Do the Robot
The robot is a fun and original dance that was made popular by Michael Jackson in the 1980s. Though the robot is a throwback, you can always do it to impress your friends at your next 80s party, or just because you feel like doing the robot on the dance floor for the fun of it. If you want to know how to do the robot in no time at all, just follow these easy steps.
Contents
Steps
Learn the Basics
- Pick the right music. The robot should be done in pace with the music, so music with distinct beats, such as Electro-Funk, is perfect for this dance. But there are other popular songs that aren't necessarily suited for this dance, but have been used to perform the Robot before. Once you've chosen your song, you can play it as you learn the basics, so you get used to dancing to the rhythm of the song. Try one of these or find your own:
- Styx's "Mr. Roboto"
- Jackson 5's "Dancing Machine"
- Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"
- Timbaland's "Bounce"
- Daft Punk's "Around the World"
- Kraftwerk's "The Robots"
- Jonathan Coulton/GLaDOS "Still Alive"
- Bender & The Robot Devil "Robot Hell Song"
- Get your grounding. Work on lifting your shoulders up, and sinking them down abruptly. You will do a more subtle version of this move as you move up and down or left to right, so get used to the feeling of lifting your shoulders and then lowering them below their natural positions -- like an exaggerated shrug.
- Know how to stop and start. To master this trick, just move your body in one direction, abruptly stop, jerking your body into that position -- this is called "freeze busting" your body into a new pose. This is when jerking your shoulders downward will come in handy. Then, move in another direction and repeat this motion: move, jerk your body to a stop, and then move in another direction and do it again.
- Stop and start your body naturally to the beat of the music. If the song is a bit slower, then you should stop and start less often.
- Learn to freeze. Now, practice the stop and start again, but when you stop, hold the position for a bit longer -- up to two or three seconds, depending on the beat of the music. You should not only freeze your body, but also freeze the expression on your face.
- Practice your robotic expression. The robot's face should look vacant and empty -- robots don't show emotion. However, you can try looking a bit crazed or bewildered, like you're surprised or have been programmed to move around and do the dance. Pretend you were sleeping and someone suddenly threw you onto the dance floor. Just don't smile or nod at the crowd, or that will break character.
Do the Robot
- Raise your forearms. Lift your forearms until they're parallel to the floor and perpendicular to your shoulders.This is known as "silver gold technique". Keep your elbows close to your sides. This will be your first move when the music turns on, so look slightly bewildered, like you've been jolted awake. Stop abruptly as you "lock" your arms in their desired position -- you can do the shoulder shrug right before you stop.
- Shift your forearms to the left. After stopping for a second or two, start again and shift your forearms to the left while keeping your elbows at your sides and your torso pointing straight ahead. Your right arm should be draped across your stomach and your left arm should be extended out. Once you've reached this position, stop again.
- Keep your face undisturbed by your dance moves. If you were looking to a particular direction, let it be the front or side stay how you are. This will amaze the viewers.
- Follow your arms with your feet. Now, dip back slightly and then move forward, like you're a machine adjusting for a new movement. Then, move your feet so that they are pointing to the left too, in the same direction as your hands. Your feet should move mechanically, shifting to the left side to follow your arms, not fluidly, as they would in a normal dance move.
- Move your head to the left. Now, your head can jerk to the left and meet your arms and feet. You should do this any time you make adjustments to your body. Instead of having the head naturally follow your body, wait a second for the robot head to "catch up" as it gets the signal to move. Facing forward while the rest of your body moves to the side will emphasize the mechanical and disjointed nature of your dance.
- Bend down. Then, bend downward toward your feet, so that your back is raised just above a ninety degree angle and your arms are both pointing to the left. You can shift your arms slightly so they're pointed in front of you instead of to the left, just as they were initially. Freeze. You can practice freezing in this motion longer than the others. You can also just freeze for a bit longer whenever the beat slows down.
- Wave your right robot arm. Take your right arm which is bent -- the arm closest to your audience, and jolt it upward so it straightens out, and then move it down to bend it again. This should look halting and not fluid. Repeat this motion three or four times, continuing to jerk it upward and then bending it again.
- Slowly straighten your back. After you move your robot arm down one last time, slowly straighten your back while facing your left and then face forward again. Keep your forearms bent at a ninety degree angle at your sides.
- Pop open. Jerk your arms and shoulders back and your chest forward. Look slightly more alert and surprised when you do this. Freeze for a second or two. Keep up a bewildered expression as you transition into your next move. Then, stand straight up and jerk your arms around, one at a time, continuing to move your body as un-fluidly as possible. Move slightly to the left as you move your forearm down and up on the left side, and do the same on the right.
- Wave your left robot arm. After you've danced around for a while, repeat the same wave move on your left side. Just point your arms the the right, follow them with your feet, bend down, and then jerk your left arm up and down three or four times. After that, slowly make your way back up.
- Move around. You can move in erratic directions, continuing to move your arms up and down, stopping and starting and locking your body into new positions, popping open, and waving your robot arms from time to time. Just keep up this motion until the song is over or until you're tired -- then you can use a robotic voice to thank your friends for their support for your out-of-this-world moves.
Tips
- Watch Michael Jackson doing the robot for Jackson 5 songs as well as songs during his solo career.
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Sources and Citations
- Videos provided by itsMRich
