Obituaries : Michael Peters; Helped Create Michael Jackson Videos

Michael Peters, director, choreographer and dancer who helped Michael Jackson create his top-selling videos “Beat It” and “Thriller” and was often referred to as the “Balanchine of MTV,” has died. He was 46.

Peters died Saturday in Los Angeles of complications of AIDS.

Considered a pioneer in the music video industry, Peters won American Video and MTV awards for each of the Jackson productions.

The versatile Peters also won a Tony award for choreographing the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls,” and two Emmy awards for designing the dancing for the television specials “Liberty Weekend Closing Ceremonies” and “The Jacksons: An American Dream.”

His bold state-of-the-art choreographic style focused on sounds of instruments rather than counting out steps, which is usually done in classical ballet or modern dance.

“When you dance by the numbers,” he once said, “you extract all emotions and sterilize the movement. You remove the dance from its inspiration, which is the music. What I love is the capability of a body to be free in the sense of street or social dancing and, at the same time, do something that is technically hard and tremendously disciplined.”

Peters often appeared in his own productions--notably as the white-suited, switchblade-wielding gang leader in Jackson’s “Beat It.”

He also directed music videos for Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Billy Joel, Earth, Wind and Fire and the Jacksons.

Films showcasing the Peters dance magic include “Sister Act II,” “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” “Sarafina” and “The Mambo Kings.”

The Brooklyn-born Peters was placed in classes for gifted children because of his high IQ. But he disliked school and grew bored easily, so he failed to graduate after spending four years at New York’s High School of Performing Arts.

He found himself by learning to dance at the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center in Queens.

Peters is survived by his mother, Rebecka Peters.

A memorial service is scheduled at 4:15 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Performing Arts Center in Van Nuys.

The family has asked that any memorial donations be made to AIDS Project Los Angeles.