Richmond Robottin
Richmond Robottin is a dance style that is derived from the solo and individual dance art form known as The Robot. This style of robotic dancing was pioneered out of the city of Richmond, California.
This version of Robot movement initially derived from the general idea of one person moving like a Robot. Along with basic robot movement by one person, there also developed robot "dance" movement by one person. When there became more than one individual, the formation of a "group" evolved. Many Richmond dancers who considered themselves a "Robot" dancer ("Robotter") developed their own style of solo Robot movement and dance, drawing influences from many different sources (i.e. television programs, community events, social parties, mechanical figures in department stores, one-on-one dance challenges on the streets, etc.). For dancers growing up in Richmond, California USA, the group dance style eventually came together and flourished during the 1970s and early 1980s at its local area Talent Shows.
Dance styles
One of the elements that is commonly known within the Robot dance community is the robot pose. One pose can be followed by a series of poses. These poses are often followed by "hits" or "dime stops" (definition: the techniques of quickly flexing and contracting body muscles to cause a hard, immediate stop in the person’s movement). Basic Robot movement can also be associated with the art of mime movement, both with and without music. Like many neighborhoods in the Northern California Bay Area, Richmond historically had predominantly African-American communities during these time periods. Thus, the existence of R&B, Soul and Funk music has associated ties with its social dances and its Robot dance styles. This type of Robot movement incorporates "funk-oriented" and "soulful" moves, poses and dances.
Many young individuals who were growing up in the city of Richmond during this time not only moved and danced like Robots, but also created groups which performed Robot dance routines. These various groups of Robot dancers and their routines eventually became known as "Richmond Robottin’" throughout the communities via the performances at the frequently held Talent Shows at the Richmond Memorial Auditorium.
A Richmond Robottin’ dance group routine is based on its own evolved style of robotic group choreography, which stems from the basic formulas that were common among Northern California Bay Area dance groups:
- "together" movements: all members in the group executing the same move(s), usually in the form of robot poses with "hits" and "dime stops" executed at different points.
- "catch on" movements: one dancer begins a move individually that can go for one or more counts, returns to the point of origin and starts the same move again, whereby the second dancer executes the same move together with the first dancer's second execution of the same move ("catching on"), and then executing together at the same time.
- "domino" movements: one dancer begins a move on the beat of a song, then continues to a second move on the next beat, whereby the second dancer executes exactly the same move one beat immediately after the first dancer. This sequence can be followed by however many dancers are within the group to complete the domino movement.
- "combination" movements: combined sequences of "together", "catch on" and "domino" movements within the group to create innovative and complex robot routines.
This style of robotic group dancing further evolved at Richmond, California, USA Talent Shows through more complex robot routines that were performed to faster speeds of selected music. Thus, the style of "Richmond Robottin'."
Dance movement
Richmond, California USA's version of moving and dancing individually like a robot is heavily influenced by the idea of the human being as a dancer, moving in an unhuman-like manner. The dance-incorporated versions of urban robotic movements in Richmond, California communities of the 1970s and early 1980s are influenced by American Soul/Funk/R&B music, as well as Electronic and some Rock. The Richmond Robottin dance style can be described as a combination of standard robotic movement and urban dance influenced by Soul/Funk/R&B music. Dance influences also derived from the American mime team Shields & Yarnell (formed in 1972), consisting of Robert Shields and Lorene Yarnell within the Northern California San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose Bay Area.