Locking

  Locking is a style of funk dance, which is today also associated with hip hop. The name is based on the concept of locking movements, which basically means freezing from a fast movement and "locking" in a certain position, holding that position for a short while and then continuing in the same speed as before. It relies on fast and distinct arm and hand movements combined with more relaxed hips and legs. The movements are generally large and exaggerated, and often very rhythmic and tightly synced with the music. Locking is quite performance oriented, often interacting with the audience by smiling or giving them a high five, and some moves are quite comical in nature. A dancer who performs locking is called a locker. Lockers commonly use a distinctive dress style, such as colorful clothing with stripes and suspenders.

Folk Dance

15 Most Famous Traditional Folk Dances of Indian States

Diverse culture of India has the treasure of a variety of folk and tribal dances in regions across the country. Apart from 8 Indian classical dances, these Indian folk dances are practiced in the rural areas and performed during the religious or seasonal festivals. Some of the most popular folk dances performed across the Indian villages and cities are Bhangra, Rouff, Garba, Kalbelia, Lavani, Chhau, Bihu and RautNacha.

1)Rouff – Jammu and Kashmir :

The traditional folk dance from the beautiful Kashmir Valley region of Jammu and Kashmir. Dumhal is another folk dance of Jammu and Kashmir, performed on set occasions and at set locations.

2)Bhangra – Punjab :

The folk dance of from the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, mostly performed during the harvest festival of Baisakhi. Bhangra and Giddha are two most famous folk dance of Punjab, practice and perform out of India as well.

3)RasLeela – Uttar Pradesh :

The Rasalila is most popular form of folk dance of India, especially during the festivals of Krishna Janmashtami and Holi in the regions of Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh.

4)Garba – Gujarat :

The traditional garba dance from Gujarat state, performed around the statue of the Goddess Shakti during the festival of Navratri. Garba and Dandiya Raas are two most famous dance form in India as well in the world.

5)Ghoomar – Rajasthan :

The traditional folk dance from the royal Rajasthan, performed by women’s of the Bhil tribes along with other Rajasthani communities. Ghoomar in among the list of world’s top 10 most amazing local dances from India.

6)Bihu – Assam : 

The folk dance from the state of Assam, performed during the festival of Bihu, one of the three cultural festivals of Assam. Bihu dance is a group dance performed with traditional Bihu music.

7)Lavani – Maharashtra : 

A combination of traditional song and folk dance performed to the beats of Dholki in the state of Maharashtra. Lavani folk dance is also popular in other states of Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

8)RautNacha – Chhattisgarh : 

The art and folk dance forms of Chhattisgarh, performed by yadava and an essential part of the tribes of Chhattisgarh. RautNacha is tribal dance that represents the traditional folk culture of the tribal region of Chhattisgarh.

9)Ghumura – Odisha :

Ghumura Folk Dance is a tribal dance, performed with traditional folk music in the tribal state of Odisha. Ghumura Dance form has also represented the nation in various international dance events.

10)Pulikali – Kerala :

The Folk art Pulikali or Tiger dance is one of the most popular folk dance in Kerala during Onam festival in the Cultural Capital of Thrissur. Pulikali is a colorful recreational folk art from, performed on the occasion of annual harvest festival of Onam.

11)Karakattam – Tamil Nadu : 

Karakattam is ancient tamil folk dance, performed balancing a pot on the head in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu offers the many folk dance such as ChakkaiAttam, KaliAttam, OttanKoothu and Thappaattam.

12)Matki Dance – Madhya Pradesh :

Matki Folk Dance Of Madhya Pradesh is considered as an important dance art from the state, performed usually on wedding occasions. Madhya Pradesh is well known state for its dances, traditions and cultures.

13)DolluKunitha – Karnataka : 

DolluKunitha is a major form of folk dance from the state of Karnataka, The main dances of Karnataka include several variations of folk dances as well as some of the most important forms classical dances.

14)Veeranatyam – Andhra Pradesh : 

Veeranatyam is an ancient form of dance from the state of Andhra Pradesh associated with religious significance. Other folk dances of Andhra Pradesh such as Kolatam,VilasiniNatyam and Lambadi.

15)Chhau – West Bengal :

Chhau Dance is one of the most important and famous folk dance of West Bengal, originated from Purulia district and performed during harvesting festivals. The Indian tribal martial dance is also popular in the states of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal

The amazing variety of folk dances depicts the vibrant and varied culture of our country. And this is reflected in the variety of colorful costumes.

B-Boying

                            B-Boying

B-boying or breaking, also called breakdancing, is a style of street dance that originated primarily among Puerto Rican and African American youths (many of them former members of the Black Spades, the Young Spades, or the Baby Spades) during the mid-1970s. The dance spread worldwide due to popularity in the media, especially in regions such as Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United Kingdom. While diverse in the amount of variation available in the dance, b-boying consists of four kinds of movement: toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. B-boying is typically danced to hip-hop, funk music, and especially breakbeats, although modern trends allow for much wider varieties of music along certain ranges of tempo and beat patterns.

A practitioner of this dance is called a b-boy, b-girl, or breaker. Although the term "breakdance" is frequently used to refer to the dance in popular culture and in the mainstream entertainment industry, "b-boying" and "breaking" are the original terms. These terms are preferred by the majority of the pioneers and most notable practitioners.

Popping

Popping

Popping dance is a style of dance that started in the late 1960’s and 70’s, characterized by sudden tensing and releasing of the muscles to the rhythm of beats in music.

How Popping Was Created

Origins of dance styles can get tricky. The OG’s have different accounts and interpretations of that story according to their regions and circles of influence.1

While there are several moving parts of the story that sometimes conflict or overlap, one clear part of popping’s origin is that it started among groups of teenage friends in deindustrializing parts of the city. They’d come up with moves, practice them, then bust them out at clubs or battles. It was something that gave the dancers an escape, an identity, and a family.

Over time, the word “popping” (which is also often referred to as “hitting,”) started being used to describe the collection of moves and techniques invented by the OG poppers.

Key Elements Of Popping

Animation Animation was inspired by the Dynamation films by Ray Harryhausen. It is meant to simulate an animated character moving frame-by-frame. The technique involves abrupt tensing of the muscles to create a stop-motion illusion.

The Boogaloo The Boogaloo is a loose, fluid motion that gives the impression of the body having no bones. It incorporates isolated circular rolls of body parts.https://s3.amazonaws.com/steezy/class-videos/boogie-frantick-footwork-beg.mp4

The Robot / Botting When you imitate a robot or mannequin using several different popping techniques.what is popping dance?

Dime Stop When you move at a steady pace, then come to a clean halt without any shaking or reverb. Comes from being able stop suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere, or “stopping on a dime”.what is popping dance?

Gliding / Floating / Sliding These footwork techniques create the illusion that your feet are moving smoothly across the floor. The backslide (which people commonly confuse as the Moonwalk), is a move that incorporates this technique.what is popping dance?

Hitting / Popping A hit or pop is created by flexing your muscle groups suddenly. It can be done continuously to a steady rhythm, combined with different poses and pathways.what is popping dance?

Isolation When you keep the rest of your body still while you separate and move a part of it.what is popping dance

Miming Inspired by classic mimes, when you utilize isolations to create pictures and illusions of objects or scenery that isn’t actually there.

Scarecrow When you move and hit with pictures that imitate a puppet or scarecrow with strings attached to your joints.what is popping dance

Snaking Characterized by fluid rolls of the chest and body, it’s a movement that involves full body waves as if you’re slithering around with your body like a snake.

Strobing When you move and stop your body quickly in steady increments using dime stops to make it look like you’re moving within a strobe light. Common, pedestrian movements are often executed with this technique such as walking.what is popping dance?

Strutting Struttin’ is a dance style that originated from San Francisco. It involves hitting angles with your limbs as you hit.what is popping dance?

Ticking Ticking is a series of hits. You break up your pathway of movement into small increments and hit/pop at each one. what is popping dance?

Waving When you fluidly move your body or parts of your body to imitate literal waves in the ocean.what is popping dancewhat is popping dance

Tutting ‘Tutting’ or ‘King Tut’ is when the you create shapes and angles with their body. It was inspired by ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.

what is popping dance

Pioneers and Notable Poppers/Crews

Boogaloo Sam

In 1975, Sam Solomon (AKA Boogaloo Sam) created a dance called the Boogaloo in Fresno, California. Sam influenced by his brother, Timothy Earl Solomon. In 1978, their family moved down to Long Beach, California, where he and other dancers formed the Electric Boogaloo Lockers.

Some members of the crew included of Pop’in Pete, Skeeter Rabbit, Suga Pop, Mr. Wiggles, Cedric Williams (AKA Creep’n Sid), Gary Allen (AKA Scarecrow Scally), Marvin “Puppet” Boozer and Dane “Robot” Parker.

Tick’n Will and Darnell Twist-o-Flex McDowell

William Green Jr. (AKA Tick’n Will) met his best friend Ricky Darnell “Twist-o-Flex” McDowell in the West Fresno projects in the 1970’s. They started making up dance moves and called themselves the Ace Tre Lockers. (But there didn’t Lock.)

“We didn’t call it Popping because to us it was just dance moves.”

– Will (Underground Dance Masters, 110)

The two would prepare dozens of steps and enter local battles. They invented their own dance moves, and added their own interpretation to existing dance moves. They came up with different variations of “Popping,” as well as techniques for Ticking, Creeping, and the Backslide. Some examples include The Old Man, Twist-o Flex and Neck-o Flex.

In 1976, Will and Darnell met Sam Solomon at Roeding Park in Fresno. They started practicing together at the Mary Ella Brown Community Center, learning and drawing from each others’ flavor. The group named themselves the Electric Boogaloo Lockers.

The Electric Boogaloos

They started performing together at local talent shows and started to expand to different areas, quickly gaining popularity for their originality and talent in all of Northern California.

When the group moved down to Long Beach, they introduced the style to Southern California dancers – recruiting newer members and polishing both their technique and group performance routines.

The Electric Boogaloos would also perform on the streets of Hollywood, trying to get discovered to work in the entertainment industry. They met and started working with Jeff Kutash in 1978, who produced dance shows in casinos. Their tour, titled “Jeff Kutash’s Dancin’ Machine featuring the Electric Boogaloo” was testing for the group – their identity was repeatedly misrepresented. For this and other reasons, members eventually stopped working under Kutash.

The Electric Boogaloos went on to innovate a number of different popping dance moves. Their style was characterized by fluid motions, incorporating rolls of the hips, knees, and head.

They appeared on national television on a show called Hot City, were featured at the Chicago Playboy Club, and performed opening numbers for various vocal artists. But the most pivotal appearance of The Electric Boogaloos was in 1979, when they danced on Soul Train.

Boogaloo Sam, Pop’in Pete, Creepin Ced, Puppet Boozer and Dane “Robot” Parker

“As you may know, these very creative young men have invented a dancing style that’s becoming very popular, and it’s described as ‘popping,’” said Don Cornelius in his introduction of the Electric Boogaloos.

The show helped to popularize and publicize popping dance. It served as a catalyst for developing different styles of popping dance in other parts of the country.

Popping and other street styles then went on to be featured in Hollywood films such as “Beat Street,” and “Breakin’.”

Bruno “Pop N’ Taco” Falcon in 1984’s “Breakin’”

The Electric Boogaloo dancers also appeared on another music variety show called Solid Gold. Though sometimes misrepresented, this put street dance and popping on the radar of a national audience.