Dance Mogul Magazine · From the Archive · Events & Collaboration
Compete to the Beat 2014: When a Magazine and a Street Dance Showdown Built Something Together
Shock-a-Lock’s majestic showdown and Dance Mogul Magazine produced a special issue around one idea: collaboration only works when the purpose is the boss. Our 2014 story, in full, with every video from that season.
Originally published September 22, 2014 · Updated November 12, 2026 · Dance Mogul Magazine
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File // At a Glance
Event — Compete to the Beat, “New York’s majestic street dance showdown”
Creator — Shock-a-Lock (Kevin Porter), via Cirkulock, Inc.
DMM role — Media partner; produced a special issue on the event
First edition — July 26–27, 2013, at PMT House of Dance, 69 West 14th Street, New York
2013 prize — $500 cash and a DMM spotlight interview for each winner
The lesson — “The purpose is always the Boss.”
2013
First Compete to the Beat
$500
Cash prize per winner, 2013
7
Event videos from the 2014 season
1
Special magazine issue
Why This Story Still Matters
Most dance events treat media as an afterthought: a photographer in the corner and a recap if you are lucky. In 2014, Dance Mogul Magazine and Shock-a-Lock tried something different. They built the coverage into the event itself and published a special issue of the magazine around Compete to the Beat.
The article that came out of it is less a recap than a short lesson on collaboration, and it still holds up for anyone running an event, a crew or a business. Below is the original 2014 story in full, every image from it, the seven event videos it linked, and the context of how Compete to the Beat began a year earlier.
The 2014 Story: Our Original Feature
From the DMM Archive · September 22, 2014
This season Dance Mogul Magazine collaborates with “Compete-to-the-Beat,” the majestic street dance showdown. It’s the first collaboration of a magazine and street dance events where unconventional rules breed unique collaborations.
Basil Harris, CEO, and Anthony Harris, Marketing Director of Dance Mogul Magazine talked with Shock-a-lock, creator of “Compete-to-the-Beat,” to find different ways to collaborate. The result is a special issue of the magazine which focuses on the “Compete-to-the-Beat,” majestic event and what makes it unique.
“We are clear about our purpose in all that we do,” says Shock-a-lock. Purpose is meaningful and lets us serve as best as we can. The collaboration works because we define it our way.
Collaboration is two or more people working together, on purpose, to produce something meaningful. Each person serves by doing what they do best, more profitably. Collaboration is always purposeful otherwise, it’s senseless.
Dance Mogul serves by inspiring self-empowerment, and “Compete-to-the-Beat,” serves by honoring creativity. But in both cases, it has to be meaningful. What makes a collaboration meaningful is we’re aiming to solve or prevent problems. That is always a good reason to collaborate.
Mixing problem-solving with street dance entertainment is also fun. We use focus to guide us so there is a set of constraints. Time is important. Doing the right things at the right time and place prevents or eliminates chaos.
A necessary part of collaboration is the “creative mindset.” People are sometimes so caught up in the “competitive mindset,” they strive to take more than they’re willing to give. That minimizes the power of productive collaboration. It then becomes meaningless.
Let’s be pro-collaboration. All concerned collaborators must be able to benefit from the collaboration to some degree. Their participation or acceptance to participate must be based on the contribution and value it adds.
The purpose is always the “Boss.” If you can align with the purpose, it will work. To learn more about the “Power of Collaboration,” tune in to Dance Mogul Magazine’s website for upcoming articles by Shock-a-lock.
Meantime, check with Dance Mogul for the latest issue to help you decide how you can, or if you should collaborate your event with a magazine. One caution, be sure you both are meaningful and clear on your purposes. The alternative could be a collaborative disaster. All is well when we’re on purpose.
www.dancemogul.com
Reproduced in full from Dance Mogul Magazine’s September 22, 2014 story with light spelling and punctuation fixes. Titles and plans reflect that date.
The 2014 Video Reel
Our original post linked seven videos from Dance Mogul Magazine’s Facebook page. They are embedded here so the moment lives in one place. If a video does not load, it may have been removed or made private on Facebook; the original links are kept in the story above.
Video 1: Compete to the Beat, from Dance Mogul Magazine’s Facebook page.
Video 2: Compete to the Beat, from Dance Mogul Magazine’s Facebook page.
Video 3: Compete to the Beat, from Dance Mogul Magazine’s Facebook page.
Video 4: Compete to the Beat, from Dance Mogul Magazine’s Facebook page.
Video 5: Compete to the Beat, from Dance Mogul Magazine’s Facebook page.
Video 6: Compete to the Beat, from Dance Mogul Magazine’s Facebook page.
Video 7: Compete to the Beat, from Dance Mogul Magazine’s Facebook page.
How Compete to the Beat Began
A year before this story, in July 2013, DMM announced the first Compete to the Beat in a press release. Basil Harris, DMM’s CEO, served as guest host. The event ran July 26 and 27, 2013, at PMT House of Dance on West 14th Street in Manhattan, with workshops from Don “Campbellock” Campbell, Hitmaster Fish, Shock-a-Lock, B-boy Nemesis and Dreamz. Each winner received $500 and a DMM spotlight interview. Read the full announcement: Compete To The Beat: New York’s Majestic Street Dance Showdown (2013).
The 2014 piece builds on that first year. Instead of a cash-only contest, the partners framed the event around recognition, creativity and purpose. The special issue made the winners and the culture the story, not just the results.
Who Is Shock-a-Lock?
Shock-a-Lock, born Kevin Porter, is known as New York’s first locker and a long-time street dance coach. DMM’s full legacy feature tells his story: Shock-a-Lock: New York’s First Locker. His philosophy runs through this article. Collaboration has to be purposeful, every partner has to benefit, and a competitive mindset that takes more than it gives will sink any project.
The Collaboration Checklist
Read today, the 2014 article boils down to a short checklist any dancer or organizer can use before saying yes to a partnership:
1. Name each partner’s purpose. DMM inspires self-empowerment; Compete to the Beat honors creativity. Both are stated up front.2. Aim at a problem. A collaboration is meaningful when it solves or prevents something.3. Set constraints. Time, place and focus keep a project from turning into chaos.4. Bring a creative mindset, not only a competitive one. Partners who only take will drain the work.5. Make sure everyone benefits. Participation should rest on the value each partner adds.The purpose is always the “Boss.” If you can align with the purpose, it will work.
— Dance Mogul Magazine, 2014
Timeline
CULTURE = the scene · CAREER = the work · TEACHING = passing it on · DMM = our coverage
Jul 4, 2013 · DMM
DMM announces the first Compete to the Beat, with Basil Harris as guest host.
Jul 26–27, 2013 · CULTURE
First edition at PMT House of Dance, NYC, with workshops in locking, popping, breaking and krump.
2014 · DMM
DMM and Shock-a-Lock produce a special issue focused on the event.
Sep 22, 2014 · DMM
This collaboration story is published, with seven event videos.
Oct 2026 · DMM
DMM publishes its legacy feature on Shock-a-Lock.
Where Is Compete to the Beat Now?
DMM could not find a public record of Compete to the Beat editions after 2014. If you competed, judged or have flyers and footage, we want to hear from you through our contact page. Shock-a-Lock’s wider story, including his teaching and his work as a locking pioneer in New York, is told in full in our legacy feature.
The model the event tested is now a DMM habit. Our newsrooms and live dashboards for competitions grew from the same idea: coverage should give dancers recognition and a lasting record, not only a result.
What the Next Generation Should Learn
1. Purpose before partnership. If you cannot say what each side is for, do not sign up.
2. Recognition is a prize. A write-up and a lasting record can mean more to a dancer’s career than one night’s cash.
3. Give before you take. The “creative mindset” builds things; the purely competitive one burns them.
4. Document everything. This page survives because the videos and the issue were made. Record your events.
5. Choose partners who share your values. Shock-a-Lock’s warning still stands: unclear purposes lead to collaborative disasters.
Why It Matters to DMM
Compete to the Beat was one of DMM’s first experiments in being part of an event rather than just covering it. It passed the three tests we still use for every partnership: did it educate, inspire and empower? The special issue, the spotlight interviews and this article show it did.
Related: the 2013 Compete to the Beat announcement, Shock-a-Lock’s legacy feature, Ken Fury at the Breaks Kru 10th anniversary and The Legacy.
Compete to the Beat: Frequently Asked Questions
What was Compete to the Beat?
Compete to the Beat was a New York street dance competition created by Shock-a-Lock through Cirkulock, Inc. The first edition ran July 26–27, 2013, at PMT House of Dance.
How did Dance Mogul Magazine collaborate with Compete to the Beat?
DMM served as host and media partner, gave each 2013 winner a spotlight interview, and in 2014 produced a special magazine issue about the event.
Who is Shock-a-Lock?
Shock-a-Lock, born Kevin Porter, is known as New York’s first locker and a long-time street dance coach. DMM profiles him in a full legacy feature.
What does “the purpose is the Boss” mean?
It means every collaborator should align with a clear shared purpose. If the purpose is clear and each partner benefits, the collaboration works.
Does Compete to the Beat still run?
DMM could not find a public record of editions after 2014. Readers with information can contact DMM.
The Story Continues
Dance Mogul Magazine will keep following Compete to the Beat’s story. If you have updates, photos or memories from this moment, reach us through our contact page. Bookmark this page and check back.
Sources & Further Viewing
DMM: Compete To The Beat, New York’s Majestic Street Dance Showdown (Jul 5, 2013)
© 2026 Dance Mogul Magazine LLC · From the Archive, Updated · A Black-owned dance and empowerment publication since 2010
