Transcription
Bugaloo Sam, what were your thoughts on the weekend at Artist Emerge?
Uh, very exciting, something new. Uh, presently, uh, being a hip-hop judge for the first time in my life. Uh, it was exciting. I got to learn a lot of basic things uh, in judging hip-hop so tremendously. And not only that, I got to see the Jubilee again that I hadn't seen since 1982. Yeah. Yeah. Great. Yeah.
I understand you were uh you once performed in Edmonton in Calgary, so being able to come back again must have been kind of nostalgic for you.
Oh, it was super. I mean, just having the opportunity to come back was great. I mean, uh the resource of being back, uh everything went back to uh the days that I was here. Uh, so I enjoyed it and and basically all I can tell you that I want to come again. Yeah.
Okay. So, moving a little bit into the dancers that we saw cuz there were thousands of competitors, artists emerge. Um, you know, and everyone bringing in a little bit of a different style from hip-hop to funk styles and house. So, what would you like to see more of from some of the dancers?
Uh well, I would like to see more of uh the original uh the basic uh because right now as I see the young generation, I see watered down movement. So uh I'm guessing that whoever is the instructor of of those uh schools are pretty much uh just basically getting information from the web or probably I guess videos and all that. So I would want them basically to really understand what they're really doing. And if just go to your resource, just go to the source. I mean, don't try to guess what went on. Just come to the source.
Moving on a little bit to the style that you created. So, we're talking popping the Baloo Camp. Can you expand a little bit on the feel and the vibe of this dance and what what is being incorrect, what's being done incorrect, and how it's supposed to be done? How would you talk about the feel of it?
The dance popping in the history of the popping dance uh which started in 1975 uh that got me inspired was James Brown uh in the 60s at 6 years old my aunt my uncle used to teach me all the different dances the jerk the twist and all that so my uncle one day I was clowning around he said Sam do that bugaloo. So what my uncle was always telling me, he wanted me to dance. And dancing was doing all the styles that was created in the 60s that I was taught. So as I eventually came up started doing a lot of elementary talent shows, high school, junior high, uh started doing a lot of this jerking motion. Yes. And I would make this sound pop. But I'm just swagging. Back then it was just the twist of course. And on to that it became phenomenon as what I would say that inspired me into creating a style or just putting a group together was the lockers came out in 1973. Uh came to the fairground and I was happy to see them because I had seen them on soul train. I was just a Soul Train fanatic always watching Solo Train. So D them came out and I seen the essence of teamwork like oh they got a lot of guys and everybody is doing something different. Yeah. So after that I decided to go home. I went around like Don probably said he did went and found some of the best dancers. So I did the same thing and we started working together. I started showing different kind of styles. So we started elevating working to um studios into the centers uh schools. So we started developing other styles. Uh William would look at the clock and he would see the second hand ticking and he would be over there in the corner just doing all this funny movement and then I'm actually I say, "Well, what's going on?" "Oh man, the clock, man. You don't feel it?" So that's crazy. After that it went on to uh be created I mean being called ticket. Yeah. So basically all the style that was created was created like through different elements. Uh where else one the old man it was one guy he was out on the block and we were walking around and he doing this move. So you know not to be fun of him or um none of that. We took it and we ran with it. Went to the studio, went back to the centers and we started clowning around making up all these things. Then pretty soon the dance got out more and more and more. Then I became who I am now today. Uh which like I tell them, it wasn't like I woke up in the morning say I'm going invent me a dance. No, it just happened. I mean it just went from house party. That's why they say oh have did you dance in the studio? No, it's the streets. This dance come from the streets. And when I tell the kids in my class, I say, uh, I'm not really used to mirrors and stuff because we did all our stuff just just out. I mean, with field, you know, because it was the soul at that time. So, after that, we became a legendary electronic brother locker. Uh, one of the guys that formed the group, his name is Nate Johnson. And, uh, the other one's name is Joe Thomas. These are two guys that really put the group's uh, electronic little lockers together. So, the reason why we had the locking part on it, like I said, from Don now, we had one guy that was a locker. His name was Lock and Ran. So, that's how we picked on the BCOM electronic bugaloo lockers. Yeah.
Okay. Cool. Last uh last question here and just what would be any last words you'd give to youngsters coming into the dance scene who want to get into the competitive arena into uh doing the stage work and the theater shows? Um what advice would you give those newcomers about getting into dancing?
Okay, the basic things is learning the music is most important thing of all and from the music then you go into the format which is called style and style is what we call funk which is from the funk era. Uh I would like to see them get more history on the dance which is old dance. Uh, I would like them to uh uh not water it down so much. You know what I'm saying? Because now these day they're watering the moves down. Uh, like I say again, I don't know if it's from uh the instructors are teaching them. Um, but I know that my my opinion is when I see them uh it doesn't look like it did when I was doing it. I'm talking about in the 70s and stuff. So, I would like them to pay attention, get much video they can on the electric bugaloos or the foundation of it. Uh, be sure to be positive, have a dream because I had a dream myself. Uh, one one day to be famous. Uh, yeah, I guess here it is. Here it is, right?
Cool. Well, thanks a lot for your time. I really appreciate it and you coming down to Edmonton, sharing your love and your dance with us. Thank you.