The robot, also called mannequin or dancing machine, is a street dance style—often confused with popping—that suggests the stilted movements of a dancing robot or mannequin. Roboting gained fame in the 1970s after Michael Jackson used the dance when he performed "Dancing Machine" with his brothers.
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In breakdancing, toprock is foot movement performed while standing, serving as the opening display of style, and as a warm-up for transitions into the more acrobatic maneuvers of downrock. It allows the dancer to demonstrate coordination, flexibility, rhythm, and style. Breakers may devote considerable time to developing their toprock, which may include elements of salsa, Lindy Hop, Liquid dancing and the Robot. Common toprock steps include the Indian step, Bronx step, Charlie rock, hip twist, kick step and side step.
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is widely regarded as one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his musical achievements broke American racial barriers and made him a dominant figure worldwide. Through his songs, stages, and fashion, he proliferated visual performance for artists in popular music, popularizing street dance moves such as the moonwalk, the robot, and the anti-gravity lean. Jackson is often deemed the greatest entertainer of all time.
The eighth child of the Jackson family, Michael made his public debut at age six as the lead singer of the Jackson 5, one of Motown's most successful acts. His breakthrough as a solo artist came with the highly acclaimed album Off the Wall (1979). Jackson achieved unprecedented global success with Thriller (1982), the best-selling album in history. Its short film-style music videos for "Thriller", "Beat It", and "Billie Jean" redefined the medium as an art form. Jackson followed it with Bad (1987), the first album to produce five US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror", and "Dirty Diana". In the 1990s, he released the albums Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995). His final album, Invincible (2001), became a 21st-century bestseller.
The history of hip-hop dances encompasses the people and events since the late 1960s that have contributed to the development of early hip-hop dance styles, such as uprock, breaking, locking, roboting, boogaloo, and popping. African Americans created uprock and breaking in New York City. African Americans in California created locking, roboting, boogaloo, and popping—collectively referred to as the funk styles. All of these dance styles are different stylistically. They share common ground in their street origins and in their improvisational nature of hip hop.
More than 50 years old, hip-hop dance became widely known after the first professional street-based dance crews formed in the 1970s in the United States. The most influential groups were Rock Steady Crew, The Lockers, and The Electric Boogaloos who are responsible for the spread of breaking, locking, and popping respectively. The Brooklyn-based dance style uprock influenced breaking early in its development. Boogaloo gained more exposure because it is the namesake of the Electric Boogaloos crew. Uprock, roboting, and boogaloo are respected dance styles but none of them are as mainstream or popular as breaking, locking, and popping.
Boogaloo is a freestyle, improvisational street dance, closely related to popping dance and turfing. It is best known for the dance move known as the Robot; it is also related to the later electric boogaloo dance.
Boogaloo dancers use illusions, restriction of muscles, stops, robotic movements, and wiggling to create a soulful, passionate, animated form of street dance. The style also incorporates foundational popping techniques, which were initially referred to as "Posing Hard".