The dancestyles that made me

Here you can find information about the dancestyles that I consider my tools, in order to express myself freely on stage.

One of the main objectives has been and will always be, to create, in order to be different and to contribute. The following danceforms are free artforms. It is all a matter of communication. If you want to be interpreted the right way you are better off doing it with the right approach. To understand those dances fully will take years of studying. Each one has its own particular philosophy, background and history. They all have a fundamental vocabulary that is tought worldwide. Ever since I started to dance I looked at myself as a creative artist that chose to speak the body languages described as in the following topics.

Popping

Popping is a dance that was created by "Boogaloo Sam" from Fresno in California. People often refer to the pop as a technique of flexing your muscles rythmically to the music. Doing it the right way, one creates a mechanical or an electric impulsive effect. So basically "popping" is a dance where the dancer is mostly looking like anything else but human. The science of imitating animatronics, robots, cartoons or special effects from movies were the big inspiration back in the days. today the main focus is rather to create your own character and built on new concepts without loosing the original formula.

There are many different dances that fall under the category of popping today, when danced in competitions: Electric Boogaloo, Tutting, Strutting, Ticking, Toyman, Boppin, Digits, Axleeffect, Measuring, Puppeting and the Twistoflex style are just a few examples.

The anatomy of a "POP"
I usually explain the pop itself as a "counter" movement that is kept very small and precise. Basically one moves very little into the opposite direction one wants to move to. It creates strong dynamics or a mechanical effect. The smaller you execute this counter movement, the more it becomes the pop itself. It is mostly used in order to initiate a movement.

For more informations:
www.electricboogaloos.com

BBoying

Bboying

This is the dance that most of the people know better as „Breakdance“! Well, but it sure is not the name name we use. The dance was created mainly in NYC. Basically we separate between the two styles toprock and downrock although it´s most of the times performed in the same solo. Toprock is everything you do while standing up, and downrock, is all movement on the floor. Most of the spinning moves are considered powermoves and every abrupt stop, mostly in an unexpected position is called a freeze. Of course there are still many substyles.

There are many sites out, a lot of them have videos and forums as well. Just check out the links.

My favorite are:
Battleoftheyear.de
Bboyworld.com

Locking

Locking or Campbellocking is a dance art form with the improvisational Steps called the „Locks“, created by Don Campbell in the nightclubs of Los Angeles in the early 1970s. This dance and subculture quickly caught on and was soon the rage of a new television dance show called “Soul Train”, Individual dancers displayed quick, locking and pointing movements along with hand slaps and splits. Don Campbell along with dancers like Greg Campbellock jr., Jimmy “Scooby Doo” Foster, Fred “Mr. Penguin” Berry (aka Rerun), the “Gogo Brothers” (Tony Lewis and Buddy Lombard), James “Skeeter Rabbitt” Higgins, Leo “Fluky Luke” Williamson, Sambo Lock, Charles- and Slim- Robot and many other old school originals would meet in nightclubs like the “Citadel” in Hollywood, the “Summit on the hill” or “Mavericks flats” and share steps and moves.

Don initiated and emphasized the improvisational movement of “Campbellocking”, him and his partner Damita Jo Freeman toured with the “Soul train Gang”. Shortly after Don comprised a group of improvisational solo style locking dancers (each dancer would step out do his solo and step back in line). This group was comprised of “Don Campbellock Campbell”, Fred “Mr Penguin” Berry; “Charles Robot”, Slim Robot” and “Sambo Lock”. They were called the “Campbellockdancers”. During that time, Greg “Campbellock jr.”, “Scooby Doo Foster”, Leo “Fluky Luke”, Tony Go-go and James “Skeeter Rabbitt”, were creating steps that were now being done in unison.

In Watts, California a movement towards group dancing was taking place. In 1972 The “Go-Go brothers (Tony and Buddy along with the original Skeeter Rabbitt) combined to form the first synchronized locking dance group, performing skits and routines in both Large arenas as well as small High school functions. In late 1972 early 1973 “Scooby Doo” and “Campbellock jr.” Combined with the “Go-Go Brothers”. “Skeeter Rabbitt” and with female Lockers Arnetta Johnson, Fred Maxie and Lorna Dune to form the first unisex Locking group “Creative Generation” This group studied dance, taught, performed and toured as members of the legendary “Watts writers workshop”. Later that summer Don Campbell organized and introduced the “LOCKERS” ( originally named the “Campbellockdancers” after his first group). This was one of the most dynamic, influential groups in the history of the dance, comprising both the best improvisational dancers and the top synchronized dancers choreography skills, and combining with Don Campbell, Robot specialist “Slim”, Fred “Mr. Penguin (Rerun)” Berry , young new talent Adolpho “Shabba Doo” Quenones, “Fluky Luke” and renowned choreographer Toni Basil. During the groups existence, in the 70´s other OG dancers such as “Tony Go-go” and the original “Skeeter rabbitt” was added, or toured with the group.Also during that early period other urban groups such as “33RPM” and the “Ghetto Dancers”, who were comprised when other old school Locking dancers were formed, this set off a dance phenomenon now spreading from the Los Angeles inner city to the suburbs and across the country. In the late 1970´s the original “Lockers” group disbanded, reforming a second generation in the mid 1980´s adding old school dancers “Alpha”, “Deputy” and “Big-D”. Also in the 1980´s “Tony Go-go” established a school introduced the “Locking” dance art in Japan, today this has set off a wave of interest to know and understand the historyand sub-culture of true dance phenomenon all over the world.

By no means were these the only groups or contributers (there are so many) to this dance and subculture which evolved through the 70´s to eventually form the multi style and cultures of today´s “Hiphop” dance world. Many thanks to Don Campbell and the many other old and new school pioneers.

The Moves the Original Lockers Created
The Scooby-Doo
Scoobot
Scooby into Skeeter Rabbitt
Fancy Style Skeeter Rabbitt
Quickie/Stop and Go
Master Butt
The Seek/Seeking
Hat and Ball Trick
Hitchhike
Pimp Walk
Running Split
Running Knee Drops
Playing Guitar
Volkswagon
Iron Horse/Which-a-Way
Flipping Durby/Aceduce
Scooby-Doo inot the air
Hitch kicks Scobots
Scooby Doo into pendulum turns
Torshata Slit/Kneedrop
Lay-out
The Helicopter
King Tuck
Back Front
Burning People the Five
Killing Roaches
Leo Walk
Campbell Jr. Walk
Double Joint Lock/Leo Lock
No Lock(Hands out Front)
Masterpeace Handshake
Other Styles Handshake

-The moves that Don Campbellock Campbell Started with are:
Lock position and Double Lock
Twirls with Points (Uncle Sam)
Turning the Apple Cap
Kick into the split and slap floor before coming up
Knee Drops
Give self five
Swan Dive
The Kiss Regular

storm locking

-Moves That Greg Campbellock Jr. Added to that:
Precision Twirls and points
Jump in air and over object (animated style)
Cartoon head turn
Handshakes (used by the originals)
Acrobatic moves (into splits etc.)
Routines

The MASTERS of Locking:
Don Campbell "Campbellock" The creator and originator of the first Locking movements. He was a member the Soul Train Gang, established the first improvistional group "The Campbellockers" and later was the organizing force behind the group "The Original Lockers" A dynamic soloist, known for his show stoping dives and splits.

Greg Pope "Cambellock Jr." not related to Don Campbell but given the name because of his creativity with locking movements. A member of the Soul Train Gang and Locking Dance group, The watts writers "Creative Generation" before joining the Original Lockers in 1973. Greg created several steps, movements, handshakes and routines associated with Locking.

text taken from:

heres a video that was used as reference for many years

the Lockers website:
http://www.thelockersdance.com/