Torrence "Tea-Buggz" Griffin
Torrence “Tea Buggz” Griffin (he/him) is a dance artist, pop-locker, teacher, and cultural worker based out of Chicago, IL. Rooted in the Black American street dance style of popping, Griffin carries forward a lineage that began in the Bay Area of California in the late 1960s and ’70s, predating Hip Hop music and dance. Griffin grew up during the formative years of popping, and now represents that lineage in classrooms, battles, and on stages across the globe. His style is anchored in popping, animation, and robot techniques, and in 2002 he developed his own signature approach, the Egyptian Bang, inspired by hieroglyphics, two-dimensional movement, and the hard-hitting “bangs” of popping vocabulary.
Griffin began battling in the 1970s as a teenager in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. In 1979, after seeing the Electric Boogaloos on Soul Train, he was inspired to reach national and international platforms with his art. Griffin transitioned from the local battle scene to professional touring, becoming one of the first Chicago poppers to perform nationally. For nearly two decades, he collaborated with Walter King Jr. (known as Spellbinder) one of the first Black magicians to headline Las Vegas residencies and tour internationally. Together, they choreographed and performed shows that fused Black dance traditions with theatrical spectacle, breaking barriers on stages that had rarely seen street dance before. That era sharpened Griffin’s artistic eye and taught him how to merge street dance art forms with large-scale performance.
In addition to his work with Spellbinder, Griffin also performed at various trade shows for companies such as Seagrams and Loreal. Returning to Chicago in the early 2000s, Griffin shifted his focus to teaching, judging, and mentoring. He became the first popper to teach in Chicago Public Schools and among the first to bring popping into higher education at institutions such as Columbia College and the University of Chicago. He consistently produces and judges battles across the United States, cementing his role as both educator and cultural steward. Throughout his career, Griffin has formed and led legacy crews such as the Electric Funkateers, Pop Patrol, and Robot M.A.F.I.A., Chicago’s first and only all-OG popping crew. These collectives embody his commitment to preserving the lineage of Chicago popping while building platforms for the next generation. His work has always centered on cultural preservation, visibility, and education—judging international festivals, teaching masterclasses worldwide, and mentoring countless artists while remaining deeply connected to the Chicago popping community. After nearly five decades, Griffin continues to dance, teach, and advocate for street dance as both an art form and a cultural inheritance. His calling is clear: to ensure that the culture not only survives but thrives in the hands of the next generation.
