(Photo: Locking Summit, Japan)

Know your roots!  Before MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew”, or Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance”, and even before Break-Dancing or BBoying, there was Locking.

Groups like Creative Generation, The Ghetto Dancers, 33rpm, The Alphabet Kids, Wild and Peaceful, and The Lockers, rose out of the streets of Los Angeles in the early-mid 1970s and brought “Locking” to the world.  Locking groups performed regularly in nightclubs, and on American Bandstand, Soul Train, The Tonight Show, for the Globtrotters, at Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, and on and on…

On Thursday, January 28, 2010, the dance world lost a great: Greg “Campbellock Jr.” Pope.  Greg “Campbellock”, through The Lockers, introduced synchronized locking choreography, and was responsible for the creation of several dance steps, movements, and handshakes that comprise the basic elements of the dance form.  He was a teacher and a mentor to many around the world, and will be missed.

As reported by Peter Gonzaga, Examiner.com, San Francisco:

It was a sad day on Thursday, January 28, 2010 as the world loses a legendary street dance pioneer Greg Campbellock Jr from the infamous “The Lockers.”

During the 11th Year Anniversary of the Carnival Choreographers Ball held at the Vanguard last Wednesday, January 27, 2010, “The Lockers” were being honored with a special award from the organization along with other notable dance choreographers such as Toni Basil, Greg Campbellock Jr, fainted and was taken to the hospital.

First word of his passing was received by this reporter from Maryss From Paris Courchinoux of The Beat Freaks. According to Courchinoux tweeter yesterday, “He was the sweetest, kindest man, please keep him in prayers. Funk & dance mourning!”

Campbellock Jr’s was a big part of “The Lockers.” Quoted from The Lockers’ site, “The Lockers were created in 1973, eight years before MTV and thirty-two years before any dance competition television shows. The Group as a whole broke down many barriers.” They helped give the locking dance form a place in history as part of the Great American Art Form.

As quoted by Justin Timberlake, “The Lockers were the pioneers that founded a place for street dance in pop culture.”

Greg Campbellock Jr will be missed by all in the dance community and beyond. Greg Campbellock Jr 1952-2010.