Samara Cohen-O’Neal, professionally known as Princess Lockerooo, is a dynamic choreographer, producer, and cultural leader whose groundbreaking work in Waacking has been featured in The New York Times, Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and America’s Got Talent. With a career spanning over 30 countries, she has performed and taught alongside icons like Madonna, Jody Watley, and Icona Pop, using dance as a platform to amplify LGBTQIA+ stories and foster cultural connection.

As an event producer, Princess has been producing her annual dance festival, Waack to the Future, at House of Yes for over a decade, showcasing Waacking’s evolution and cultural impact. Her production credits also include curating entertainment for prestigious corporate and nonprofit entities such as Fashion for Development (United Nations), the First Lady’s Luncheon, and the New York Botanical Garden, blending artistry and advocacy to create powerful, inclusive experiences.

Princess is the founder of The Fabulous Waack Dancers, the only Waacking company in the U.S., which has performed at iconic venues including Lincoln Center, The Guggenheim Museum, Jacob’s Pillow, and The WOW Festival at La Jolla Playhouse. Through her work, she honors Waacking’s origins in the Black, gay underground clubs of 1970s Los Angeles while pushing it forward as a global art form.

In 2022, she launched the Waack Dancer Training Program (WDTP), a revolutionary initiative that educates dancers in Waacking’s technique, history, and club culture, offering scholarships to BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students. WDTP has partnered with the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts to archive the oral history of dance legends like Bill Goodson, ensuring Waacking’s legacy is preserved for future generations.

Currently, Princess is co-directing a feature documentary on Waacking with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Aaron Matthews and developing her original musical, Paradise Ballroom, which received a residency at New York Stage and Film and continues at Musical Theater Factory. Through all her work, she remains dedicated to inspiring the next generation to embrace their identities, honor Waacking’s queer roots, and dance unapologetically.

Waack Dance Training