How to Pop and Lock

You may have noticed how easily small children can tune into music. As soon as you have started playing the music they start moving their hands and shaking their legs. If you want to do the same and learn more about how to pop and lock, read on...
How to Pop and Lock
For some, pop and lock dance is as easy as walking on a paved road. When somebody starts playing music, the hearts of these lucky one's start beating to the rhyme and rhythm of the music playing. Their body's don't require to make an effort to remember how to pop and lock, and start moving in sync with the rhythm of the music. The expressions on their faces change to that of blissfulness, to everyone's envy. For us it is like walking on water, always being conscious of where we are planting our feet, then shifting the focus of our attention to know what our hands are doing. Which variety of serious expressions our face has chosen to wear at that particular moment, whether they are suitable for the occasion, and taking a furtive look around us to know who has noticed them, include our reactions to dancing.

For us, "The Frozen Feet", it is important to know how to pop and lock because it's today's trend. Unlike belly dancing, ballet or salsa, it does not conform to a particular methodical approach. It is freestyle or free format of dancing which evolved on the streets of the city of Los Angeles.

Learn How to Pop and Lock

The following is a brief note on the pop and lock style of hip hop dancing. This dancing style does not impose any restrictions on the initial dance stance, which heralds the start of the pop and lock dance, on you. You can burst into it while standing or walking to mesmerize onlookers. While doing 'Pop' you try to jerk your body by contracting and then relaxing your body muscles. Lock is when you freeze your motion suddenly and unexpectedly creating a contrast to the preceding movement. The following is a simple pop and lock walk in which a dancer uses rapid leg and arm movements to create effective 'pops' and freezes them to create effective 'locks':
  1. The prerequisites of any dance form is the balance and the coordination in the movement of hands, legs and the torso of the dancer.
  2. In order to create the desired effect whilst you are dancing, you need to successfully synchronize these movements in tune with the music.
  3. The first step in learning the pop and lock is to learn the pop and lock walk. We do it by learning to coordinate our right hand and right leg movements.
  4. When you bend your right elbow and raise the right forearm in front of your body, you should also bend the right knee and raise the right leg simultaneously.
  5. You may need a few trial runs to practice it so that you can do it naturally and to make it appear synchronized.
  6. When you are satisfied, repeat the same procedure with the left leg and hand.
  7. Now let us practice it the 'Pop and Lock' way.
  8. Whilst you are moving a pair of the hand and the leg, give the movement a touch of the robotic look by being precise and stiff.
  9. Take a noticeable pause when the leg and the hand are raised, and again, before setting your foot down.
  10. Now raise the right hand and leg, take a distinct pause and then take a step forward and again pause for the effect, before setting the right foot down.
  11. Transfer your weight to the right foot and use the left pair of limbs to bring the legs together.
  12. If you are confident that you can take the few steps in this pop and lock style of hip hop dancing, by all means go ahead and do it.
I hope you are not still doubting your ability to learn a few steps of the 'pop and lock" or wrestling with serious questions like, "Can I learn how to pop and lock?, or, "How to pop and lock like Michael Jackson?". It is easy to learn how to pop and lock and you can choose from different types of pop and lock moves to start with. You can learn pop and lock moves such as, animation etc. or learn to act like a puppet. Come on, learn how to pop and lock it.

By Shrinivas Kanade
Published: 9/7/2009
 
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