Where does the power of Locking come from ?
REGARDLESS,M.FRENKE
Where does the power of Locking come from ?
REGARDLESS,M.FRENKE
Many of these groups and dancers were lost in the history, as we only recognized those we had seen on television or movies, but these are real street pioneers , some of which were actually before the Group the Lockers ever formed and was actually the inspirations for the performances of Locking that you were able to see on stage, some were dancers who were influenced by the social movement and passed on that inspiration, others were inspired by other pioneer dancers once the commercial performance stage had developed. But they all deserve recognition for there contributions…
The Group “Creative Generation”
No Picture available
In the 1960’s The Watts Writers Workshop was formed to develop entertainment talent in the inner cities of Watts, Compton and Los Angeles. In 1972 they recognized the beginning stages of the artform of locking. The Watts Writers Workshop invited several known Locking dancers to study, teach and perform for their workshop. This was to be the first unisex locking dance group and the creation of many synchronized routines Members : Tony Lewis, Edwin Lombard ( The GoGo Bros), James Higgins( Skeeter Rabbit), Greg Pope (Campbellock Jr,), Jimmy Foster (Scooby Doo), Arnetta Johnson, (NettaBug) Fredie Maxie, Lorna Dune & Shelly Cepeda ( These Female Lockers were known as the Toota Woota Sisters).
The Ghetto Dancers
(Picture of Ghetto Dancers insert here )
Formed in 1973. These locking dancers were pioneers who came from the true source. They performed (as a group) on the TV show American Bandstand and were well respected in the inner city nightclubs and on the locking dance circuit. They were often seen at Maverick’s Flat, The Summit on the Hill and Blueberry Hill Nightclubs. This group performed with Kool and the Gang and at the tribute to Quincy Jones celerbration.and “The Tonight Show” Hosted by Steve Allen Members: Greg Dandridge ” Captain Crunch”, Eugene Henderson “F&M”, Steve Crane “Sinbad” Morris Bailey “Cisco Kid”, Kenny Henderson “FleaLock”
The Group “33rpm”
(Two Pictures of 33rpm inserted here)
The Group 33 RPM organized in 1974 toured with Sid and Marty Kroft and performed on the wide world of sports Globe Trotters anniversary show. This group performed high level quick moving synchronized routines. right picture: ( Pictured left to right) “The Lionel (”Big D” ) Douglas, James Higgins (Skeeter Rabbit) “John Wilson (”Okie Doke”) Michael Frenke (”Peek a boo” ), ,(single picture)Haywood (”Tito”) Collins . (Not Pictured), Tony “Go Go” Lewis, Also not pictured is manager and alternate dancer Cameron “Cam” Walker
The Alphabet Kids
(Picture of alphabet kids inserted here)
This group was formed by Haywood “Tito” Collins Pictured (on the far right) in 1974 this group was significant in the early locking market showing how locking had affected the younger generation and had become a movement , this group was the first Locking group to compete and WIN the Television Gong Show in 1975 , shown here with dancer John St Cier ( far left) the group would often incorporate various soul train dancers such as “Tick” and Mr. X into their act. They were managed by AIMEE ENTERTAINMEN
Wild And Peaceful
(insert Picture)
Below is a list of other dancers and from the early Locking stages. They are either connected by there involvement with Soul Train or the initial Night Clubs of that era. Some are only known by nickname but we want to recognize their involvement in the evolution of the art.
Leo Walker “Shaboo” second generation Yo-Yo brother , Singer and choreographer (see Pat Davis – Original Member of the Soul Train Gang
Sneaky T – Early original pioneer
Jeffery “Cat Man”Macintire – Early 70s pioneer
Roy “LieLock” Early Pioneer
SamboLock “one of the first Pioneers
Bishop Hall & Reggie Co-Co “
Bang Bang” very early locking pioneer “
Sweet T” early soul Train and locking dancer
Anyone with information on any of these dancers or any forgotten “True Pioneers”
FEEDBACK FROM OUR READERS
Letters are from old school and new school dancers who has been a part of the locking movement through out its history
(picture of Jeffery here)
Hello ,hello out there … Yes , this is Jeffrey Daniel Soul Train Dancer ,Shalamar member and fellow locker for life!! I’m pleased to find this site which was recomended to me from a fellow London based Locker Richard who is also my student here in London . reading Fluky Lukes page almost brought tears to my eyes as i remember seeing the Lockers dance every weekend in Maverick’s Flat night club in L.A. in the early ’70’s . I used to sneek in there just to watch them dance and hear Don Cambell scream ! Even after i’ve toured the world and did many professional jobs , my best memories are of the Lockers dancing in Maverick’s in their own enviornment without thinking about routines or how long they can solo (like in TV apperances) just plain ‘ol dancing and funkin’ all night and changing clothes when the bands played and dancing til 4:00 a.m. I got butt whoopings from sneeking out til that late to watch them ,but i’d go back to Dorsey High school and was the best Locker in the Schools .
If anyone want s to contact me , here i am . I just moved back to London after 6 years in Osaka Japan and i had the pleasure of spending Don Cambell’s 50 birthday in Tokyo,Japan a few years back and watch him recieve love from the many Japanese locking groups . Tony Go Go was there too . I was again with Don here in London Sept. 2005 and presented him the Life Time Achievement Award at the Carnival Choreographers Ball for his invention of Locking and i humbly kneeled at his feet before about 3,000 U.K. dance fans .
Don Cambell and the Lockers changed my life in a very positive way and i’m forever grateful to them all . And God bless Fred Berry’s soul .
Thanks to whoever created this site and i’m glad it’s here for the dancers all over the world to see who love Locking and Soul Train . That’s about all the time i’ll take for now .
God Bless you all , Jeffrey Daniel
Clip of Jeffrey on Soul Train
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmVme50pg24
HEY BRO,SKEET JUST CHECKING OUT THE SITE, ITS REALLY COOL , WITH LOTS OF INFORMATIVE FACTS. PEOPLE INTO DANCING MUST KNOW WHERE IT ALL STARTED AND YOU WAS ONE OF THE FIRST TO KICK IT OFF. DUDE, YOU WAS ONE OF THE BEST DANCERS IN THOSE DAYS WITHOUT DOUBT. YOU CREATED YOUR OWN DANCE THE (SKEETER-RABBIT) A DANCE THAT ENHANCED THE OVERALL LOCKING WORLD. WHEN IT COMES TO THE FACTS , KNOWLEGE, AND RESPECT OF THE HISTORY OF LOCKING YOU ARE ONE OF THE TOPS. TAKE CARE ALWAYS . —— Peter G
Note Peter-G danced with the Old school “which-a way dancers” in 1975
My Goodness!!! What’s interesting is to have been there at various times as I was and still not know many of these facts and figures.
So I can only imagine how helpful this must be for those who watched or heard from a distance.
When I danced I seldom knew any names of any dances and it didn’t matter over 30 years ago.
Nowadays I get to learn more about the styles and give credit where credit is due.
We do have to write and tell our own stories in our Soulful voices.
Love, Peace, and Soul OG Skeeter Rabbit.
(O)riginal (G)oddess Kadeeh
Note: Kadeeh was a Soul Train Dancer
“Many of the dancers on this site I’ve danced with or next to for years. Its a shame we never got to tell the real story about what we went through back in the day. I’m just glad that now it can be told through this website” You guys keep it up”
Greg “Captain Crunch” Dandridge
The Ghetto Dancers (True Pioneers of the 70’s)
Greg is currently one of the leading stunt men in Hollywood, Calif.
“LockerLegends has my highest respect and I wish it the proper place in history it deserves. The seed of all Streetdances“.
(Insert sundance picture here)
Sundance, Las Vegas, Nevada
Picture taken on stage of the
Las Vegas show Production “SPLASH
GEMINI… Locking4Life
(Insert picture)
LockerLegends is a dream come true. It puts aside all ego’s, conflicts, and only wants to factually report the history as well as bring all of the many dancer’s who made contributions to this great art of Locking to the forefront with proper recognition. This site also wants to bring people like myself into the fold as a brother and student to continue to teach us the art we have spent a lifetime to learn. Locking has influenced my life in a large positive way and has brought me many blessings as it has also done to many other dancers that I have had the honor to call my friends
THE DANCEOPOLY GAME
and The Locking Chart
Question: Hey steve its great to have you with us , This Chart you have constructed is remarkable what inspired you to create it
Steve: Well being taught from the old school I felt it was my obligation to give back, you know I tell the story about, how I wanted to learn the real back in the mid 1970s that I would come into the city along with my partner Tony “Crackerjack” Pierce we would Knock on Og SkeeterRabbits door and ask him to come out and teach us , and we were Kids from the supburbs, and Tony Had this flaming red hair and frekles so he sood out as we travled through the Hoods of LA.. but Dancers Like Skeet, “Peekaboo” Frenke and Greg Campmbellock Jr really took care of us both on the streets and in the clubs. we learned the real culture and back ground right along with learning the steps. so I put this chart together to show what I learned about the influences that made locking great.
(Place first chart here)
(Caption under picture)
This is the top section of the large chart and it shows the cultural influences that influenced the very moves and attitude of Locking, it shows the struggles, and leaders that fought for the very movement which was inspired and carried on by artist, athletes and other great people , but it was also carried on through Locking and streetdance and we must give back to that which gave to us.
Question: we see the second part is a time line how did you come up with this time frame concept;
Steve: well you know it was very disapointing to see and read so many things that was so in accurate, a lot of people out there want credit fo a artform they think they know , but have no idea of how it went, and waht I saw and learned back then I just wanted to pass on. we all know Don Campbell started this whole thing by putting the gestures he was inspired by into his unique style. but the street movement contributed by so many people and dancers seemed to be over looked, and the way the dance migrated from the hoods and the city of Los Angeles to Orange County and the to Las Vegas , where I now live is a story that needed to be told through illustrations so thats what I did. In those days there was tremendous racial tension. but not with Locking it just kept growing and inspirng people of all colors.. the movement of struggle became a movement of rythem..
(second Chart picture here)
caption under the chart
Notice the many dancers that existed before the group the Lockers were formed , the chart starts wit Don Campbell and flows down through Watts and Soul Train to The GoGo brothers, Creative Generation and the ghetto Dancers from the streets to the stage with the Lockers ,and 33rpm,the dance continued to grow spreading from the city to the supburbs with groups like The funky bunch all the way to Las vegas where groups like the Footlockers garced the stage with locking for years and Today the chart flows from the original streets to a new generation of GoGo brothers in Japan
Question : we see that you included a list of Ogs that you believe influenced the Artform of Locking the most, why these Dancers
Steve: well there is one that I left out and thats the first to pioneer robot as a party dance, Charles “Robot” Washington and he was great. but all of the people here were around from near the beginning, they wern’t just performers they were street party dancers, who’s funk and creativity, contibuted to the dance. they lived the streets and clubs. They didn’t take lessons they were the lessons. sure there were others who came along who did great things, and many of them who are true to the game will tell you they learned from watching or being around these dancers.
Place third Chart Picture here
caption under picture
There are many famous dancers not on this chart, but these were the ones that had a profound influence with there contributions
Questions: well Steve thanks for the explination on the chart but lets now get to your career, So what are your memorable expieriences,
Steve: well outside of the first time I saw the inside of Mavricks Flats,Dancing with my friends in the group Funky Bunch professionally getting into the finals of The TV show Star Search with the group footlockers and also the 20yrs I spent dancing here in Vegas in the show Splash those were some great times.
(Picture of The Group Funky Bunch)
Question: But steve you didn’t mention one of your most memorable performaces as a dancer and a Actor
Steve: well yep Locking opened many doors for me, I guess many out there know me as Strobe in the movie “Breaking ” Electric Boogaloo and that was great. but the movie confused a lot of people about what I had learned about life and dancing in the hood, and the terms definatly was confusing. today I still meet people who say hey you and Ozone are some of the best Breakers and as you real Dancers know we don’t break .. it confused the world ..
(Picture of Steve in the movie here)
Question: Hey Steve you have another venture going wanna tell us about it
Steve: yep My wife and I thought that since there was so much that the world didn’t know about the dance world we would create a Board game called DANCEOPOLY its great fun and you can learn alot by playing , anyone who wants to learn more cane find it at the link below
Well steve we at Lockerlegends want to thank you for sharing, and we think DANCEOPOLY is great
Steve: I wanna thank Lockerlegends not just for this inteview but more than that for spreading the Real..