Fresno State seeks to document origins of ‘popping’ in Fresno

Fresno State history professors and students are launching a project to document the history of “popping,” a dancing style that originated in Fresno in the 1970s.

Faculty and students are looking for walk-ins who can provide oral histories and photos during the documentation on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon in the Henry Madden Library. The event is free and open to the public, said university spokeswoman Kathleen Schock.

Historian Sean Slusser and B-Boy Goku will take part in a discussion, followed by lunch and a dancing demonstration from 1 to 2 p.m. in front of the University Student Union.

The dance craze originated with the Electric Boogaloos, a group from Fresno. In 1979, the group was on Soul Train and would go on to inspire some of Michael Jackson’s most iconic moves, said Schock.

Fresno State professors hope to preserve the history of the origins of “popping” and have the oral histories and digitized photos archived in the Henry Madden Library.

This story was originally published November 15, 2016 at 8:56 PM with the headline "Fresno State seeks to document origins of ‘popping’ in Fresno."