Waacking
Encyclopedia
The Waacking style of street dance
traces its roots back to gay
and nightclub
cultures. In the United States
, at gay nightclubs, male performers dressed as women and performed to female songs on stage. Movements of the performers were so creative that it was only a matter of time before Waacking made its way into mainstream nightclubs as a way of the dancefloor, and earned its approval amongst other sexualities, especially in the straight community. Waacking evolved prior to house music
's popularity and is considered a house dance
since it was popular amongst nightclubs (also known as houses).
Disco music was the perfect vehicle for Waacking, with its driving rhythms and hard beats. In the early 1970s in Los Angeles, dancer Lamont Peterson was one of the first to start using his arms and body to the music . During the mid 1970s club dancers Tinker, Arthur, Andrew, Lonnie Carbajal, Michael Angelo, Billy Starr, Billy Goodson, and Danny Logo took center stage with other dancers, perfecting those synchronized syncopated movements.
At the time Waacking was primarily a gay Black and Latino dance.
Many people mistakenly believe that “Waacking” came from “Locking” because some of the movements are very similar. The gay and transvestite community largely contributed to the oldskool waacking forms. Waacking and Locking
do have some similarities but they are different dances. Punkin' is the original name of the dance. Waacking is a name set forth by the non-gay community that mixed in movements from locking. Some Locking style dance instructors eventually started to teach Punkin' and newskool Waacking classes also. Many new dancers assumed that it was part of the Locking style.
The name “Waacking “originated from The Soul Train Dancer Tyrone Proctor and Jeffrey Daniel's of the Outrageous Waack Dancer's in 1972 themselves (Because of the thrusting of the arms). “Garbo” is another name given to the dance by Andrew because of the posing he did (like the pictures of the glamour women of the 40’s)
Arthur, Andrew and Tinker danced sometime on Soul Train. While working with Toni Basil, (An Original Locker). Andrew, Arthur, Tinker, Lonnie, and Billy Goodson landed the Diana Ross show in Las Vegas.
The difference between “Waacking” and “Voguing” is “Waacking” became popular in the early 70’s on the West Coast. “Waacking” is mostly done to Disco Music. “Voguing” became popular in the late 70’s on the East Coast.”Voguing” is done to mostly House Music
.
Over 35 years “Waacking” is still going strong with the help of dancers like Tyrone “The Bone” Proctor, Adolfo “Shabbadoo” Quninones,
Jody Watley, Brian “Footwork”Green, Angel and Tyrone's Son Aus Spottedeagle aka Aus "Ninja" Omni, Tiffany "Jimini" Bong, and Samara Lockerooo just to name a few. When the Gay Community moved on from “Waacking” these were some of the people who help keep this Dance form alive for more than 35 years.
Waacking and Glowsticking
are the fundamental dance styles on which Tecktonik is based.
Tecktonik and Waacking are often ridiculed pejoratively by sexualists as being a gay dance, despite being danced by and having evolved amongst a vast variety of sexualities.
Street dance
Street dance, more formally known as vernacular dance, is an umbrella term used to describe dance styles that evolved outside of dance studios in any available open space such as streets, dance parties, block parties, parks, school yards, raves, and nightclubs, etc...
traces its roots back to gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
cultures. In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at gay nightclubs, male performers dressed as women and performed to female songs on stage. Movements of the performers were so creative that it was only a matter of time before Waacking made its way into mainstream nightclubs as a way of the dancefloor, and earned its approval amongst other sexualities, especially in the straight community. Waacking evolved prior to house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
's popularity and is considered a house dance
House dance
House dance is a social dance primarily danced to house music that has roots in the clubs of Chicago and of New York. The main elements of House dance include Footwork, Jacking, and Lofting...
since it was popular amongst nightclubs (also known as houses).
Disco music was the perfect vehicle for Waacking, with its driving rhythms and hard beats. In the early 1970s in Los Angeles, dancer Lamont Peterson was one of the first to start using his arms and body to the music . During the mid 1970s club dancers Tinker, Arthur, Andrew, Lonnie Carbajal, Michael Angelo, Billy Starr, Billy Goodson, and Danny Logo took center stage with other dancers, perfecting those synchronized syncopated movements.
At the time Waacking was primarily a gay Black and Latino dance.
Many people mistakenly believe that “Waacking” came from “Locking” because some of the movements are very similar. The gay and transvestite community largely contributed to the oldskool waacking forms. Waacking and Locking
Locking (dance)
Locking is a style of funk dance, which is today also associated with hip hop. The name is based on the concept of locking movements, which basically means freezing from a fast movement and "locking" in a certain position, holding that position for a short while and then continuing in the same...
do have some similarities but they are different dances. Punkin' is the original name of the dance. Waacking is a name set forth by the non-gay community that mixed in movements from locking. Some Locking style dance instructors eventually started to teach Punkin' and newskool Waacking classes also. Many new dancers assumed that it was part of the Locking style.
The name “Waacking “originated from The Soul Train Dancer Tyrone Proctor and Jeffrey Daniel's of the Outrageous Waack Dancer's in 1972 themselves (Because of the thrusting of the arms). “Garbo” is another name given to the dance by Andrew because of the posing he did (like the pictures of the glamour women of the 40’s)
Arthur, Andrew and Tinker danced sometime on Soul Train. While working with Toni Basil, (An Original Locker). Andrew, Arthur, Tinker, Lonnie, and Billy Goodson landed the Diana Ross show in Las Vegas.
The difference between “Waacking” and “Voguing” is “Waacking” became popular in the early 70’s on the West Coast. “Waacking” is mostly done to Disco Music. “Voguing” became popular in the late 70’s on the East Coast.”Voguing” is done to mostly House Music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
.
Over 35 years “Waacking” is still going strong with the help of dancers like Tyrone “The Bone” Proctor, Adolfo “Shabbadoo” Quninones,
Jody Watley, Brian “Footwork”Green, Angel and Tyrone's Son Aus Spottedeagle aka Aus "Ninja" Omni, Tiffany "Jimini" Bong, and Samara Lockerooo just to name a few. When the Gay Community moved on from “Waacking” these were some of the people who help keep this Dance form alive for more than 35 years.
Waacking and Glowsticking
Glowsticking
Glowsticking is a form of dancing with glowsticks or other glowstick-like instruments that share the same qualities: durability, consistency in light, safety to toss around, and the material of which they are made, often a soft and pliant plastic....
are the fundamental dance styles on which Tecktonik is based.
Tecktonik and Waacking are often ridiculed pejoratively by sexualists as being a gay dance, despite being danced by and having evolved amongst a vast variety of sexualities.