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 Angels 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 “Campbell 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,Alpha Anderson 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.” 


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.