Advice on Locking Dance Instruction

Getting detailed 'locking' instruction either in person orWhat getting detailed 'locking' instruction does is drill
through another method is necessary in order tomany of these basics into you and in conjunction
sweeten your locking skills with many of itswith the learning of routines, these two things will
intricacies.enable you to really master the basics of the style.
It is not uncommon for talented lockers to takeThe details that enable the 'locking' to come alive
many years to get to where they are; often theshould be practised simultaneously with the moves so
place where they start to feel real improvement isthat they become interlocked and are not two
where they feel that they have harnessed a greaterdisparate elements.
understanding of the style.The moves must have feeling behind them, you
For at its core it is quite simple once you understandshould not be doing moves just because they exist.
things such as why you are are stopping theThey should have a voice; they should say something
movements in certain ways, but it may take a whileabout how you are feeling in that moment.
before you can incorporate these into your 'locking'And due to the creative expression possible in
and it actually feels like a normal thing to do rather'locking', the way you do a move may not necessarily
than a burdensome operation.be the same as another person but both can be a
Regaling in the music and just 'feeling' it is whererealization of that unmistakeable feeling where you
many of us want to go. We want to go to thatfeel funky and just want to dance and revel in the
place of expression where the moves just seem tojoy.
come out effortlessly and stylishly. This is where weJust like no two people will have exactly the same
can begin talking about something called 'freestyle.'thoughts, no two people will freestyle in exactly the
In 'locking' it is a skill to be able to freestyle as well assame way. They may look similar when dancing a
to dance routines. As it is a style that encouragesroutine in unison as a group, but when freestyle is at
your own personality and character there areplay they must each have their own entity.
elements that only you can bring to the dance thatWhen you are feeling the music and are in the
will come out when you freestyle.moment, your freestyle will often fuel its own
Also freestyle encourages your own thoughts tocreativity. It is easier to feel the music if from the
come out right in front of you and is a process ofmoment you begin, the funk is present.
continual development as you aim to be able toMany of the intricacies of locking allow for this - the
express what you feel at will...to express it onstylistic elements should actually make the dance
command as soon as the music kicks in and just beeasier to perform rather than be a hindrance if you
there.practice them correctly.