How to Perform the Hip Hop Pop Lock Walk

Popping and locking are two dance styles that emerged separately, created in Los Angeles by the street dance crews Electric Boogaloo (popping) and The Lockers (locking) and inspired by robotic movements. Today, these styles are combined in hip hop, and you can pop and lock while you're stationary or while you're walking. The pop lock walk takes a little more coordination and balance.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Prepare to learn the pop lock walk by first balancing on one leg. Bring one knee straight up and stay balanced on the other foot. Switch feet and balance on the other side. Once you feel balanced, you're ready to learn the move.

2. Imagine your legs and arms are directly connected, so when you pick your arm up, you also pick your leg up. To put this into practice, bend and raise your right knee while you simultaneously bend your right elbow and move your forearm up. Do it with the left side as well.

3. Create a more robotic look by making your movements both stiff and precise. When you lift your arm and leg, come to a distinct pause. Then come to another distinct pause when you set your leg down.

4. Lift your arm and leg up, pause and then step forward. Move your arm down as you step down just as you did when you were standing in place. Transfer your weight to the foot that you stepped onto, pause and then bring your feet together.

5. Take a few steps to create a hip hop pop lock walk, or just take one step forward and then reverse it to take one step back.

Tips & Warnings

• This is one approach to the hip hop pop lock walk, and a good one to start with. Once you master this, you can add your own pop lock movements to the walk.