Comments on: lockin and loadin

lockin and loadin

madamjujujive — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 01:04:13 -0800

Harder, better, stronger, faster - Hilty and Bosch, often called the masters of locking, pair up with Co-Thkoo to serve up 10 riveting minutes of dance. The routine to Daft Punk's classic starting about midway in the clip is brilliant. [more]

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 01:04:30 -0800

5 more minutes from Hilty and Bosch 5 more minutes from Co-Thkoo Tho often combined in a particular routine, popping and locking are two distinct styles of dancing. This thread discusses the differences and a helpful person named iamPROTOTYPE posts a slew of great clips and tutorials to demonstrate the difference.

By: Dillonlikescookies

Dillonlikescookies — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 01:43:22 -0800

wow, that was amazing! i've never seen anything like that, and probably never would have if not for your post :) thanks, that was a great link! i'm going to have to watch that again..

By: divabat

divabat — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 01:58:56 -0800

I like how the dancers in the HBFS video are very aware of the song - all its random beeps and percussion and all that. They used all elements of the song to great effect.

By: greycap

greycap — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 03:24:15 -0800

That was wonderful - a great post and particularly helpful explanation of the different styles (which are all totally new to me).

By: LeeJay

LeeJay — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 04:38:06 -0800

Another wonderful post from madamjujujive! I have to admit, during the first thirty seconds or so of the video I was like, "yeah, so?" And then the jackets came off! And you were right - a brilliant clip!

By: jack_mo

jack_mo — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 05:03:05 -0800

Maybe my inner pensioner is especially frisky today, but my first thought was 'Pretty good, but they're no Nicholson Brothers.' Also, the 'Dixon's shop assistant at a Bugsy Malone-themed works do circa 1994' look a lot of the dancers are sporting is intriguing - I wonder if it's a fuck-off thing, as in 'Hey, I can dress like shit and still look 10,000 times cooler than any of you', a bit like Liverpool casuals sporting deerstalkers. Also also, I know a cadre of avant-garde mimes/clowns/contemporary dancers/performance artists (no, really, I do!), and some of their stuff really aligns with popping and locking, especially the more mime-like stuff.

By: rider

rider — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 05:03:20 -0800

More, popping/locking, courtesy of the Polysics. Now with clever editing.

By: juv3nal

juv3nal — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 05:17:06 -0800

no discussion of popping is complete without mention of david elsewhere. previously also madamjujujive

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 05:22:39 -0800

Those Japanese, I tell ya, they just got natural rhythm... Great post, mjj. And some more from H&B (Japanese TV appearance) here.

By: juv3nal

juv3nal — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 05:39:04 -0800

By: winks007

winks007 — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 06:33:42 -0800

Thats some awesome dancing. You may want to check out DaddyX of the Kottonmouth Kings. That guy makes me want to dance. Nice post.

By: MegoSteve

MegoSteve — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:02:21 -0800

I guess I'm getting old, because I don't get how any of that stuff is innovative. All I see when I look at that is Fred "Rerun" Berry, who did those moves thirty years ago.

By: misskaz

misskaz — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:26:19 -0800

One of the links specifically references the incorporation of pantomime into this style of dance. POPPING can also be used to describe a dance that uses many different techniques (styles?) such as ROBOTTING (BOTTIN/ROBOT), TUTTING (BOXES, BOXING), WAVING (SNAKING, COBRA), ANIMATION, TICKING/STROBING, FLOATS/SLIDES/GLIDES, etc together with pantomime (yep, mimes) techniques like isolating and fixed point to create and tell stories Also, your favorite dancer sucks.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:28:23 -0800

I don't get how any of that stuff is innovative. Well, I don't know if anyone is especially touting it as "innovative", exactly. It's just fantastically well-done (much, much tighter and more sophisticated than the moves seen in the Fred Berry clip, IMO). I think dancers like H&B are expanding and moving the tradition ahead, and the point is not that every single move is "new". Anyway, as the saying goes, there's nothing new under the sun.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:30:04 -0800

My God, what hath Shields and Yarnell wrought?

By: Runcible Spoon

Runcible Spoon — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:37:50 -0800

Let's give credit to Garland Spencer, seen popping and locking in the video "Days Go By" by the band Dirty Vegas.

By: PeterMcDermott

PeterMcDermott — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:45:23 -0800

Harder, better, stronger, faster I thought this was gonna be a dupe of the Mandingo thread.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 07:49:36 -0800

I thought this was gonna be a dupe of the Mandingo thread. *chuckle*

By: emelenjr

emelenjr — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 08:07:08 -0800

Metafilter got served AGAIN? Come on, people.

By: LeeJay

LeeJay — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 08:22:15 -0800

Although, you know, now that I watch it again, I don't think the two guys in the vests get enough love from the crowd. Yes, the guys in black are impressive and incredibly well-synchronized but there is a lot of technical skill going into the vest guys' routines and it deserves more cheers. That "slow motion" stuff is incredible.

By: empath

empath — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 08:36:52 -0800

DDR is paying off for the Japanese apparently.

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 09:20:35 -0800

Wow, what great in-thread links, thanks to all. Rider, I could watch that Polysics all day and that's a nice link Runcible Spoon. The mime clips are truly inspired, most entertaining - jack_mo that salah guy is awesome, and Astro Zombie, I forgot how really great Sheilds and Yarnell could be ... but somehow putting the moves together with the beat is what really rocks my boat. I love the oldschool clips too - what's great about dance or music is adding new styles and attitudes to the moves that came before. Lotsa good stuff at your link, juv3nal. This thread would be sorely lacking without Fututeshock's Late at Night, which my friend planetkyoto first bought to our attention. Check out this clip that shows some of the b-boys competitive moves in slow motion at Red Bull BC 2005. There are a lot more clips of the dancers and interviews with the dancers at this event here.

By: adamvasco

adamvasco — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 09:42:49 -0800

kudos mjj.

By: Skorgu

Skorgu — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 09:55:10 -0800

I can't be the only one who saw this via RSS, got as far as "Hilty and Bosch" and thought it was going to be an add with dancing nailguns or something, can I? Please? Not even with the "riveting" gag? Really?

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 10:10:37 -0800

I'm a little surprised tap didn't make it into the streets. The extra effect of being able to make beat to the music adds a lot. Combining tap with all the other street dance moves would, IMO, make for a kickass (and unique) performance.

By: cashman

cashman — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 11:18:05 -0800

Has nobody seen Breakin? 75% of these moves are ripped straight from there. Ozone's leg wig-out, Turbo's moves - I mean just wholesale theft. And Breakin was on the poppish side, so it wasn't like these moves were extraordinary back then. But these guys suck for biting moves from 25 years ago. I mean at least link some classic David "Elsewhere" Bernal. His less-than-a-minute routine is better than their whole, bitten act.

By: Bookhouse

Bookhouse — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 11:46:05 -0800

I'm with cashman ... these guys don't have shit on Boogaloo Shrimp (Turbo from Breakin'). His tribute here to Fred Astaire is brilliant.

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 12:54:36 -0800

at least link some classic David "Elsewhere" Bernal cashman, you might be interested to see that I did link David Elsewhere here about 5 years ago ;-) Thanks for your links, they are great - I did not see the movie Breakin so that will get added to my "must sees" because I love this stuff. But why would that mean we shouldn't link something else good that hasn't been linked before? It's not a competition - it's just about sharing good stuff. If the post didn't exist, a lot of other people might never have learned about the great links you've added. Welcome to mefi, I hope you will bring us more good links, I don't claim to be anything more than a rookie on the topic - I just love some good dancin!

By: IndigoJones

IndigoJones — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 12:55:33 -0800

Astaire's ceiling dance in part, by way of comparision. Do any of these people dance slow? Combine a few minutes of controlled slow movement (not easy!) and FFF's tap and you could really have something special.

By: five fresh fish

five fresh fish — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 13:01:27 -0800

A terrific ceiling dance move would be to jump in the air, pull a full aerial somersault, and land on the opposite wall. This would be achieved by spinning the room 180% within the few moments the artist is aerial. It'd take some neat engineering, but it'd be an amazing sight.

By: Bookhouse

Bookhouse — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 13:09:21 -0800

Madamjujujive -- May I suggest you check out Breakin' II: Electric Boogaloo as well? I think it's the more enjoyable movie (and it's the one with the ceiling dance).

By: cashman

cashman — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 13:27:15 -0800

Sorry if it came off as hostility. It was really more surprise. I'm probably being Ameri-centric. All of the breakdancing linked in here is pretty tame, including my stuff. The "Breakin" movies were awful, even with Turbo (Ozone sucked). I think I also got slightly annoyed because I saw a similar video with four ladies that got linked elsewhere as if it was something special. I have to realize that a lot of times people are just unfamiliar with some of this stuff, so I should be informative instead of a indignant.

By: metaculpa

metaculpa — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 14:10:27 -0800

Goddamn, the Nicholson Bros are good.

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 14:21:26 -0800

No problem at all cashman, I've felt that way sometimes too when I see something that is old to me get overly touted like it is some breakthrough. But then when you get to be an old fart like me, you realize nothing is new, it just gets repackaged ;-) I appreciate that you and Bookhouse have added some links, I think it improves things for everyone - thanks.

By: sour cream

sour cream — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 14:27:27 -0800

Am I the only one who thought this post was going to be about drills? Or is that where they got their name?

By: sour cream

sour cream — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 14:30:56 -0800

Skorgu: I can't be the only one who saw this via RSS, got as far as "Hilty and Bosch" and thought it was going to be an add with dancing nailguns or something, can I? Er, on second look, no, I guess I'm not the only one. Hi, Skorgu.

By: mikeinclifton

mikeinclifton — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 14:47:17 -0800

"Has nobody seen Breakin? 75% of these moves are ripped straight from there." And 75% of the moves from Breakin' were "stolen" from someone else. When Breakin' came out the word on the street is that it was rushed to hit theaters by Golan and Globus to get at the growing hip hop culture 'fad' before Beat Street. Everyone (in my neighborhood) knew it and effectively skipped Breakin' which was deemed a more suburban, watered down view of the culture at the time. Beat Street has a battle scene in the Roxy nightclub that a few friends of mine were talking about just the other day - 22+ years after we first saw it. Beat Street also has Afrika Bambaataa, the RockSteady Crew and Kool Herc - all hip hop legends now. Breakin' has Ice T. The kids knew which film was 'real'. Now that all that is done, I really enjoyed the first Hilty, et al flick. Very impressive choreography. As someone who used to do this, I can say it is very hard to have that long of a routine, move that fast and still be that precise. Much respect.

By: frecklefaerie

frecklefaerie — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 14:52:09 -0800

Me to my four year old, who climbed into my lap to watch this with me, "See how those guys dance exactly to the music? It's like they are personifiying what they hear. Every movement looks like it sounds. That shows a sophisticated understanding of music and dance." Then she went "Nee-up! Nee-up!" to the music.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 15:12:02 -0800

Oh yay! I can finally tell my funny Robert Shields story! The dude hit on an acquaintance of mine about 10 years ago, when she was walking through an art gallery in Sedona that he apparently owned. Kept talking about how his ex-wife took everything. And than as she leaned with her back against a wall in shock, he started miming for her. So yeah, let's all picture it together: middleaged guy... walking against wind and wriggling like a snake on the floor of his new-agey art gallery... to impress a chick. It didn't do the trick (she was clearly horrified, which made her version of the events -- in her thick Boston accent -- ten times more hysterical) but it STILL makes me laugh out loud just thinking about it. I mean, the guy was a smidgen freaky to begin with, so picturing him desperately miming to get dates strikes me as kinda priceless.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 15:13:34 -0800

I'm a cruel, cruel woman.

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 15:42:02 -0800

miss lynster, maybe that incident inspired him to produce this piece of artwork entitled Wet Dreams. ...and ya, that mimed proposition sounds ugly. Quiet, but ugly.

By: ageispolis

ageispolis — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 16:03:33 -0800

Cool dancers, cooler song. Daft Punk. (they need no elaboration)

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 16:04:45 -0800

Thanks! That was pure fun, Madame-J! And Shields and Yarnell were creepy but Pink Lady and Jeff were unalloyed alternate-universe bizarro. And they weren't even mimes.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 17:02:06 -0800

Yes, thanks again for the post! :) BTW, I just did a little google search... looks like Shields is currently touring with his oh-so-flexible, money-grubbing ex-wife again. And upon review, picturing this man doing his shtick in a deserted art gallery to impress a captive girl still makes me giggle.

By: Dizzy

Dizzy — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 18:18:33 -0800

Watching that clip made me realize it isn't the pretentious "universal human truths" or smug apery that makes so many mimes simply unwatchable. It's those God-awful costumes! Just saying.

By: juv3nal

juv3nal — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 19:09:18 -0800

I mean at least link some classic David "Elsewhere" Bernal . His less-than-a-minute routine is better than their whole, bitten act. um...I did.

By: mediareport

mediareport — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 20:47:54 -0800

Metafilter: I should be informative instead of indignant. And this has been a great thread.

By: Wonderwoman

Wonderwoman — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 21:01:46 -0800

As a child I longed to be a break-dancer. I found a giant piece of cardboard and placed it in the center of my garage so that I might work on my moves. Unfortunatly lived in the suburbes and had only movies to show me what those moves ought to be. So I was forced to eventually give up my dream to be a world famous pop-and-locker, but seeing this video has inspred me. From this day foward, every morning, I will watch this video. I will learn every move, and if for some reason I should be challenged to a dance-off, I shall be victorious!

By: squidfartz

squidfartz — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 22:56:43 -0800

God, I love that song.

By: Samizdata

Samizdata — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 01:25:48 -0800

And, who can forget the dead Gene Kelly busting a move for Volkswagen? (QT required) Yes, Elsewhere is part of it.

By: asok

asok — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 01:50:19 -0800

Combinding drills and robotting, for skorgu and sour cream. Click on 'WKD robot' to see the quicktime video.

By: asok

asok — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 02:19:10 -0800

I wouldn't say that the Hilty and Bosch/Co-Thkoo routines were totally bitten. They contain elements of the Breakin' moves, but the sequence is not identical. When you are working within a defined set of rules you will find yourself doing things that have been done before. The guys breaking in the the seventies and early eighties were defining the different styles and naming them, it is not suprising that 30 years later there are people using the same moves in routines because those are classic moves within that style. In the words of Humpty (!?!?): 'Also told ya that I like to bite Well, yeah, I guess it's obvious, I also like to write.' Also, good story miss lynster.

By: nickyskye

nickyskye — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 11:21:26 -0800

Gee, those dance videos make me feel so alive. Woo hoo! Thanks mjjj! :)

By: smackfu

smackfu — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 17:03:56 -0800

Isn't lesson one in performing to dress so you stand out from the backdrop?