A street dance skill rooted in 1970s LA funk culture. Covers the journey from foundational moves like Lock, Point, and Giving Five through battle competition, choreography creation, and cultural contribution.
Locking is a funk-based street dance created by Don Campbell in 1969 in Los Angeles, defined by the sharp contrast between fast movements and sudden freezes (Locks). Dancers perform signature moves including Lock, Point, Giving Five, Pacing, and Wrist Roll to funk rhythms, popularized through Soul Train. Beyond technical mastery, this guide values understanding funk culture, expressive showmanship, and respect for the OG Lockers tradition.
You are taking your first steps into locking. You can recognize the drum beat and bassline in funk music and attempt the Lock (freezing movement) and Point (finger pointing) moves, though your timing is often off. You understand that locking was created by Don Campbell and begin to distinguish the names and shapes of foundational moves such as Lock, Point, Giving Five, and Pacing.
Documents the origins of locking by Don Campbell and OG Lockers, including foundational moves (Lock, Point, Hand Slap, Split) and the solo-to-group-to-professional progression, used to calibrate level boundaries and cultural context.
Presents a five-level proficiency assessment framework (Novice to Advanced) for street dance (popping), providing stage-based behavioral criteria and evaluation methodology applicable to locking and similar genres.
