Interesting and Memorable Facts About Locking Dance

There is a huge variety of dance styles and directions out there. Each is unique, with its own special story and fascinating facts.

Born in the 1960s, Locking blew up dance floors and minds everywhere. People danced it anywhere and everywhere! This dance is interesting to watch and to learn about, especially with its funny origin story.

It all started in America (Los Angeles, to be exact) during a student party at some club. At that time, a student named Don Campbell was seriously learning to dance. Like most people trying to teach themselves, he started learning all the moves at once. Arriving at a party, Don decided to show his friends what he had learned, and started showing everything he knew.

In the middle of his dance, Campbell kept stopping for split seconds, trying to remember which move came next. The audience and his friends called this accent a "lock," and that's how the dance got its name.

Soon, they decided to join their friend and form a full dance crew.

Their first name was similar to the founder's last name: "The Campbellock Dancers," but later they changed it to the catchier and more memorable "The Lockers."

These guys even appeared on TV in the popular youth program "Soul Train." They performed several short improvisations. Thanks to that show, the dance burst onto the world stage and became incredibly popular.

Also interesting is that each member of the group had their own signature move, which they named themselves.

Later, these names became their full-on nicknames and personal trademarks. They showcased them on Soul Train as well.

A girl named Toni Basil also danced with The Lockers. She was the first girl to start dancing in this style. She is also the most famous Locking dancer in the world.

One of the features of Locking (like any street style) is the huge room for improvisation. Often, most of the dance (if not all of it) is improvised.

This style allows your body to do whatever it wants. All you have to do is give yourself over to the music.

Another feature is that the dance is performed mainly to funk. This pair has been firmly established in the dance world for many years.