Michael Chambers

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Michael Chambers
Born	1967 Long Beach, California
Other names	Boogalo Shrimp, Michael 'Boogalo Shrimp' Chambers

Michael "Boogalo Shrimp" Chambers (born 1967) is an American dancer and actor known for his role as "Turbo" in the 1984 cult classic film Breakin' and the 1984 hit sequel Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. In both movies he is credited as Boogaloo Shrimp, a name that remains inextricably linked to the Hollywood phase of popping, boogaloo and robot dancing also the freestyle art of b-boying. During the height of the popularity of those movies, he (along with his Breakin' co-star Adolfo "Shabba Doo" Quiñones and other dancers from the film) is prominently featured in the music video for Chaka Khan's song "I Feel for You".

Childhood

Michael was born in November, 1967, in Wilmington, California and is the youngest of 4. He grew up in a small town but a community with a diverse mix of ethnic groups and cultures. Initially, he formulated his unique style of dance through his interest in fantasy and sci-fi television shows, including the work of Ray Harryhausen and other stop-motion experts. He was also greatly inspired and taught by west coast popper and member of the Electric Boogaloos, Boogaloo Sam. He credits his older brother with introducing him to his first "moonwalk" a move he would later perfect, and share with pop superstar Michael Jackson.

While still a teenager, Chambers' older brother would take him to a local pier where he would perform his moves for money. He claims to have earned hundreds of dollars through his street performances, leaving many to wonder "who was this kid!?" To solve the problem of anonymity, Michael's sister gave him a jacket that read "Mike aka Boogaloo Shrimp" hence his street dancing name. Michael's dancing would increasingly draw the attention of promoters, and particularly the eye of Adolpho "Shabba Doo" Quinones, who was seeking to form a new dance troupe after the breakup of his previous group The Lockers.

Chambers would also meet other popping/dance legends during this time, including Bruno "Poppin' Taco" Falcon and Popping Pete. Taco and Shrimp would go on to share ideas and styles, building upon solid foundations that both possessed. Both would later be featured in videos and movies, including Breakin'.

Breakthrough

Chambers got an early entrée into professional dancing via television commercials, followed by an appearance in the video for Lionel Richie's All Night Long. In 1985, he co-starred in "Stop the Madness," an anti-drug music video sponsored by the Reagan administration, featuring several famous musicians, actors and athletes.

He also appeared in such films as Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey as a dancing robot and in the 1999 film Dudley Do-Right. He also appeared as Urkel-Bot in a 1991 episode of Family Matters, again as a robot.

Chambers was the announcer on the kid's show Fun House from 1990-1991. In contrast to his style of dancing, he would dance while "rapping" the opening spiel at the start of the show. He appeared in Sugar Ray's 1997 video of the song Fly and break danced in the video.

Michael is currently in talks to do a second sequel to the popular Breakin’ franchise. The project is on hold at the moment, as producers search for funding. Undeterred, Michael is once again prepared to go out into the public spotlight, this time not only as a dancer but as a lecturer on Hip Hop and street dancing culture.

External links

• Comprehensive Interview with Michael Chambers, 17 parts on Youtube'
• http://www.myspace.com/officialboogalooshrimp
• Michael Chambers at the Internet Movie Database
• Cast biography from Breakin

Persondata
Name	Chambers, Michael
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1967
Place of birth	Long Beach, California
Date of death
Place of death