Terminology 101

“social party dance”

Today the popular term is “social party dance”, we at Lockerlegends emphasized that phrase at a workshop in Sweden in 2008 in order to explain the inspirations & foundational party dances of the 1960s and early 70s which are the foundational grooves of one of the first of the modern era street dances ,” Locking”. Some started calling these social party dances ” Soul Dances” We did see that as inaccurate because the term soul dance did not encompass the interaction of the party scene of the inner city it came from ,where the social issues of social conscious music were put to couple social dances of lead & follow, which was done to Soul , Funk & Jazz music from a movement of music affected by social conscious music

These social party’s were more than places of dance. They were part of a Black & Latin community culture which created the very foundation of what has become today’s commercial commodity called “ streetdance” …

Today that cultural fact is confused as everybody simply imitates the moves & repeat what they think it is. While others teach the social issues and the conditions in which they were inspired to create what they did in those parties of their era, The AVERAGE international teacher , is not explaining any or how there is a connection or purpose to our streetdance culture and how the dances of the 60s & 70s history had a affect on Locking as it was exposed on Soul Train .. again they are sold as a commodity & the True history of the Red light house party or the rights of passage into the cultural dance scenes are not explained and taught.

And people on the international scene not taught to understand how West Coast & East coast infused with Northern & southern influence

It must be remembered that all of todays street dance art forms are now teaching of their roots as evolving from social parties.and that is the correct origin , Prior to their inception into the entertainment world. But what is not taught is that not all came from the SAME geographical inner city social party movement of the 60s & 70s Soul Train , Funk & Soul era

And all have different eras and musical inspirations,What is not explained is that each teacher who were exposed at a different time & a different location are products of a different social movement , some from a B Boy movement of HipHop on the East Coast  , Some from the Popping movement of Northern Cali ,  others from Southern Party scenes & then there was the social party scene of Souther California which is the foundation of Soul Trains success

Each from different inner city social scenes, I am often asked at workshops why dances with similar names are taught differently by different people & it is because they come from different social party scenes.

And we in Locking teach the social party scene that comes from the hoods of LA & were affected by the social conscious soul & funk music of the inner cities of Southern California that affected the creation & evolution of Locking , Robot & the other dances seen on Soul Train , a show that showcased the dancers from the parties & clubs in that inner city community . As Soul Train became popular it exposed the dances from The clubs & parties of the African American community of Southern California , which was reflective of the those across the country

Since that . The Term has become popularized with many people teaching from many cities teaching dances they grew up dancing using terms they used when they used as they partied, under the title of Social Party dances. Again failing to explain what they are

But not all came from or affected any of the street dances of today as locking did. Some only affecting the street dance scene they came from . But many having no connection .. To a social movement connected to social conscious music & the dances inspired by them..

Og Skeeter Rabbit /James “Skeeter Higgins