Boogaloo is a freestyle, improvisational street dance, closely related to popping dance and turfing. It is best known for the dance move known as the Robot; it is also related to the later electric boogaloo dance.Guzman-Sanchez, T. (2012) "Oakland Funk Boogaloo to Popping". Underground Dance Masters: Final History of a Forgotten Era.

Boogaloo dancers use illusions, restriction of muscles, stops, robotic movements, and wiggling to create a soulful, passionate, animated form of street dance.The Preservatory Project (2016) Boogaloo Traditions: Interview with Boogaloo Vic & Boogaloo Dana. The style also incorporates foundational popping techniques, which were initially referred to as "Posing Hard".Fuhrer, M. (2014) American Dance: The Complete Illustrated History. Voyaguer Press.

Social dance

Chicago Record Hops The Boogaloo was initially a social dance within the African American community in Chicago; it also appealed to white teenagers. Between 1965 and 1966, it was described as “a total new look compared to previous (social) dances...the entire body moved in a pulsating motion from side to side. The rhythmic impulse seemed to have centered in the upper torso, shoulders, and head...”Pruter, R. Chicago Soul. University of Illinois Press. 1992, p. 204.

The Boogaloo dance step has also been described as a “single-step combination made up of a smooth repetitive side-to-side movement, based on the soul music dance beat on a time signature, it consists of lunging motion to the side on the downbeat, held for two counts...accented by a distinct arm swing where the hand is raised to eye level...then combined with a distinctive backward head-nod to the beat...on the third musical beat, the body and head abruptly shift back and lunge in the opposite direction, before shifting once again on the fourth beat.”Guzman-Sanchez, T. (2012) Underground Dance Masters: Final History of a Forgotten Era.

The boogaloo dance craze would inspire a number of soul dance records, such as “Boo-Ga-Loo” by Robert “Tom” Tharpe and Jerry “Jerrio” Murray, as well as Fantastic Johnny-C's “Boogaloo Down Broadway”.Rudland, D. Let's do the Boogaloo. Liner Notes. Various artists. BGP Records, 2017. Tharpe created “Boo-Ga-Loo” after seeing local African American teenagers dancing the Boogaloo at a Chicago record hop hosted by radio DJ Herb “Cool Gent” Kent.Wang, O. (2008) "Boogaloo Nights" The Nation.

James Brown In 1966, soul and funk musician James Brown released a boogaloo dance single, "James Brown's Boogaloo". He danced his interpretation of the boogaloo on Where the Action Is on national TV.

The Soul Dance Era (1960s)

The Italian (also known as the Ditalian) In 1966, Larry Thompson, a local dancer in Oakland, California, created a new boogaloo style. Thompson was inspired by the boogaloo social dance, James Brown, the Temptations, and Fred Astaire.Guzman-Sanchez, T. (2012) "1965 & Soul Boogaloo". Underground Dance Masters: Final History of a Forgotten Era. Thompson was also inspired by watching a dancer from The Hy-Lit Show named Harold Hazzard: "The move this guy did on the show was a Boogaloo style step with flailing arm moves that would cross the body then end in a freeze with the chest sticking out. This was a good step because we could use it to go into the Camel Walk and into the Skate."Urban Artistry Preservatory Project (2019) Boogaloo Traditions ft. Boogaloo Dana: Boogalooin out of Oakland.Interview (2015), Part Two w-Zurriane + Oaklands own, Dancer, & Good Citizen, Larry Thompson. Hamps Corner of America. Blog Talk Radio, Retrieved Online: (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hampscornerofamerica/2015/04/08/part-two-w-zurriane-oaklands-own-dancer-good-citizen-larry-thompson)."Harold & Company: Stars of the Hy-Lit Show" Headlining Act and Dance Exhibition hosted by Erlton Lounge. 1967, Courier Post, New Jersey.

Thompson formed a dance group called Pirate and the Easy Walkers, together with Cornell "Tony Rome" Reese, Wayne "Freddy Snow" Dillard, and Levi Warner. The Easy Walkers were unique because they mixed different steps of social dances in a uniform boogaloo style. They also innovated challenge steps such as the "Ditalian". In the Ditalian, dancers would shuffle a combination of cha-cha steps, stomp, and end by pointing their right hand to challenge another dancer. The Ditalian was created by Danny Boy Reese, who was the younger brother of Easy Walker's member Cornell Reese.

From 1967 to 1968, soul dancers in Sobrante Park in Oakland, California, would challenge Pirate and the Easy Walkers through "face offs".

3-D - Dinosaur - Animation

In 1967, 1968, & 1969, a style known as 3-D, Dinosaurin', or Animating developed. The group One Plus One imitated Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion DynoRama movies, incorporating these movements as slap-stick crowd entertainment. Albert "Iron Man" Milton, a member of the group, took particular influence from 20 Million Miles to Earth, imitating the dinosaur-like creature birthed in the movie and dancing to James Brown.Hill, B. & Boogaloo Conservatory TV (2014) Part 2 Interview with The Black Messengers: Chuck Powell, Kerney Mayers & Steve Harris.

A second generation of animated dancers in the 1970s innovated this style with a less comical approach to their dance, and focused on intricately detailed dinosaur movement. They specialized in sudden stopping-in-motion techniques called "dime-stops", as well as minute stop-motion effects and posing. Dancers from the group Soulful Movements, such as Ted Williams, Steve Williams & Tony Newsome were masters of this Boogaloo animated style.

The Robot

In 1964, a Boogaloo dancer named John Murphy imitated the movements of the robot in the 1954 sci-fi movie Tobor the Great. He moved from West Oakland to East Oakland and introduced The Robot in various school talent shows. Murphy is credited with introducing the Robot to the Boogaloo community, influencing and teaching popular dancers such as Derrick Lovings of Derrick & Company, Newberry, Boogaloo Dan, and the Robotroids.National Hiphop Congress (2014) Interview with Boogaloo Dan, John Murphy, Will Randolph (& James Miller) recorded at 4th Annual Boogaloo BBQ. In 1972, John Murphy helped form the Boogaloo dance group The Black Messengers and developed a robotic boogaloo.Guzman-Sanchez, T. (2012) "The Next Evolution in Oakland". Underground Dance Masters: Final History of a Forgotten Era.

Funk dance movement (1970s)

High school mascots In the 1970s, Oakland high schools would host dance competitions to select their high school mascots. Mascots competed in their school's costumes, such as the Fremont Tigers, Castlemont Knights, and Oakland Technical Bulldogs.Arnold, E. (2020) "Oakland’s original boogaloo speak out, in hopes of reclaiming their culture" Oaklandside. While in costume, every mascot created in-character steps and developed "hitting" techniques to be noticed in large rallies. Competing high schools would have a mascot dance-off during basketball and football games.

For example, Donald "Duck" Mathews was the Fremont High School's Tiger mascot. During half-time football shows, he would grab his tail, point, and pose to taunt the opponents' mascot, while performing wiggling or worming movements with his chest. Mathews became notable for worming, wiggling, and posing while taunting school opponents as the Tiger mascot. Fremont High would be known to popularize the "Oakland Hit," allowing his headpiece to shake during each hit. This inspired future vibrating Boogaloo hat effects.

Other innovative dancers in this era include Gregory Holm from Castlemont High, Donald Jones, Henry Fischer, Lil Willie, Larry Robertson and John Murphy at Fremont High, and Ronald Nerves at Oakland Technical High School.Stephens, L. (2015) OURTV series: Boogaloo Dance History in Oakland.Castlemont High School Year Book, 1972.Guzman-Sanchez, T. (2012) "The Oakland Funk Boogaloo Generation". Underground Dance Masters: Final History of a Forgotten Era."Fremont High School" Rap Atlas: Oakland. Complex Magazine.

Cartoon Influence and Posing In 1967, while living in Oakland, Jerry Rentie would innovate soul boogaloo styles with new funk movements inspired by "mimicking toys, cartoons, movies... everywhere we would cut a step (e.g., creating a step). We took the Ditallion from soft and sliding to a step with a stomp, a bounce, a hop, and a skip."

Rentie would also innovate the concept of "the Freeze". He explains, "The Freeze was a part of a step whereas in doing it you would stop and that pause was to lead into or accent the next movement. Lock It Down was how we called freezing so hard to the point that we would jiggle when we would freeze." The Freeze was the predecessor to the "popping" or "hitting" techniques of the late 70s.

Rentie referred to their new Boogaloo style as "Bug'n". He recalls, "When we were Bug'n, we meant Boogaloo in the term of our dance style, but it was not the James Brown Boogaloo anymore".

Posing Hard

In the early 1970s, dancers from the Black Messengers group innovated a new Boogaloo technique called "Posing Hard". They would end their Boogaloo poses and dime-stops with a hard "hit" - freezing in place until their muscles vibrated. This technique would influence the modern day "popping" technique within the Popping dance form.Hill, B. & Boogaloo Conservatory TV (2014) Part 1 Interview with The Black Messengers: Chuck Powell, Kerney Mayers & Steve Harris.

Since Boogaloo dancers would dance to the changing sounds of funk, Posing Hard matched the rhythm and intensity of the beat with their body's vibrations. Dancers chanted "BAM!" or "BOOM!" with each new pose.

Oakland Talent Shows & Group Routines

In East Oakland and West Oakland, federally-funded community development districts hosted talent shows. During these shows, Boogaloo dancers would showcase routines alongside live bands and singers.Mar, Alan D. (2012) The Funk Behind Bay Area Street Dance. Department of Ethnic Studies. San Francisco State University.Davey, D. (2015) "Oakland’s Boogaloo Reunion BBQ : A History Lesson in West Coast Street Dance". Throughout the 1960 and 1970s, Oakland had numerous teenage funk bands that created the musical landscape for Boogaloo dancers. Some Boogaloo groups had their own band to perform with; East Oakland often had three to four funk bands on every block.

Black Power Movement

Throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, Oakland was the center of the Black Power Movement, including the creation of the Black Panther Party. Boogaloo dance groups such as the Black Resurgents performed for Black Panther community rallies and events.Vincent, R. (2013) Party Music: The Inside Story of the Black Panthers' Band and How Black Power Transformed Soul Music. Chicago Review Press. With the advent of the liberation spirit of funk music and Black Power, Boogaloo group names such as The Black Messengers, The Black Resurgents, Black Mechanics, and Black Operators came to signify Black pride and self-determination.

In East Oakland, to outreach to militant youth, the Allen Temple Baptist Church created a partnership with the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers would host Oakland socials at their Temple church hall; these programs featured Boogaloo dancers such as the Black Messengers.Smith, J Alfred (2004) On the Jericho road: a memoir of racial justice, social action, and prophetic ministry. Reverend J. Alfred Smith Sr. with Harry Louis Williams. InterVarsity Press.

The Temple (Oakland Community School)

Another central venue for Oakland's Boogaloo dancers was the Oakland Community School (OCS). The Black Panthers operated this school as part of their community "survival programs". As local Nation of Islam members hosted services in this venue on the weekends, this venue also came to be known as "the Temple".