Mr. Wiggles

Steffan "Mr. Wiggles" Clemente (born 1965) is an American street dancer, noted for his popping skills. He has been active as a dancer, actor, choreographer, dance instructor, music producer and graffiti artist.

He is a member of the Rock Steady Crew, The Electric Boogaloos, Tribal Click, Zulu Nation, and TC5 (also known as The Cool Five or The Crazy Five).

Biography

Steffan "Mr. Wiggles" Clemente, born in 1965 in the South Bronx of New York City, is of Puerto Rican descent and was raised on hip hop since the early 1970s.

His dancing career started by battling all around New York City. He built his battling reputation until he was able to battle around the world. This includes Europe, South America, Asia, the Middle East, Canada, and on the stages of Broadway.

Mr. Wiggles has been credited for two films – the 1984 drama dance film Beat Street and the 1983 hip-hop film Wild Style – which helped establish hip hop today.^[1]

During his time in the graffiti crew TC5, Clemente was known as "Rek" by other members of the group. Clemente originally got his stage name of Mr. Wiggles from a leader in the TC5 crew, who went by both "Seen" and "Mr. Wiggles". While cutting class in school, Clemente had shown "Seen" a certain dance move which inspired him to give Clemente his side-alias, "Mr. Wiggles".^[2]

Aside from dancing, Mr. Wiggles has also worked in theater, film, and music with entertainers, including Graciela Daniele, Bill Irwin, and Ann Marie DeAngelo.^[3] He has been a featured artist at the Apollo Theater (New York City) and performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.). He has appeared in music videos with musicians, including Missy Elliot,^[4] Usher,^[5] Madonna, and Limp Bizkit,^[6] among others.^[7]

Mr. Wiggles performs as a solo artist and with the Electric Boogaloos and Rock Steady Crew. He is also committed to participating in outreach programs teaching youth about the positive aspects of hip-hop culture.^[8]

Awards

Mr. Wiggles received a 1993 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award.^[9] He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for the Ghettoriginal production of Jam on the Groove. He won a Bessie Award for Best Choreography for the theatrical production of So What Happens Now, a play dedicated to Buck4, a deceased Rock Steady Crew member.^{[citation needed]}

Mr. Wiggles, along with the members of Rock Steady Crew, was acclaimed at the first annual VH-1 Hip Hop Honors in 2004.^[10]

In popular culture

Mr. Wiggles's instructional VHS tape Mr. Wiggles Sessions: Vol.# One [sic]: King Tut Style was featured in an episode of Red Letter Media's Best of the Worst entitled Wheel of the Worst #17. The episode ends with Rich Evans^{[disambiguation needed]} parodying Clemente as "Mr. Jiggles" who demonstrates "King Gut Style".^[11]

Personal life

Clemente is married to Zoraya Clemente and has six children, named Unico, Alexandra, Talib, Ammar, Atiya, and Zamaria.^[12]

References

^ "about mr wiggles". wigzee.biz. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
^ Millennial West (September 2, 2017). "Mr Wiggles 2017 Q&A". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
^ LaRocque, Marilyn (April 4, 2003). "Nevada Ballet Theatre to Salute Rodgers". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
^ MissNeNe1000 (July 24, 2009). "Missy Elliott – Work It". Retrieved June 3, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)^{[dead YouTube link]}
^ UsherVEVO (October 25, 2009). "Usher – My Way". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
^ LimpBizkitVEVO (October 5, 2009). "Limp Bizkit – Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
^ "Steffan "Mr. Wiggles" Clemente". Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
^ ^{[dead link‍]} "Mr Wiggles Interview – Rock Steady Breakdancer LatinRapper.com". www.latinrapper.com.
^ "Steffan "Wiggles" Clemente". Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015.
^ "Hip Hop Honors 2004". VH1. Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
^ Stoklasa, Mike; Evans, Rich (July 9, 2018). "Wheel of the Worst #17". Best of the Worst. Red Letter Media. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
^ Ruby Roth (June 20, 2011). "We Be Vegan: Mr. Wiggles". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 – via YouTube.

External links

[1] "about mr wiggles". wigzee.biz. Retrieved June 4, 2019.

[2] Millennial West (September 2, 2017). "Mr Wiggles 2017 Q&A". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2019.

[3] LaRocque, Marilyn (April 4, 2003). "Nevada Ballet Theatre to Salute Rodgers". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved April 29, 2021.

[4] MissNeNe1000 (July 24, 2009). "Missy Elliott – Work It". Retrieved June 3, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)^{[dead YouTube link]}

[5] UsherVEVO (October 25, 2009). "Usher – My Way". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2019.

[6] LimpBizkitVEVO (October 5, 2009). "Limp Bizkit – Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle)". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2019.

[7] "Steffan "Mr. Wiggles" Clemente". Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Retrieved June 4, 2019.

[WIGGLES-8] {[dead link‍]} "Mr Wiggles Interview – Rock Steady Breakdancer LatinRapper.com". www.latinrapper.com.

[9] "Steffan "Wiggles" Clemente". Foundation for Contemporary Arts. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015.

[10] "Hip Hop Honors 2004". VH1. Archived from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2019.

[BESTOFTHEWORST-11] Stoklasa, Mike; Evans, Rich (July 9, 2018). "Wheel of the Worst #17". Best of the Worst. Red Letter Media. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.

[12] Ruby Roth (June 20, 2011). "We Be Vegan: Mr. Wiggles". Archived from the original on December 21, 2021 – via YouTube.

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