Born and raised in New York City, Samara Cohen-O’Neal, professionally known as Princess Lockerooo, is a dancer, director, choreographer, producer, educator, and cultural leader whose work has reshaped the world’s understanding of Waacking—the queer, expressive dance style born in the underground clubs of the 1970s.
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Raised by a single mother, Samara was a vocal major at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, with early dance training at the 92nd Street Y. Her journey into dance didn’t begin until age 19, when she began taking classes at Broadway Dance Center and discovered the electrifying world of New York City’s nightlife and underground street dance scene.
It was inside the city’s drag bars and nightclubs where Princess Lockerooo’s life changed forever. The clubs were more than a stage — they were a movement, a community, a living classroom of culture, freedom, and transformation. It was here that she found her purpose, learning how to perform and tell stories through music, fashion, identity, and dance. Through this world, she formed a deep bond with Bob the Drag Queen, who became both friend and drag mother, and whose artistry helped shape Lockerooo’s own approach to performance.
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A student of the late Tyrone Proctor, Lockerooo became one of the leading forces in the global resurgence of Waacking. With a deep reverence for queer culture and a passion for preserving its stories, she has committed her life to honoring Waacking’s roots while pushing it into the future.
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In 2022, she founded The Fabulous Waack Dancers, the first Waacking company in the U.S., with ongoing support from Works & Process at the Guggenheim. The company has performed at Lincoln Center, The Guggenheim Museum, The Apollo Theater, The WOW Festival (La Jolla Playhouse), and Jacob’s Pillow, creating groundbreaking shows that blend history, storytelling, and high-impact movement.
That same year, she launched the Waack Dancer Training Program (WDTP) — a groundbreaking educational initiative designed to teach Waacking through technique, history, club culture, and self-expression. The program supports dancers in finding their voice, building confidence, and understanding the cultural context of the art form. Through WDTP, she also collaborates with the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, where her students perform biannually as part of an ongoing partnership.
As part of her mission to preserve dance history, Lockerooo worked with the NYPL Performing Arts Library to archive the oral history of choreographer Bill Goodson — pioneer of Waacking and legendary creative force behind icons like Diana Ross.
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Princess Lockerooo has performed and taught in over 30 countries and has appeared on major platforms including Dancing with the Stars (in an iconic Soul Train tribute), So You Think You Can Dance, and America’s Got Talent. She’s collaborated with artists such as Madonna, Jody Watley, Icona Pop, Pangina Heals, and Bob the Drag Queen. In 2023, she was honored with a Bessie Award for Breakout Choreographer and is recognized globally as a visionary and cultural ambassador.
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Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Dance Magazine, Brut, Document Journal, The Medium, and more. She has produced events that raised funds for organizations such as Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, and collaborated with institutions including the United Nations, NYC Pride, Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, and The Center.
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As a speaker, Lockerooo brings a raw, unfiltered, and uniquely New York perspective to every stage. Her realness and storytelling have captivated audiences at events like HATCH, SAP NextGen, and Original Thinkers, where she speaks on identity, movement, resilience, and radical self-expression.
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She is also the creator of Waack to the Future, an annual international dance festival and battle held at House of Yes. The event merges cultural preservation with next-generation creativity, celebrating Waacking as a global art form and uniting communities through music, movement, and pride.
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Currently, Lockerooo 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 New York Stage and Film residency and continues development with Musical Theater Factory.
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From the subway platforms of New York to the world’s most iconic stages, Princess Lockerooo is not only dancing — she is building a movement grounded in love, liberation, and legacy.