As Lockunity what would you say are the 10 most important steps in building a Locking/or dance community?
I am not going to name out 10 things, but one of the most important steps in building a Locking community is having collaborative work to achieve a common goal. It is important to have dancers working together and respecting each other even if there might be disagreements. In other words, if the objective that was set is something that can be shared between a group of dancers, this objective, in this case, building a dance community, will be achieved with hard work, patience, ambition and respect.
As individuals what has Locking done for you?
Locking has taught me to be more confident in my dance. It has also showed me that with patience and hard work, improvements can happen without even us noticing it. Also, being a student full-time, it helps to have something like Locking to clear up my head when I need to.
Where do you see Locking in the future?
I hope Locking can someday be as popular as the more popular street dance styles such as bboying and popping. I want to see Locking gain the popularity it had in the 70’s!
Is there one question or more relating to Locking history you feel hasn’t been clearly answered. If yes what is that question?
It is hard to actually ask OG’s about this, but I’ve always been curious about the disagreements and the conflicts that the OG’s had in the past few years. I think knowing what caused all the conflicts can help us, the new generation, avoid having similar disagreements in the future.
What and who drives you to go session?
All the MTL lockers do, especially the new ones. Seeing new faces make me want to go session so that I can get a feel of a different and new vibe.
What would you say is necessary as a beginner locker?
It is necessary to know the foundations and the ‘’Locking bounce’’.
Why do you think locking always brings the house down in jams and competitions, yet the locking worldwide is so slow to grow?
In my opinion, Locking is very entertaining to watch, but not too cool to do if we compare it to Popping and Bboying. Also, it is hard for some people to really feel and enjoy funk music. To love Locking, you need to love funk music and you also need to FEEL THE FUNK from the inside out. It kind of has to suit your personality and unfortunately, not everybody has it. Also, I think it is necessary for us lockers to inform other people about the actual dance. I have heard from some dancers that Locking was not for them because it is ‘’too much of a happy dance’’. Some people think that there is only one dimension to this dance, while there are MANY, and it is FAR from only being a ‘’happy dance’’! In other words, it is important to educate other dancers so that Locking can be viewed and seen like what it actually is!
What is the biggest obstacle a locker faces when learning the Art?
For me, it would be to find the best character/personality that suits me the most with my style of Locking. It is hard to come up with a new flavor that suits you, but that can also be different from all the other lockers in the world.
What is the selection criteria for anyone wanting to be part of Lockunity?
Love locking as much as we do, share the passion, be active, dedicated and serious about this dance style, and BOOM! You’re already part of it.
If you had a message for the new generation of lockers what would you say?
I am still in the new generation, but for all the new lockers that just started to learn the dance, I would tell them to be patient and not to give up! It takes a lot of time to actually get a feel of this dance. Also, keep an open mind on the different flavors of Locking. Even if you feel like Locking should be danced a certain way, stay open about learning from everybody so you can develop your very own flavor.
What helps you feed your creative juices?
Watching videos of other dance styles and trying to find variation of what I see and adapt it to my style.
Favorite music or artist to get down to?
Any funk music would do, but I have a tendency to dance to the 80’s funk.
If you could go back in time… What year and date would you want to time travel to? (Why)
I’d love to go back to the 70’s of course! Being able to do the breakdown on Soul Train would be a dream come true.
What other dance styles would you like to start learning?
I would love to learn JAZZ ROCK (steps).
