The Origins of Popping and its Evolution

As a dancer, I owe my passion for rhythm to my dad's eclectic music collection. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have access to a wide range of jazz, soul, and funk records that sparked my interest in dance. Those early days were filled with imitating the moves I saw in music videos by Bobby Brown, Another Bad Creation, and MC Hammer.

It wasn't until I stumbled upon street dance that I discovered the true art of popping. I started practicing with JRock's 'Popping Styles' Interview, Enniis Infante's Mixes, and YomKimme's Popping/Dimestopping Practice guide. These resources helped me develop my skills and appreciate the rich history behind this style.

But where did it all begin? The roots of popping can be traced back to Don 'Campbellock' Campbell and his group, 'The Lockers'. They created a dance centered around fundamental moves like the lock, muscle-man (up-lock), uncle sam points, and wrist rolls. Over time, popping evolved to encompass various styles such as waving, strobing, animation, boogaloo, scarecrow, toy-man, puppet, and botting.

At its core, popping is based on the 'hit' or 'pop', which requires a unique blend of strength, control, and coordination. As a community, we welcome anyone looking to learn more about funk styles, share their own tutorials, or simply post cool videos they come across.

In this subreddit, everything related to the origins of funk styles from the west coast is fair game. From asking for advice to sharing your own popping tutorials, this is the place to connect with fellow dancers and explore the world of funk. So, if you're new to popping, feel free to ask for help or share your progress – we're all about spreading the funk!

Pop lock tutorial