Charles Klapow - Life and Career

Life and Career

Charles began his dancing career at age 12, dancing for Patti LaBelle, Celine Dion, Sheila E., Salt-N-Pepa, Melissa Etheridge, and others in an all-star concert for the Pediatric AIDS Foundation. This included a dancing spot in the Paula Abdul music video "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah". By the time he was 15, Charles was an assistant to choreographer and mentor Marguerite Derricks. He assisted Marguerite and danced in Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997), 3rd Rock from the Sun, Fame L.A., among others. Charles created a dance company with partner Wade Robson in the mid-1990s called L.A. Images.

In the fall of 2000, Charles Klapow started choreographing for the Swedish pop group the A*Teens. He was their choreographer for music videos including "Floorfiller", "Halfway Around The World", "Sugar Rush", "Can't Help Falling In Love", and "I Promised Myself" as well as their tour director and choreographer from 2001–2003. These tours took Charles to Germany, Sweden and all over the United States, with additional spot dates in Mexico, Spain, Russia, and Denmark.

Ever since the inaugural season of the WNBA Charles has been a choreographer for the "Sparkids", the hip hop squad which performs at all Los Angeles Sparks home games. In 2005, Charles became co-director of the squad under the direction of Christy Buss and he assumed most of the choreography duties for the Sparkids during the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

Chucky was brought on board by Kenny Ortega (Dirty Dancing choreographer) to help choreograph High School Musical (2006), a Disney Channel Original Movie, with Bonnie Story. Very quickly, Ortega became another mentor to Klapow as they quickly developed a working chemistry together. Klapow served with Ortega and Story as a choreographer for the film's sequels, "High School Musical 2" and "High School Musical 3: Senior Year." He can be seen in all High School Musical movies as a dancer as well.

Klapow has choreographed commercials for companies including Gap Kids, Old Navy, JCPenney, Carl's Jr, Disney's Friends for Change

He also choreographed "Cheetah Girls 2" starring Raven-Symoné and The Cheetah Girls.

In 2009, Chucky was asked by his mentor Kenny Ortega to be the choreographer for the movie musical remake of Footloose starring Chace Crawford, and Julianne Hough, which Ortega directed, but Chucky turned it down, so he could fulfill his dreams of dancing with Michael Jackson on his comeback tour in London, which was announced in March. Ironically, Kenny Ortega was set to be the tour director of the shows. Klapow was one of twelve dancers picked for Michael Jackson's This Is It shows at The O2 Arena in London, England, which was set to begin July 13, 2009 through March 6, 2010, and produced by AEG Live. But on June 25, 2009, just eighteen days before the first show, Michael Jackson died of a cardiac arrest. AEG Live cancelled the whole tour.

On July 7, 2009, Chucky took part in the Michael Jackson memorial service at the Staples Center in Los Angeles where days prior to Michael Jackson's death, Chucky, Michael and the whole This Is It crew were rehearsing at the Staples Center in preparations for the London concerts at the The O2 Arena. Klapow took part in the performance of Will You Be There performed by Jennifer Hudson, where he, and the original eleven This Is It dancers were back-up dancers for the performance. It is said that this performance was how Michael Jackson was set to perform the song at his London concerts. Kenny Ortega was the director of the memorial service.

Chucky also choreographed Disney's Friends for Change.

Chucky is currently in Australia as a judge on the rebooted Australian TV show "Young Talent Time".

Klapow is Filipino-American. His mother is of a Filipino descent. His father has Russian background. His sister, Kimberly Klapow, has appeared with him in all 3 High School Musicals. She also appeared in High School Musical: The Concert as part of the East High basketball team.