From Saint Petersburg’s Locking Scene to Southern California
Many accomplished dancers become popular instructors. Far fewer build lasting systems that continue shaping students and teachers long after a class ends. For Simon Nikan, education has always been about constructing those systems — sustainable frameworks that elevate individual dancers and strengthen whole communities.
Long before relocating to the United States, Simon established himself as one of Russia’s leading Locking educators. He founded House of Power Dance Schoolin Saint Petersburg and later built Bouncing Cats Dance School, where he acted as director, instructor, and architect of a comprehensive training methodology. At the same time, he created the professional crew That’s the Point, which became one of Russia’s recognized Locking crews, earning awards, representing the country internationally, and popularizing Locking culture among younger dancers.
An Educator in Demand
Simon’s reputation as a teacher extended well beyond his own schools. He was regularly invited to teach masterclasses, intensives, and workshops at Russia’s leading dance organizations — including Millennium Dance School, SHTAB Dance School, Qinetic Dance School, Motiv Dance School, The Great 8, IDC Top Skills, Time for Dance — as well as at numerous independent festivals. Those invitations reflected not only competitive achievements but also a recognized expertise in Locking technique and pedagogy.
Building a Curriculum That Scales
After moving to the United States, Simon continued expanding his educational influence, teaching at respected Southern California institutions such as Millennium Dance Complex, Movement Lifestyle (mL), Offstage Dance Studio by GRV, and Rūts Dance Studio. Today he serves as Lead Dance Instructor and Artistic Director at Acrossers Dance Studio — a role in which his contributions reach far beyond individual classes.
Drawing on years of classroom experience, Simon developed a comprehensive educational curriculum that organizes students into progressive levels, defines technical benchmarks for advancement, tracks individual development, and establishes a standardized teaching methodology across the organization. Rather than allowing each instructor to teach independently, he designed a unified system so every coach follows the same educational progression.
The curriculum specifies which movements, techniques, freestyle concepts, musical skills, and performance abilities students must master before advancing. As dancers move up the levels, progressively advanced technical and artistic material becomes available, creating a clear pathway from beginner to advanced performer. Today his methodology is implemented across all four Acrossers Dance Studio locations, where ten instructors rely on it as the official educational framework.
What Colleagues Say
“When Simon joined Acrossers, he didn’t simply become another instructor—he transformed the way we educate dancers. He designed an educational system that became the foundation of our entire training program. Every instructor follows his curriculum, every student’s progress is evaluated using his methodology, and every location teaches from the same educational standards. His contribution permanently changed how our organization operates.”
“One of Simon’s greatest strengths is that he builds systems that other professionals can successfully implement. His curriculum gives our instructors a clear structure while allowing students to progress with confidence and measurable results. It has raised the overall quality of instruction across all four campuses and created consistency that simply did not exist before.”
Measured Results: Competitions and Confidence
The impact of Simon’s system is visible in the studio’s results. Students trained under his methodology regularly participate in regional and national competitions, consistently earning top placements and championship titles. Those achievements are a reflection of a carefully structured educational model rather than isolated individual coaching — students progress because the system prepares them step by step.
Beyond competitions, the curriculum fosters confident performers who understand musicality, structure, and the cultural roots of their craft. That combination — technique, artistry, and context — is central to Simon’s approach to training dancers who can adapt on stage and in battle.
Preserving and Advancing Locking Culture
Simon has remained an active contributor to the global Locking community. In Russia he produced recognized crews; in Los Angeles he founded the crew Boom Chaka Lockers, which brings together professional dancers dedicated to preserving and advancing authentic Locking culture. Through performances at events such as B-Boy Summit and Body Rock, the crew represents contemporary excellence while introducing new audiences to one of hip-hop’s foundational styles.
Whether establishing influential groups like That’s the Pointin Russia or Boom Chaka Lockersin Los Angeles, creating educational systems adopted by entire organizations, or teaching at internationally respected studios, Simon has consistently shown that his greatest contribution is not just performance — it is building lasting structures that develop dancers, empower instructors, and strengthen the street dance community for years to come.
A Model for Sustainable Dance Education
Simon Nikan’s work is a reminder that high-quality dance education requires more than charismatic classes: it needs repeatable systems, clear benchmarks, and a shared language across instructors. By building that infrastructure, he has helped studios deliver measurable progress, maintain consistent standards across locations, and create environments where students and teachers can grow together.
As street dance continues to globalize, educators like Simon — who prioritize structure and cultural stewardship alongside performance — will shape the next generation of dancers and the institutions that train them.
