How to Pop and Lock

The Pop and Lock style of hip hop dance consists of rapid arm and leg movement and short pauses. The jerking effect in the dance is the pop and the freezes in between are the lock.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Try Different Kinds of Pop and Lock Moves

1. Move as if you are moving frame by frame. There is a slight pause after every couple inches of movement. This is called "animation" and it resembles stop motion film or old animated shorts

2. Attempt the boogaloo. This dance gives the impression that the dancer lacks bones. It looks very fluid and involves movements that look unnatural.

3. Dance normally, then abruptly stop. This is called dime stopping. The more sudden the stop appears, the better. Only pause for a moment and continue dancing.

4. Move faster than normal. This is called "fast forwarding" and it is meant to resemble what movies look like when they are fast forwarded on the screen.

5. Try liquid dancing. Dance in a continuous, flowing motion. This is usually done mostly with hands and arms.

6. Imitate a puppet tied to strings. Let your limbs hang and dangle, but keep one part of each limb steady.

7. Move in slow motion. Very slight pauses can be added, softer and more frequently than the "animation" style, to give the impression that the dancer is under a strobe light.

8. Pop at twice the normal rate. This is called "ticking." It is very tiring and is usually done for short periods at a time.

9. Create geometric shapes in your dancing. Focus on right angles. This is called "Tutting," named after King Tut and old Egyptian drawings.

10. Vibrate while you dance. Tense your muscles very hard, causing them to shake.

11. Try the "wave." Create the appearance that some kind of wave or current is traveling through your body. This can look corny when in the simplest form, but a really complicated wave looks cool.

12. Make your legs go crazy. Move quickly, twist your feet often and do a lot of knee rolls.

13. Try gliding, floating and sliding. Walk or dance in such a way that you travel in a different direction than your feet look like they are trying to move toward.

Tips & Warnings

• This dance is sometimes accompanied by subtle foot movements called "gliding." Someone who is gliding appears to move around the floor without using their legs.
• Popping requires good rhythm. Hone your rhythm before attempting some complicated pop and lock moves.