Electric boogie is a style of popping (ticking). Both locking and popping or ticking originally came from Los Angeles. Popping was created by street dance crew electric Boogaloo. The Lockers created locking both locking and popping existed a long time before breaking was born. During the breaking era, b-boys started combining popping and locking into their freestyle's. Mr. Wiggles says, since people in NY twisted popping and made it funkier and something different from original popping, they call it electric boogie instead of popping. This is what I heard (I am not sure which is true.) Nowadays, so-called Break dance consists of breaking, locking, and electric boogie or popping. Let me tell you about history of locking and electric boogie from a book BREAKING AND THE NEW YORK CITY BREAKERS written by Michael Holman in early 80s. This is an excellent article.

It was the robots on TV shows in the early '60s like Lost in Space that inspired the black kids in Los Angeles to invent the dance the Robot. Most people, non-ethnic people, tried to say it was the mime that was as great an influence, NOT after all the many shows Marcel Marceau has done. How many live shows has Marcel Marceau done in Watts? (He was a mime) Do you know this man?

Obviously mime was an inspiration in the development and perfecting of the Robot. The sense of animation and futurism is strong in most poor inner city kids because it's an escape to a world where everything is perfect, sharp, and in control where once in your life you feel like a star and everyone love’s you. The hydraulic movements of the robot danced to music which was becoming more and more mechanically rhythmic, like James Brown's Good foot (1969), was developed in Los Angeles, this is a city of major accomplishments of street dance creations.

In 1969, a young black man by the name of Don Campbell was very popular among street dancers in Los Angeles for inventing a dance called the Campbellock (he had a record called Do the Campbellock). Don Campbell took the hydraulic robotic movements, which were all about total control and mixed it with wild, out of control body movement dances of the tap-flash dance days plus exact stop and start movements and spiced it all with comical facial expressions and clown-like costumes to develop a whole new dance movement which is still going strong called Locking

The best way to describe the movement of locking would be thus: The body moves out of control then back into control snapping into position, collapsing then snapping back.

By the Early '70s Don Campbell had put together a whole crew of lockers called ;The Lockers. One of the lockers was Shabadoo, the star of ;Breaking, and Penguin, who was the chubby locker named Rerun on the TV show What's Happening. The lockers of the early '70s wore platform shoes, loud striped socks, pegged pants that stopped at the knees, bright colorful satin shirts with big collars, big colorful bow ties, gigantic Apple Boy hats, and white gloves.

Around that time a known TV choreographer named Toni Basil, who was famous for shows like Shindig, and Hullabaloo, discovered Don Campbell and his Lockers and helped bring them to international fame. She was an incredible dancer herself and soon learned to lock. She became a member of The Lockers, helped develop their dance act, and got them on TV shows like Saturday Night Live and commercials such as Schlitz Malt Liquor Beer (the one with the bull).

Also around the time Soul Train hit the air (1972) and it became an instant media hit by featuring street dancers, especially The Lockers, of Los Angeles.

At the time breaking was developing in New York, locking, and the Robot were getting popular in southern California. During 1972 and '73 in Fresno, California, a small city halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, a black family of all boys were inventing something new of their own. They called their dance the Electric Boogaloo. Pistol Pete (who also starred in the film Breaking and was involved with Toni Basil and The Lockers and Soul Train in the early days) and his brothers had created The Electric Boogaloo by combining locking, the Robot, and the more smooth and controlled movements of mime. Instead of throwing their bodies in and out of control like locking, or in total hydraulic control like The Robot, they passed energy through their bodies popping and snapping elbows, wrists, necks, hips and just about all the body joints along the way. Electric Boogaloo was more like mime in the sense that it carried a live wire of electrical current, but it still needed the control of The Robot to give it style. The Electric Boogaloo became big in San Francisco even before it hit Los Angeles but when it did hit LA, the TV capital of the world, it was introduced through Soul Train as the new dance form and challenged the popularity of locking. The Electric Boogaloo (or Electric Boogie as it's called now) has since spread to New York as breaking later hit Los Angeles. The Electric Boogie is in control and tends to imitate the movements of nature like a lightning bolt or a rippling river, whereas breaking is more out of control and anti-nature or anti-gravitational like a flying saucer. Some kids combined the dance for battle also because they're both competitive dances where dancers battle each other to determine who's best. If my breaker can't beat you, my boogie can. They live in the same competitive atmosphere.

Because of its competitive nature, I see Electric Boogie also becoming a competitive sport. This might seem odd because unlike breaking, it's hard to judge, but it will go the way of breaking because they have become inseparable in a cultural dance movement. It will evolve into a competitive thing.

B-BOYING (Breaking)

B-boying is a form of hip-hop dancing, which is popularly known as breaking. It consists of top or up rock, footwork, spinning moves (power moves), and freezes. B-boying came from Bronx, NY. Kool Herc who was a DJ spinning at block parties in Bronx back in the days created the term B-boy orB-boying. B-Boys means ;Break Boys and they were called this because they dance to the break part of music. Later, by repeating this break part done by the DJ, Break beats" was born.

Although people tend to pick up only power moves, real b-boys should master the all elements of b-boying. There are controversies between people who emphasize on style and power moves. One puts his emphasis on power moves and their combination and the other shows their style and individuality by footwork and freezes. Rock Steady Crew has been the one who emphasizes styles to show dancer's individual flavor. Even though power moves have a great impact and very energetic, it is hard to put individual flavor into the moves. Also power moves really don't go with the beat since it is spinning. It is closer to do gymnastic moves rather than dancing. Because of these reasons, Rock Steady Crew suggests that footwork-emphasized style should be the direction of breaking of the 90s. Breaking is the most popular style of hip hop dancing and it has been spreading all over the world while new school dancing such as hip hop and house limited to big cities in the US and Japan.

It was late 60s, early 70s when people started a sort of b-boying. Their dancing was called Good Foot from James Brown's record of the same name. The Good Foot was the first freestyle dance that incorporated moves involving drops and spins, and resembled the beginning of breaking. The best way to describe the Good Foot is, according to Michael Holman, imagine a majorette marching in a parade taking steps raised high at the knee but keeping the leg raised at the knee in the air for a beat before dropping it down and simultaneously raising the other leg. Like a stop action drum majorette on beat. As the DJs invented new ways to incorporate the break beats in the records, dancers had more time to invent and experiment. Soon moves like dropping down to the ground and poppin up again on beat became standard and gave this first generation of b-boys the nickname of boie-oie-oings.; Footwork came in when the boie-oie-oings started using their arms and hands to support their bodies in order to free the feet and legs to do gymnastic steps, shuffles and sweeps. In Brooklyn a new step inspired by these drops was being developed and called Brooklyn Rock also known as UP-Rocking, Once the first early break moves had been established, a definite style began to develop. The famous first generation of b-boys were Nigger Twins, ;Clark Kent, and Zulu Kings. Around 1977 breaking was losing its popularity with black kids and it was about to die.

However, breaking came back with a new generation of b-boys. It was Puerto Rican b-boys who put new life to breaking and took it into next level. They started to put many higher levels of acrobatics and gymnastics into breaking and invented many new moves. B-boys such as Crazy Legs from Rock Steady Crew who were influenced by Jimmy Lee and Joe Joe, members of original Rock Steady Crew developed and invented the new moves such as backspins and windmills. I want to mention that there are also other b-boys such as Lil Lep from New York City Breakers who should get props by developed b-boying. Also, media stars like Bruce Lee and other Kung Fu martial artists had a major influence on b-boying culture. The popularity of Kung Fu films during the mid and late 70s around the world and especially in New York City, has had a great impact on b-boying style. A large number of martial arts moves were incorporated into b-boying. For example, windmills came from a kung fu, which is used to get up from the floor. By repeating getting-up move, windmills were born.

B-boying became even more popular in 80s. It was first introduced to outside of New York City and the rest of the world by a movie Flash dance in 1983. (Before the Flash dance, there were already movies like wild style and style wars. But the Flash dance was the first major movie, which featured b-boying.) Even though it was not a b-boying movie, the short scene which featured b-boying and popping on a street had a great impact enough to inspire people to start b-boying all over the world. After the Flash dance, many breaking movies were made such as Breakin', breaking'2, and Beat street.Beat Street also had a great impact because it had a scene of battle between Rock Steady Crew and New York City Breakers. B-boying became very popular as BREAK DANCE by many media coverage. Because of this massive media coverage, when media stopped showing b-boying on TV, people had a sense that b-boying was only a fad. Many people thought b-boying was dead. Some b-boys stopped b-boying that was influenced by media, also. Media mistreated b-boying. After 1985 or 86, the winter period of b-boying came.

Then Resurrection of b-boying happened around 1990. I don't know how exactly it happened. I am sure that it was done by the support of real b-boys that never quit b-boying even during the winter period of b-boying. As far as I know, it was California where b-boying gained its popularity again early. Nowadays, B-boy events such as B-BOY SUMMIT and ROCK STEADY ANNIVERSARY are organized every year and many b-boys from all over the world get together and keep the culture alive and even try to take it into next level.

It is usually called just hip-hop. The reason why I call it new school hip-hop is that if you just call it hip-hop, it sounds like breaking. Breaking is not hip-hop;. Since so-called hip-hop and breaking are both hip-hop, I call it new school hip-hop and old school hip-hop.

New school dance is a form of hip-hop dance, which is different from breaking. Back in the days, old-school music had fast beats, which matched breaking move. Music such as Planet Rock and Just Begun are good examples. As you know, hip-hop music is always changing. As the music changed, people realized that breaking doesn't fit with the many of new school hip-hop music. That's how new-school dance started out. Around 1986, which are the early days of new school dance, the moves were very simple. Steps called Wop, Running man, Roger Rabbit, and Robocop were popular steps in this era. These were exactly what everybody can do. You can see lots of rap videos featuring dancers during this period. However, new school dance in present time is much more evolved and complex. Many dancers twisted popping or electric boogie and put into their moves. New styles come from everywhere. People take moves from martial arts, reggae, locking, and even 70s soul train steps. Since most of rappers don't use dancers these days, it is really hard to see this new form of dance. I have been to many clubs in many states and I realized that gap of level in terms of new school dance is really huge. Some people are still doing the running man and they think it is new school.

As far as I know, New York City is the best place to see new-school dancers. The party called MECCA at Tunnel; every Sunday is where many dancers get together. New-school dance is also big in Japan. There are many dance competitions in Japan.

One old school dancer may dis new school by saying new school moves are something everybody can do compared to windmills, 1990, and head spins. He misses the point. New-school dance is more about flavor. It is not about what you can do. It is more about what you do to the music. (Of course, new school dance still requires skills, though.) This concept is close to footwork in breaking. Therefore, you can't just say which is better, old school or new school.

House dance is a part of new-school dance. According to Ejoe Wilson who is considered one of the best house dancers in NYC, it started out around 1988. It is dance for house music. While hip-hop music is mostly listened by African Americans, all races and many kinds of people love house music. It is like 70's disco music. Therefore, there was much more cultural diversity in house clubs and the house dance was established from this atmosphere. Hispanic people who have a background of salsa or Meringue, Africans who do African dance, Brazilians who do capoeira - Afro Brazilian martial arts, b-boys, hip-hop dancers, Jazz dancers, tap dancers, all these people created house dance in NY. Capoeira has influenced house dance a lot. Ejoe says that in house dance, music controls your body while in hip-hop, you control your body to the beat. This means that house dance is more free style than hip-hop and its emphasis is on footwork. In NY, there are many problems such as fighting in hip-hop clubs and people can't just purely enjoy dancing. This makes house clubs in NY popular. The most popular house club in NY is Sound Factory Bar on Wednesday.

Afro Brazilian martial arts and at the same time dance. One of many cultural weapons used to break the chains of enslavement in Brazil. Music was played during capoeira sessions to teach the rhythmic heart of the art and to mask its power. In front of the enslaves it looked like playfulness, acrobatic dancing, and joking around. Eventually the enslavers realized its power and outlawed Capoeira. Death was the penalty paid if you were caught during the slavery years. For almost 400 years Capoeira was taught and practiced in secret. Only in the 1930's did this African martial art become legal to teach and practice.

Fluid, dance like movements done close to the ground. With shifty rhythmic movements, combined with the look of playfulness or vulnerability an adversity is brought to defeat. The basic technique through which the Capoeira Angola player develops the game is the ginga, a shifty side to side movement. At the heart of the art is the music lead by the berimbau, a steel stringed bow instrument with a gourd resonator. When capoeira Angola is played the berimbau signals the beginning and end of each game, and governs the style and speed of the play. The berimbau is usually joined by the pandeiro (tambourine), the agogo (African Bell), and the atabaque (a conga-like drum)

In Japanese hip-hop, dancing has been the center of the main culture, other than emceeing, graffiti, and DeeJaying. This is because dancing has a visual impact so everyone can understand, when it comes to dance there is not a language barrier.

New school hip-hop dancing era came with the boom of New Jack Swing music. This boom began in 1989 and 1990. The music video of artists such as Bobby Brown, Bell Biv, Devoe, Heavy D, and M.C. Hammer proved that a new way of dance was coming alive and all of the young dancers were ready to explore this new form and make it real. You might remember that during this era, many rappers featured dancers. A local dance TV show called DADA LMD started in 1989. In comparison to the American Soul Train, there was a line dance at the end of the show. There was also the section of dance lesson introducing latest trendy steps instructed by regular dancers in the middle of the show. Later, these regular dancers made a debut as a singer and made commercial success. Also, there was another dance TV show called Dance Dance Dance. This show featured a dance contest competed by 4 group every week, and a special dance performance by the program's regular dancers called Mega mix. Since these two programs were local programs and also aired after midnight, the impact was not enough to create explosive boom of new dancing. The national TV show Dance Koshien started in 1989. This show was aired 8 o'clock on Sunday. This show is about street dance contest for high school students. (Actually, most of contestants appeared on TV were not high school students, though.) This show had a great impact on many young people that began to dance. Some people who made their appearance on Dance Koshien found their claim to fame. A group called LL Brothers was the most successful group from this show and became a singer later. The existence of these three dance programs shows how much the popularity was big.

After this boom was over, many people stopped dancing. But at the same time, many still stayed in it. Combined with the people from old-school breaking era, these people brought the culture into next level. The street dancing became real culture not a trend.

Around 1992, some people realized the existence of another form of street dancing which is HOUSE dancing. The music video of Crystal Water's Gypsy woman is said to the first dance video featuring house dancers, Calief and Peter Paul. (Actually, in NY, house dancing had been around for a while before that video.) Then, House dancing developed so quickly and now it is established in Japan as a category of street dance as well as hip-hop, breaking, locking, and popping.

New York has one of the top street or club dance scenes in the world and it has created many new styles. B-Boying or so-called Breaking came from South Bronx, NY in 70s. The groups such as Rock Steady Crew, New York Breakers, and Dynamic Rockers were famous crews in this era. From the end of the 80s to the 90s, the new form of dancing came which is new school. I don't say dancers in NY CREATED new school style because people not only in NY also were doing some non-break dancing moves to the hip-hop music. But I want to say that it is NY that has contributed to develop new school style. Many cities are way behind new school style compared to NYC. In some cities, people are still doing the moves from the movie House Party now.

New York should get a credit for the house-dancing scene. It is sad that many people outside NYC don't know about its existence. Actually, in NYC, there are more dancers in house clubs than in hip hop clubs now. This may be because house music is purely for dancing and the club atmosphere is better to dance while there are some fights in hip-hop clubs.

Even though I introduce many dancers as a group, most of them exist rather as an individual. So, you might not ever hear the name of crews if you go to NYC. The places that you can meet these guys are club Tunnel on Sundays. (MECCA spinned by Funk Master Flex.), Sound factory Bar on Wednesdays (Underground Network organized by Barbara Tucker), and Vynil on Saturdays. The party Stretch Armstrong is spinning is also quite popular.

Old school scene is of course alive in NYC. Rock Steady Crew are the most active crew there. Ghetto Original Production that consists mainly of RSC members has done some hip-hop plays on Broadway. The group called Full Circle is also another force in old school. Besides these, there is a group called Breeze. This group has performed actually on the streets of Manhattan for almost over 10 years.

I'm not very familiar with the old school scene, but I know there are lots of old school dancers in Houston. The crews I've seen, and that definitely represents are KAOS, RSK (Rock Skittle Crew), SKIMMY Crew, and Break Force.

Other cities in Texas. People think Texas is a cowboy cactus, Indians, and desert kind of state, but in actuality it's not even close. I heard the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and San Antonio has a scene going on. And Austin too. Shouts out to CBS crew up in A-town (Austin).

Hip-hop has many different roots. The music, rhythm, and soul are derived from the African drums. The dance comes from African tribes, Chinese kung fu, Brazilian Capoeira, and countless other influences. All of these different styles came together on both East Coast and West Coast to form the hip-hop old school styles that we know today. Break dancing started in the ghettos of New York in the early 70's. Popping and Locking started on the west coast, mostly in Los Angeles in the 70's as well (locking started earlier than popping). The common thread binding these styles into hip-hop was that the 'street' dancers, meaning those that practiced these styles, used them as a substitute for fighting. Instead of hurting people and trying to gain respect through violence, these dancers were gaining respect through the dance. Two people squaring off with their fists up became two people squaring off in the middle of a circle, trying to clown each other. The fighting became battling, and the battling became the heart of hip-hop dance. It replaced the negative energies of these youths through gang violence with a positive, creative outlet. And what made the dance style so popular was that you could earn a lot of respect through it, among friends, females, and also gangsters whom before this only respected strength. It meant a lot more to be a dancer than a gangster because it took more skill to impress people than to shoot them. Anyone that has ever been in a battle before knows that the rush of a good battle is the same as the rush of a good fight. The battle is the essence of hip-hop and it is also why the moves performed by hip-hop dancers are so spectacular or creative. To earn respect, you always had to prove yourself in the circle by clowning your opponent and the props are not easily given. Style counted for a lot and it couldn't ever be taught. You just had to pick up on it. You had to be funny, hard, mean, dope, or whatever it took to make you look good in the circle and whomever you were battling look bad.

My point is that hip-hop dancing started in the streets. Real hip-hop dancers dance to earn the respect of other dancers like themselves and this respect is earned through individuality, as opposed to uniformity. Hip-hop was never meant to be commercial and so there is no such thing as" commercial hip-hop. We can't help it if people enjoy watching hip-hop dancing but we can't let them corrupt the art and culture of it. That is how the wack dance teams are formed, performing the cheese that they call hip-hop. Real hip-hop is the dance style based on the foundations:
1)-popping
2) locking
3) b-boying (breaking).
It is not confined to any one category though. New school hip-hop is a style derived from all categories, but with more flavor in the movement. It is heavily dependent on style, but creative moves count also. There is also a new style called house. These styles are still young and in the development stages where all the dancers are trying to push it forward. It combines all kinds of styles from all over the world: African dance, capoeira, tap, jazz, ballet turns, popping, locking, breaking... it is a dance stew where everybody can put in whatever they want as long as its dope. Hard core hip-hop dancers have not officially accepted House but as a style, it really kicks ass. Even though it is not hip-hop, it passes the ultimate test: it gets props in a circle.

I might have came off kind of negative towards technical dancing such as ballet, modern, and jazz. To be honest, I feel that props should be given to anyone that has a unique flavor (style), creative moves, and contributes to their form of dance. And on top of that, props should be given to people who are just damn good. If you don't agree with me, you might want to check out 'TAP' the movie or the Nicholas Brothers in the old black and white musicals back in the 40's, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Debbie Allen, etc... Anyway, even though I am a professional hip hop choreographer / instructor, I feel that all styles of dance should teach towards cultivating the creativity in a dancer, not just making mindless drones that could copy any moves put in front of them. This is my problem with technical dancing that, usually but not always, emphasizes uniformity of motion and exact technique. It really kills the rhythm and soul of dancing, and doesn't allow the dancer to 'feel' the music.

The main purpose of this article is to express my belief that hip-hop is not a term that can be loosely thrown around. There is a true-hip-hop style. Aerobics and most commercially popular 'hip-hop' dance teams are not it. If you are a true hip-hop dancer, you know it. You eat it, breathe it, and live it. Every hip-hop dancer should know about its history and the main figures behind it so that they can pass on the information to the next generation of hip-hop dancers. That is the only way to keep the culture alive. Of course the most important aspect of a hip-hop dancer is that they contribute to the dance, whether it is creation or improvement of dance moves, style, concepts, ideas, etc.

CRAZYCEE'S FIRST HIP HOP EXPERIENCE

My first intake on hip-hop was when I was about 9 years old and I went to what they called a block party, but it was in a park (was P.S. 50 in Jamaica Queens NYC to be exact). I have always loved to dance. I was good at it but I was a kid. So, I just pretty much moved to the music or what I felt was right. That was in the summer of 1980, and I saw for the first time boys carrying card boards and radio’s they had on like Adidas sweats, sweat bands on there head and wrist bands and shell top Adidas on there feet! I thought they were a gang of some sort! Then there was a big crowd forming and I was trying to see what was going on… and I thought it was a fight or something because everyone was screaming and yelling and excited! So my big brother put me on his shoulders and I saw a dance that changed my life! I saw real live street break dancing / pop locking and hip-hop! They were actually battling each other on a card board box! They did things that I felt I could do and I wanted to try! These people were dancing from the SOUL! They did what you call freestyle. I wanted to be a dancer ever since then and the group that I saw was the ROCK STEADY CREW AND DOUGIE FRESH PERFORMED WITH MC SHAN AND SALT N PEPA AND A FEMALE GROUP NAMED FRICK AND FRACK! This is before they were popular they used to perform in the parks where the breakers used to meet to BATTLE! This was considered BEEF (DRAMA)! They would meet in the park and squash it by the best Crew who would break and freestyle, sometimes they even had routines they used to do together. That was my experience and it left a lasting impression on me and I've been teaching and choreographing ever since. I wanted to teach all girls and women in hope that they would feel me and educate themselves in this art form! I have been mastering this art form for more than 20 years now and growing strong! HIP-HOP is a culture not just a dance and CrazyCee Productions is here to school you. It consists of baggy loose fitting clothes, back packs, flannel shirts wrapped around the waste, visors, b-ball caps, Adidas sweats, wrist bands,Lee Jeans (dark gray mostly),cut up denim jeans, shell tops (Adidas for the "hip hop" impaired),mock neck shirts, pumas, fat shoe laces, checkerboard laces, graffiti, tagging, card board boxes, gold teeth, door knocker earrings, skullys hats, visors,train taggin, big speaker radios, tagged hand ball courts, hoockey jamz, calligraphy and so much more!

I will definitely kick the science for the new generation that has formed now and show them how it's really done. The new generation took the fun out of dance! Dance was a form of battle when I grew up not Guns or Drugs or even sex for that matter. Even when we were mad we had FUN! Which our youth now a days are lacking FUN! Life is too serious now for 11-21 yrs. olds! Where are all the real dancers? Now they have ridiculous dances and our kids are mimicking them such as the Harlem shake, the crip walk, the booty shake, grinding on each other like nasty perverts. There is NO real dancing out there ANY MORE! When I go places and dance people always say…damn you can dance but why are you showing off? I answer, thanks for the compliment lst of all ignorance has know place in my face, I've learned that now a days people always criticize something they don't understand or can't do. It's easier for them to insult you or criticize, THEN TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES WHILE TRY SOMETHING NEW!

Well I am going to take you back to the beginning of break dancing/ hip hop / funk and pop locking when it started! Then I WILL BRING YOU TO WHERE IT WENT! After reading this I hope I have touched you and made a difference in your history and filled your life with hope for the future!

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THE CAMBELLLOCKERS

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 "Cambellock Jr" Pope., Jimmy “Scooby doo” Foster, Fred “Mr. Penguin” Berry ( AKA Rerun) The Go-Go- Brothers (Tony Lewis and Edwin "Buddy" Lombard), James “Skeeter Rabbit” Higgins , Leo “Fluky Luke” Williamson, Johnny "Sambo Lock" McCloud, Charles "Robot" Washington and Bill "Slim Robot" Williams) and several other old school originals would meet in nightclubs like, " The Citadel" in Hollywood , The Summit on the Hill or Mavricks Flats and share steps and moves.
Don initiated and emphasized the improvisational movement of "Campbellocking." He 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) comprised of Don Campbell, Fred “Mr. Penguin” Berry, Charles Robot, Slim Robot and Sambo Lock.
They were called the “ Campbellock Dancers“. During that time, Greg Campbellock Jr. Scooby doo Foster , Leo Fluky Luke, Tony and Buddy Go-Go and Skeeter Rabbit where 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 Bros , Skeeter Rabbitt and with female lockers Arnetta Johnson , Fredy Maxie and Lorna Dune formed 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 campbellock dancers 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 available. Greg Cambellock Jr. introduced to the group synchronized locking choreography (from his Creative Generation expierience), along with Don Campbell, “Slim Robot”, Fred “Rerun” Berry ,, Fluky Luke, renowned Chorographer Toni Basil.and young new talent Adolfo “Shabba Doo” Quinones. The artform was revealed to the world.
During the groups existence, in the 70’s other OG dancers such as Tony Go-Go and The Original Skeeter Rabbitt were added or toured with the Lockers Group.
Also, during the early period other urban groups such as 33RPM and the Ghetto Dancers were formed. These were comprised of various combinations of other old school Locking dancers . This set off a dance phenomenon now spreading from the Los Angeles inner city to the Suburbs and across the Country. Other groups, promoters, dancers and managers flooded the scene quickly after, some driven by the love, facination and respect for the artform . Others simply ignored the foundatition and only disired to exploit it. These dancers and groups were known by the sub-culture simply as "SLOP lockers".
Note: These groups and individuals quickly clamored to exploit not just the art form of locking but it's entire culture and roots . Many renamed steps, plagerized entire taped routines, many never learned the internal rules of the sub-culture. They never learned or inquired about the brotherhood which made locking great, they only attemped to capitalize, exploit and alter the history of locking.
By 1975 the art form had evolved. In the late 1970’s the original Lockers group disbanded , reforming a second generation in the mid 1980’s adding old school dancers “Alpha“Anderson, Lewis Green “Deputy” Lionel Douglas " Big “D.
In the 1980’s Tony Go-Go established a school introducing the locking dance art in Japan. Today this has set off a wave of interest to know and understand the history and sub-culture of a true dance phenomenon all over the world.
By no means were these the only groups or contributors ( 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 hip hop dance world. Many thanks to Don Campbell and the many other Old and New School pioneers.

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MORE History about POPPING & LOCKING

It was the robots on TV shows in the early '60s like "Lost in Space" that inspired the black kids in Los Angeles to invent the dance the Robot.
I don't think mime was as great an influence, after all, how many live shows has Marcel Marceau done in Watts?
Obviously mime was inspirational in the development and perfecting of the Robot. The sense of animation and futurism is strong in most poor inner-city kids because it's an escape to a world where everything is perfect, sharp, and in control.
The hydraulic movements of the robot danced to music which was becoming more and more mechanically rhythmic, like James Brown's "Goodfoot" (1969), was a natural development in Los Angeles, a city of major street dance creations.
In 1969, a young black man by the name of Don Campbell was becoming known among street dancers in Los Angeles for inventing a dance called the Campbellock (he put out a record called "Do the Campbellock"). Don Campbell took the hydraulic robotic movements, which were all about total control and mixed it with wild, out of control body movement dances of the tap-flash dance days plus exact stop and start movements and spiced it all with comic facial expressions and clown-like costumes to develop a whole new dance movement which is still going strong called "Locking" (Campbellocking to us old guys. I lived in L.A. when it first came out and was a pretty good Campbellocker myself.)
The best way to describe the movement of locking would be thus: You know those little-figured toys that are like inside-out puppets on small plastic circular platforms or pedestals, and if you press the bottom of the platform the figure collapses real fast, then when you let your finger up it goes back into shape? Well that's what locking looks like. The body moves out of control then back into control snapping into position, collapsing then snapping back.
By the Early '70s Don Campbell had put together a whole crew of lockers called "The Lockers." One of the lockers was Shabadoo, the star of "Breaking," and Penguin, who was the chubby locker named "Rerun" on the TV show "What's Happening." The lockers of the early '70s wore platform shoes, loud striped socks, pegged pants that stopped at the knees, bright colorful satin shirts with big collars, big colorful bow ties, gigantic Apple Boy hats, and white gloves.
Around that time a known TV choreographer named Toni Basil, who was famous for shows like "Shindig," and "Hullaballoo," discovered Don Campbell and his Lockers and helped bring them to international fame. She was an incredible dancer herself and soon learned to lock. She became a member of The Lockers, helped develop their dance act, and got them on TV shows like "Saturday Night Live" and commercials such as Schlitz Malt Liquor Beer (the one with the bull).
I remember seeing her and Don Campbell dance live at a nightclub called Crenshaw Flats in Los Angeles. I was blown away. She was actually better than he was!
Also around the time "Soul Train" hit the air (1972) and it became an instant media hit by featuring street dancers, especially The Lockers, of Los Angeles. The nightclub Crenshaw Flats the apartment on Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angels was where the "Soul Train" gang hung out.
At the time breaking was developing in New York, locking the The Robot were getting popular in southern California. During 1972 and '73 in Fresno, California, a small city halfway between Los Angeles and Dan Francisco, a black family of all boys were inventing something new of their own. They called their dance the Electric Boogaloo. Pistol Pete (who also starred in the film "Breaking" and was involved with Toni Basil and The Lockers and "Soul Train" in the early days) and his brothers had created The Electric Boogaloo by combining locking. The Robot, and the more smooth and controlled movements of mime. Instead of throwing their bodies in and out of control like locking, or in total hydraulic control like The Robot, they passed energy through their bodies popping and snapping elbows, wrists, necks, hips and just about all the body joints along the way. Electric Boogaloo was more like mime in the sense that it pantomimed a live wire of electrical current, but it still needed the control of The Robot to give it style. The Electric Boogaloo became big in San Francisco even before it hit Los Angeles but when it did hit L.A., the TV capital of the world, it was introduced through "Soul Train" as the new dance form and challenged the popularity of locking. The Electric Boogaloo (or Electric Boogie as it's called now) has since spread to New York as breaking later hit Los Angeles. It's interesting to see breaking and locking existing in the same sub-cultures. I think it's partly because they complement each other as opposites. The Electric Boogie is in control and tends to imitate the movements of nature like a lightning bolt or a rippling river, whereas breaking is more out of control and anti-nature or anti-gravitational like a flying saucer. Another reason they're done together with the same kids may also be that they're both competitive dances where dancers battle each other to determine who's best. "If my breaker can't beat you, my boogie can." They live in the same competitive atmosphere.
Because of its competitive nature, I see Electric Boogie also becoming a competitive sport. This might seem odd because unlike breaking, it's hard to judge, but it will go the way of breaking because they have become inseparable in a cultural dance movement.
It will evolve into a competitive thing.

Written by Michael Holman in early 80s.

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Chain Reaction

In 1974 after watching The Lockers on Saturday Night Live, Thomas 'T-Bobber' Guzman-Sanchez was inspired to learn the dance. He went on to form the group 'Chain Reaction' with his younger brother Paul 'Coolpockets' Guzman-Sanchez, Mike 'Deuce' Donley and Bob 'Bosco' Winters.
They were one of the first groups to dance both styles (locking and popping) CHAIN REACTION were famous for their intricate routines and double time style. The group also star danced in the movie' XANADU' it was the first time that Locking and Popping would feature in a major film production. In 1979 Rod Stuart's music video 'Young Turks' featured Coolpockets Popping, the first to be played on MTV.
As the group developed, it was the unison routines and this clean Doubled Up style of Locking that set them apart.

The following exerts are taken from the book
"Underground Dance Masters: History Of A Forgotten Era" Copyright 1993
written by: Thomas Guzman-Sanchez
Jazz, Tap and other art forms of the street have become classic because of either enthusiasts, mass media attention or historians. The UNDERGROUND DANCE MASTERS that we are talking about here, were never seen by a large part of society let alone any of the mass media. This collection of music entitled "O.G. Funk: Underground Dance Masters Music Series - Locking Volumes 1& 2" is from the feature documentary UNDERGROUND DANCE MASTERS: HISTORY OF A FORGOTTEN ERA". The film takes you on a journey through this underground life style when a special group of artists created art, not on canvas nor recordings but in unique dances, one could call it Physical Graffiti. Using their individual dance styles (as gunslingers used their pistols) to dominate others, get respect and build self pride solely through the art of dance.
The music that inspired these dances is what is encompassed in this collection. This music is the deepest and the hardest grooves on the streets of that time and it was simply called the O.G. Funk. Later it was also known as old school (the real old school and not what's become old school).
The film is a 1 hour and 55 minute production that covers a 15 year span of an unwritten history from 1970 to 1985. The music queues used in the film have been broken up into eight volumes based on the style of dance that is appropriate to each track.
Two of those are Locking Volumes 1 & 2 that features the music that inspired Don "Campbellock" Campbell from Los Angeles, CA to create Campbellocking in 1970 and inspired the dance group Chain Reaction from Reseda, CA to create and reinterpret Locking in 1974 establishing the way the dance is done today.
The film is now for sale on VHS. The film is made up of archival footage that creates an unshakable timeline. These liner notes are from the book "Underground Dance Masters: History Of A Forgotten Era" and it gives a first time look at this part of American Pop Urban History. Telling about a very special group of Latino, Black and White individuals who are the true masters of the Urban Dance forms called Locking and Popping that has become the basis of what is called hip-hop dance today.
Don "Campbellock" Campbell had many others dancers that were attracted to his energy and his dance. Those people, inspired by Campbellock created movement that became known as a LOCK. This move would eventually become the center piece and a key part of Campbellocking.
Leo "Fluky Luke" Williamson (Original member of the Campbellock Dancers, 1973 would influence Campbellocking with his move originally called the IRON HORSE and renamed the Which-A-Way.
With his agility and crisp movements his interpretation of Don's dance would go on to inspire many. It was his intense energy and extreme perfection that took the dance to new levels.
Alpha Omega Anderson (a member of the second incarnation of the Lockers) was one of those people. He created a move out of trying to do continuous Russian squat kicks.
Every time he would try this move he would fall backward onto his hands. His brother called attention to this accidental movement. He would continue developing it and this move (originally known as an Oil Well) is what is known today as an Alpha.
In late 1970 another dancer named Tony "Go-Go" Lewis (a member of the Lockers in 1977, along with partner Edwin Lombard (originally from LA) were making up steps that they could do in sink, because the Lockers didn't do in sink steps yet.
They would create a combination of hopping and shuffling steps that would take on the nickname of one member of his group (the GO-GO Brothers) named James "Skeeter" Higgens (originally from LA).
Skeeter did this move very jerky and hyper so they called it "Skeeter Rabbit".
There are many variations of Skeeters done today, but when they came up with the move at Tony "Go-Go's" home in LA they had no idea that their step would become synonymous with Locking.

When Chain Reaction Established in 1974 took this dance and reinvented it, they took that energy of the improvisational approach that was established by Campbellock and did a new interpretation.

T-Bopper Chain Reaction 1975
Thomas "T-Bopper" Guzman-Sanchez based his style on a cross formation where everything had to be clean movement.
As the group developed, it was the unison routines and this clean Doubled Up style of Locking that set them apart. He also changed the terminology and in 1974 introduced the word BREAK to describe the dance move originally called a LOCK. This word eventually evolved to be used as a descriptive word for the "act of dancing."


"Cool Pockets" Chain Reaction 1975

Paul "Cool Pockets" Guzman-Sanchez would take the Doubled Up Locking style to new levels with multi directional points and Bob "Bosco" Winters developed an off time syncopated style that made him absolutely unique. Together with Mike "Deuce" Donley made Chain Reaction a complete and unbeatable entity. The group created special unison choreography that did not exist before. This would change the way the dance would be performed forever.
It was the summer of 1977 in Fresno CA that lived another group who called themselves the Electronic Boogaloo Lockers. This group was also influenced by the Lockers to be a dance group. But more important than the Locking they did was that these five individuals sparked a different creation partially inspired by robotic movement. This group was made up of Slim and Slide, Boogaloo Sam Solomon, Darnell "Twist-O-Flex" McDowel, Tick'n Will Green.
It was not one but the combination of all five of these artists that were key in the development what is become known as Popping and Boogaloo'n. It was in the second incarnation of the group after Sam moved to Long Beach that the group was renamed Electric Boogaloo.
This second group featured Boogaloo Sam Solomon, Tim "Popin Pete" Solomon, Creep'n Sid, Puppet Boozer, Robot Dane and Scarecrow Scally.
In 1978 the Chain Reaction heard about this dance but had never seen it began to create their form of Popping. It was not until they saw the Electric Boogaloo later that year that all the pieces came together.
Thomas "T-Bopper" Guzman-Sanchez, Bob "Boscoe" Winters, Paul "Cool Pockets" Guzman-Sanchez, Mike "Deuce" Donley and Kyle "Buzzy K" Hannaford (1954-1998).
There group was featured in the film XANADU making them the first group to Pop in a major motion picture.
In 1979 Cool Pockets was featured in the Rod Stewart "Young Turks" Video which was also the first time this dance had been in a Rock Video or shown on MTV.
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