Pop-lock: arm wave and dance instruction

Pop-lock: arm wave and dance instruction

Get tips on pop-lock techniques

An arm wave is a pop-locking dance move that looks like a wave of electricity traveling through your body, much like a wave through a taut string. It is considered one of the fundamental moves in pop-locking, and mastery is needed before more advanced moves are considered. These tips will help you learn dance moves to show off to your friends.

The following are directions for a left-to-right arm wave used in pop-locking.

1. Start with your arms out at your sides, hands at shoulder height, and elbows slightly bent.
2. Without moving any other part of your arm, tilt your left hand upward as high as you can, so the back of your hand faces you directly.
3. Simultaneously bend your wrist forward as far as you can, and slightly bend your elbow to raise the height of your wrist. Be careful to bend only your elbow, without changing its spatial position.
4. Lower your wrist to slightly below the starting position, and sharply push your elbow upward so that it is slightly above the starting position.
5. Drop your elbow, and raise your left shoulder as high as possible.
6. Drop your left shoulder, and raise your right shoulder as high as possible.
7. Drop your right shoulder, and raise your right elbow slightly above the starting position.
8. Drop your right elbow, and raise your right wrist, pointing your fingers downward.
9. Lower your wrist by unbending your elbow, and point your fingers upward.

Focus on isolating parts of your body very precisely, allowing only one joint to be raised at a time. Once you can slowly but accurately do an arm wave, focus on linking the individual steps together at a very rapid pace, until the isolation of the joints vanishes into one smooth move. Practicing in front of a mirror is highly recommended. Once you learn dance moves like these, you can move on to other pop-lock techniques.