted a photo of himself smiling and giving the peace sign in bed, writing, Good news yall! It took only 21 days to make Breakin at a budget of $900,000, he said. But now it (belongs to) the world.. NYC style was called electric boogie and bboying was boogie down Bronx. (Its sequel, Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo, will also celebrate its 35th birthday this year: the two movies were released only seven months apart.). But it was perceived through the media as being only a black culture or Hispanic culture (thing). At 52, he is looking unrecognizable and still dancing. Your Breakin character, Turbo, seemed kind of shy, except when he was dancing. 1 on iTunes Charts, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Hidden illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Best coffee city in the world? He was familiar with the dance steps . In a 2008 interview with the Black Hollywood File, Quiones discussed the making and impact of Breakin, saying it was critical in the development of hip-hop culture. Poppin Taco became Jacksons choreographer for nearly 18 years after that. Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers (via Getty Images) -Boogaloo was employed as a personal dance consultant to Michael Jackson throughout most of the 80s and the early 90s. Born in Chicago to a Black father and Puerto Rican mother, who raised him by herself from when he was 3, Quiones broke into show business as a member of TVs Soul Train Gang in the early 70s. When you were making, Not at all. When he came into her life, Madonna had no idea what the next dance craze was, said Chambers. I was very pleased because this mystery of who was teaching Mr. Jackson now started to unfold, since I was listed as the choreographer. He told me he got hired because was dancing in a club and Madonna saw him doing Waacking and Punking, so she came up with Vogue, which was full of abstract lines and that whole theatrical dance thing. Chorographer/singer Toni Basil, who co-founded the Original Lockers, expressed extreme sadness about Quiones death on social media, while several other celebrities also paid tribute. You were still so young when you starred in, Were you skeptical at all when you were first starting out on, had already come out, which focused on New York b-boys. Although there have been numerous well known dancers in films of the past that made their mark on the dance scene and in the theaters, no one has quite been able to reach the bar that Michael " Boogaloo Shrimp " Chambers set when he picked up a broom and did the magical " broom dance " he performed in the classic film Breakin'.Though it was painfully obvious that there was a string . Michael Chambers 4 of 17. Michael saw me again on Lionel Richies tour. I joined the Screen Actors Guild and Actors Federation for Television and Radio Artists unions. In a 2012 CNN interview, he said, His influence on me was looking at him, being the spiffy dresser that he was. It wasnt really something that everybody did. He had actually contacted me out of nowhere, Chambers said. And that I think was key., But, he added, Hip-hop may have a multi-cultural face, but lets not be fooled, because it did come from our people. Also, there were plans for me to be in a third, which was Steve Urkel going to the Epcot Center and donating the Robo-nerd to the science center, but the effects artist Kenny Myers told me they could not reach an agreement with his work, and they cancelled my job. But in reality, you were at ground zero for West Coast hip hop culture. In both movies he is credited as Boogaloo Shrimp, a name that remains inextricably linked to the Hollywood phase of popping, boogaloo and robot dancingalso the freestyle art of b . Chambers and his friends entered dance contests, and the first time he says that he made any money was when his older brother took him to perform at the Redondo Beach Pier, with just a boom box and a bucket, and when they were done dancing, the bucket would be full of bills to split between themselves, a few hundred dollars a week. So my Jewish agent Vaughn Hart suggested it would be a good career move to go the audition and the rest is history. Matter of fact, people didnt treat me like I was a star. (Chambers was credited for his Simpsons work.). Asides that, he also helped bring the "Urkelbot" to life in the series "Family Matters. Ultimately people will realize its a valid art form, on the same level as jazz or ballet, Quiones told Newsweek in 1984 following the release of the low-budget hit Breakin, which featured him as a street dancer. In the early 80s, Chambers was featured performing the move on a television documentary on Los Angeles vibrant hip-hop culture. At the time, could you tell that you were part of something special, or that what you were part of would have such a big impact on pop culture? For the record, I was not hanging out with big stars, it was all work related. I have to admit it hurt a bit not getting credit on paper for my work with him, so when the Bart Simpson project came up I specifically asked Mr. Jackson if I can be credited for my work and my agent Julie McDonald got the contract and to this day I am on the record for working with Mr. Jackson, who wrote the song Do The Bartman for the Simpsons Sing the Blues. Quiones was a member of the Lockers crew that helped popularize the locking style of street dance. One of the stars of that movie and of the breakdancing movement was Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers who played Turbo in the films. Hip-hop dancing pioneer Adolfo Shabba-Doo Quiones once had a message for dance aficionados who felt that break-dancing was merely a trend, one less legitimate as an art form than classical dance. Chambers added that Quiones role in introducing Madonna to certain dance styles has been underrated. Were you skeptical at all when you were first starting out on Breakin? Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. And we always knew that. Quiones was a member of the Lockers crew that helped popularize the locking style of street dance. He felt that from myself as well as the dance community, he never got the due respect he was entitled to as the first professional street dancer being on TV. People were like wow or even finding a way to invite people on that set.. The Boogaloo Shrimp Documentary can be streamed now on Amazon Prime. Is it true the cast and crew had such a good time with you that they wrote another robot episode just to get you back on set? (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)/*','a','/','<',' 101',' 114',' 101',' 104',' 32',' 108',' 105',' 97',' 109',' 45',' 101',' 32',' 101',' 115',' 97',' 101',' 108',' 112','>','\"',' 109',' 111',' 99',' 46',' 111',' 111',' 104',' 97',' 121',' 64',' 49',' 48',' 48',' 50',' 112',' 109',' 105',' 114',' 104',' 115',' 111',' 111',' 108',' 97',' 103',' 111',' 111',' 98',':','o','t','l','i','a','m','\"','=','f','e','r','h','a ','<'],i = l.length,j = el.length;while (--i >= 0)out += unescape(l[i].replace(/^\s\s*/, '&#'));while (--j >= 0)if (el[j].getAttribute('data-eeEncEmail_ZYxqEXReKf'))el[j].innerHTML = out;/*]]>*/. Id get there at 7 in the morning and not leave till almost 10 at night., Besides working for Richie, his choreography credits included Madonnas 1987 Whos That Girl? tour and TV work on MTVs Blowin Up. He made television appearances as a dancer as far back as 1976, on Whats Happening! 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And we both were in dark places and going through problems., But, he says, they bonded over both becoming Bible students as Jehovahs Witnesses. Quiones, one of the most influential dancers of the hip-hop era and one of the innovators of the robotic dance style known as locking, died Tuesday night at his Los Angeles home. in the middle of all these Black people (and) Spanish people and they totally identified with that. With new ambassador Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers, Breakboard Aquatic is aiming to make it to the Olympics as a water sport. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. Besides appearing in the Breakin films, both in 1984, he had a featured role on the big screen in Lambada in 1990. They had never seen anybody dance like us, that was historical. In recent times, Chambers's looks have changed, but his dedication to dance has not waned as he is still teaching dance and helping to mold the next generation of dancers. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. I was just a kid, said Chambers. It took only 21 days to make Breakin at a budget of $900,000, he said. Three years ago we came into our spirituality and forgiveness and became better people. Michael Chambers in Boogaloo Shrimp Documentary (2019) People Michael Chambers. Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic. Wildstyle had already come out, which focused on New York b-boys. . I have to admit it hurt a bit not getting credit on paper for my work with him, so when the Bart Simpson project came up I specifically asked Mr. Jackson if I can be credited for my work and my agent Julie McDonald got the contract and to this day I am on the record for working with Mr. Jackson, who wrote the song Do The Bartman for the, The director, Rich Correll, and the producers of the, I was humbled and very thankful, since most people would sum up my career by the two, . Login to create it. The director, Rich Correll, and the producers of the Family Matters TV show were very happy with the ratings, so they called me back for a second episode. Although Poppin Taco went on to become Michael Jackson's choreographer for 18 years, Chambers often met up with the crew and shared dancing styles and techniques, which helped Michael Jackson perfect some of his notable moves like the moonwalk. Official Website. Web Exclusive So sad to see so many of our foundational dancers passing this year.. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. It broke box office records and was the beginning of the hip-hop movement as we know it. Its a sad day for the dance world, said Michael Boogaloo Shrimp Chambers, who co-starred in both Breakin' movies, and believes that the Olympics introducing breakdancing as a competitive sport for 2024 would not have happened without Quiones having helped popularize the artform more than 35 years ago. thanks for this really nice piece of content. Come and join me this Friday February 21, 2020 in Whittier, CA. In this difficult time we are requesting privacy., Toni Basil (@Toni_Basil) December 30, 2020, Sheila E. recalled touring with Richie in her tweet calling Shabba Doo my brother., I just heard Ive lost another friend Shabba do. But now the 52-year-old handsome actor is finally playing the biggest role of. Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers(born November 13, 1967) is anAmericandancerandactorknown for his role as "Turbo" in the1984cult classic filmBreakin'and the 1984 hit sequelBreakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. There were other individual dancers like Adolfo Shabba Doo Quiones and influential dance groups too, obviously, and in interviews now Michael often mentions that he and one of his contemporaries, Pop N Taco (Bruno Falcon), came along after first taking the moves theyd seen danced by the Rock Steady Crew, The New York City Breakers, and the Electric Boogaloos, and then adding their own. Michael Boogaloo Shrimp Chambers is on Facebook. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! August 3, . If you hadnt become a professional dancer, what do you think you would like to have done as a career instead? about Al B. The couple are expecting a baby . Shortly after, Poppin Taco started working with Michael as his choreographer and went on the road with him.. Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois in October1985. Breakin' had been a response to the success of Flashdance (1983), only with more focus on dancing than plot and with real break dancers and poppers Adolfo "Shabba-Doo" Quinones and Michael "Boogaloo Shrimp" Chambers in the cast. Can't find a movie or TV show? Chambers said: "He implemented some techniques he learned from me I was shocked when I was at the show and saw him doing it.". Michael Chambers is a 54 year old American Dancer born on 13th November, 1967 in Long Beach, California. The movies youngest star was Michael Chambers, a teenage dancer from Los Angeles best known under his performing name: Boogaloo Shrimp. The best thing that happened at that time to hip hop was a fusion of East Coast interpretation and West Coast. Sheila E called him A great Hiphop dancer. He told me he got hired because was dancing in a club and Madonna saw him doing Waacking and Punking, so she came up with Vogue, which was full of abstract lines and that whole theatrical dance thing. Copyright2023, BlackDoctor, Inc.All rights reserved. In a 2008 interview with the Black Hollywood File, Quiones discussed the making and impact of Breakin, saying it was critical in the development of hip-hop culture.