Waacking

The Evolution of “Waacking”

“Waacking” most likely got started in Gay clubs as early as the1900’s with male performers dressing up as women performing female songs on stage. Movements of the male performers were so over the top, it was only a matter of time, before it landed on the dance floor. Disco Music was the perfect vehicle, with it driving rhythms and hard beats. In the early 70’s in Los Angeles, Lamont Peterson a dancer was one of the first people to start using his arms and body to the music. Then, dancers like Mickey Lord,Tyrone Proctor and Blinky fine tuned the arms movements, by making the arms and hands go fast to the driving disco beat, in the early to mid 70’s. Now The mid 70’s club dancers like Tinker, Arthur, Andrew, Lonnie Carbajal, Michael Angelo, Billy Starr, Billy Goodson, Danny Logo, and Victor Manuel took center stage with others dancers perfecting those synchronize syncopated movements. At the time it was primarily a Black and Latino dance

Many people believe “Waacking” came from “Locking” because some of the movements are very similar. This is not true. The Gay community is solely responsible for the dance. The dances are similar, but definitely not the same. One night Shabbadoo (An Original Locker) jokingly started to imitate Tinker style of Waacking. Shabbadoo did such a good imitation of Tinker style, Lockers started to call it “Punking”or “Punk’in” (play on words because of Tinker’s sexually).With Locking being taught some teachers taught Waacking/Punking classes too, long after the Gay Community move on from the dance. Allowing dancers to assume it was part of locking. The name “Waacking “originated from The Soul Train Dancers 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 landed the Diana Ross show in Las Vegas. Which you can see on (you tube).

The difference between “Waacking” and “Vouging” is “Waacking” became popular in the early 70’s on the West Coast. “Waacking” is mostly done to Disco Music (faster music per beat) “Vouging” became popular in the late 70’s on the East Coast.”Vouging” is done to mostly House Music (slower music per beat) Over 35 years “Waacking” is still going strong with the help of some very important people like Tyrone“The Bone” Proctor, Adolfo “Shabbadoo” Quninones, Jody Watley, Anna “Lollipop” Sanchez, Breed of Motion, Brian “Footwork”Green, and Angel.just to name a few. When the Gay Community move on from“Waacking” these were some of the people who help keep this wonderful Dance form alive for more than 35 years.