Popping is a style of hip hop dance and one of the original funk styles of dance that came out of Fresno, CA in the 1970s.[1] It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit. This is done continuously to the rhythm of a song in combination with various movements and poses.[1] Popping is also used as an umbrella term to refer to a group of closely related illusionary dance styles and techniques that are often integrated with popping to create a more varied performance (see below).[2] A popping dancer is commonly referred to as a popper.
Like other styles of hip hop dance, popping is often performed in a
battle-trying to outperform another dancer or group of dancers in front of a crowd. This gives room for improvisation and moves that are seldom seen in shows and performances. It also allows for interaction with the other contestants and spectators. Along with hip hop dance, popping has also been incorporated into
electronica dance scene to some extent
HISTORY
In the 1970s, the pioneer popping group the Electric Boogaloos (earlier known as the Electronic Boogaloo Lockers) greatly contributed to the spread of popping, partly because of their appearance on the television program Soul Train.[3] Their founder Sam Solomon (a.k.a. Boogaloo Sam) created a set of movements that evolved into the styles known today as popping and boogaloo after being inspired by one of the pioneer locking groups known as The Lockers as well as a fad dance popular in the 1960s known as the jerk.[4][5] While dancing, Sam would say the word "pop" every time he flexed his muscles, eventually leading to the dance being called popping.[1][3][6][7][8]
The Electric Boogaloos encourage the term
Funk styles to identify the dance moves that came out of the
west coast during the
funk era.
[1] The primary funk styles are popping, electric boogaloo, and locking. The funk styles were integrated into hip hop dance once the culture reached the west coast of the United States. They are now included in several hip hop dance competitions. Some state that popping itself existed in some forms in the late 1960s in
Oakland, California before the Electric Boogaloos were formed and that the style cannot be traced to a specific person or group.
[9] This is generally accepted regarding the various related styles such as
animation,
(ro)botting, and
strobing, which the Electric Boogaloos themselves acknowledge.