How to Do the Robot

The robot is a dance style made popular in the '60s. The dance itself is simple, but unfortunately one must have some basic dance coordination skills in order to perform this dance, or any dance. If you have the rhythm it takes to be a dancer, follow a few basic dance moves and you'll be on your way to dancing the robot.

Instructions

1. Stand straight in one place. Bend your arms at the elbows up to your waist, hands and fingers extended out. The main objective when dancing the robot is to keep your body parts straight and rigid. With quick, sharp, jerking movements, lift your arms up then down, one at a time. Remember, robots don't bend, except at the joints. Your body also should not bend except for areas like your elbows, knees, neck, and waist.

2. Jerk quickly at your waist to one side. With another quick jerk, bend down at your waist. Quickly stand up straight, and then, repeating the same procedure, quickly, with a sharp jerk, bend the other way. All the time you are bending from side to side, continue bending your arms at the elbows, up and down, fast and sharp.

3. Turn your head quickly to the side. Again, make sure your turn is quick and sharp. With another quick jerk, bend your head up. Jerk your head back into place, and then again, quickly jerk your head to the other side. While you are bending and jerking your head, you should also be bending from side to side at your waist, and bending your arms quickly, up and down.

4. Walk, by taking quick, jerking steps, one leg at a time, forward. Make sure your body is rigid, and each body part is stiff. Add to your robot walk, up and down bends of your arms, and side to side turns of your head and waist. Every move you make while walking, must be stiff, firm, and quick.

5. Add creativity to your robot dance by intermittently dancing a little modern jazz between a few robot dance moves. Spice up your robot dance by adding in a few stiff, rigid spins, and jumps. Make sure that each robot move is danced according to the music's rhythm, or in other words, keep the beat.

Tips & Warnings

• Putting the robot dance moves on paper, you would have a lot of little short lines all connected together. A regular dance style flows like a curve; every dance move flows into the other. Robot dance moves do not flow. Each move is a dance step in and of itself, one after the other.

• When dancing the robot, don't jerk your body parts too hard. Keep each jerk simple, so as not to pull your muscles while dancing.