History of Locking
Locking or Campbellocking is a dance art form with improvisational steps called the locks. These steps were created by Don Campbell in the nightclubs of Los Angeles in the early 1970s. This dance and subculture quickly caught on and was soon the rage of a new television dance show called Soul Train. Individual dancers displayed quick locking and pointing movements along with hand slaps and splits.
Don Campbell along with dancers like Greg “Cambell Jr” Pope, Jimmy “Scooby doo” Foster, Fred “Mr. Penguin” Berry ( AKA Rerun) The Go-Go- Brothers (Tony Lewis and Edwin “Buddy” Lombard), James “Skeeter Rabbit” Higgins, Leo “Fluky Luke” Williamson, Johnny “Sambo Lock” McCloud, Charles “Robot” Washington, Bill “Slim Robot” Williams and several other old school originals would meet in nightclubs like, ” The Citadel” in Hollywood, The Summit on the Hill or Mavericks Flats and share steps and moves. Don initiated and emphasized the improvisational movement of “Campbellocking.” He and his partner, Damita Jo Freeman toured with the Soul Train Gang. Shortly after, Don comprised a group of improvisational solo style locking dancers (Each dancer would step out do his solo and step back in line) comprised of Don Campbell, Fred “Mr. Penguin” Berry, Charles Robot, Slim Robot and Sambo Lock. They were called the “ Campbellock Dancers“. During that time, Greg Campbellock Jr. Scooby doo Foster, Leo Fluky Luke, Tony and Buddy Go-Go and Skeeter Rabbit created steps that were performed in unison. A movement towards group dancing was taking place in Watts, California.
In 1972 The Go-Go brothers (Tony and Buddy along with the Original Skeeter Rabbitt & Kevin YoYo ) combined to form the first synchronized locking dance group; performing skits and routines in both large arenas as well as small high school functions.
In late 1972, early 1973 Scooby Doo and Greg Campbellock Jr. combined with the Go- Go Brothers, Skeeter Rabbitt (OG) and with female lockers Arnetta Johnson, Fredy Maxie, Lorna Dune & Shelly Cepeda formed the first unisex Locking group called, “Creative Generation“. This group studied dance, taught, performed and toured as members of the Legendary Watts Writers Workshop. Later that summer, Don Campbell organized and introduced the group, “THE LOCKERS”( originally named the campbellock dancers after his first group). This was one of the most dynamic, influential groups in the history of the dance, comprising both improvisational dancers and synchronized dancers.
Greg Cambellock Jr. introduced to the group synchronized locking choreography (from his Creative Generation experience), along with Don Campbell, “Slim Robot”, Fred “Rerun” Berry, Fluky Luke, Chorographer Toni Basil, and a young new talent Adolfo “Shabba Doo” Quinones. The artform was revealed to the world. During the groups existence, in the 70’s other OG dancers such as Tony Go-Go and The Original Skeeter Rabbitt were added or toured with the Lockers Group. Also, during the early period other urban groups such as 33RPM and the Ghetto Dancers were formed (see acknowledgement page). These were comprised of various combinations of other old school locking dancers. This set off a dance phenomenon now spreading from the Los Angeles inner city to the Suburbs and across the Country. Other groups, promoters, dancers and managers flooded the scene quickly after. Some were driven by the love, facination and respect for the artform. Others simply ignored the foundatition and only disired to exploit it. These dancers and groups were known by the sub-culture simply as “SLOP lockers”.
Note: These groups and individules quickly clammered to exploit not just the artform of locking but it’s entire culture and roots. Many renamed steps and plagerized entire taped routines. Some never learned the internal rules of the sub-culture. They never learned or inquired about the brotherhood which made locking great. They only attemped to capitalize, exploit and alter the history of locking.
By 1973 there were an excess of Original lockers who made their name and reputations in the urban communities and night clubs. Not just the few known as the Lockers group. Dancers Like Guy “Shocklock” Lewis, Jeffery “Cat Man” Macintire, F&M, Roy “Lie Lock”, ”Sneaky T” Enock “Elmer Fud’ Smith (RIP), Alpha Anderson, and several others. By 1975 the artform had evolved both socially and professionally and in the late 1970’s, the original Lockers group disbanded and a second generation was formed in the mid 1980’s, adding old school dancers “Alpha“Anderson, Lewis Green “Deputy” Lionel Douglas” Big “D and, Tony Go-Go established a school introducing the locking dance art in Japan. Today, there is a wave of interest to know and understand the history and sub-culture of a true dance phenomenon all over the world. By no means were these the only groups or contributors ( There are so many) to this dance and subculture that helped to form the multi style and cultures of today’s hip hop dance world. Many thanks to Don Campbell and the many other Old and New School pioneers.
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