ENTER THE
LIGHTNING-ANIMATION
​STYLE

Thunder in the Sky
Flashes of Light dance up high 
Illuminate me

0. FOUNDATIONS

Did you learn your foundations yet? Click the image to get access to the free tutorials of Foundations and Fundamentals if you would like to get grounded in these concepts before continuing. ​

​1. LIGHTNING-ANIMATION: INTRODUCTION

Enter the Lightning-Animation style – the most technical of all the Dance styles.  Animation usually refers to the world of all illusion (Yang-Move) based dancers, when in reality it can be viewed as its own unique Umbrella style with its own set of sub-styles. Animation is considered to be any technical movement that creates an "unreal" and "CGI" type of effect. It uses movements such as speed changes, ticking & strobing, vibration, claymation and much more. The most archetypal of this style is the Robot Style, which we will focus on mostly for this tutorial series. 
It utilizes various isolations, high body control, and gimmickry to capture the look and feel of a robot. Robot consists of many various robotic feels (such as the cyborg, the terminator, the android, and the mannequin).  Robot is also considered to be the most fundamental of the Animation Path of Popping dancers. Reason being is because many of the techniques and skills used in robot are also applied to all illusion based styles and typically the underlying groove for hardcore animators has a robotic feel.  Animation & Robot can be electric, metallic, technologic, subtle to explosive, and flashy, which are all characteristics of the Lightning (and Metal) elements. 


The history of the robot is the most modern of all dance styles, for their would need to be the invention of the robot before a dance could be based off of it.  The first to be seen doing the robot was Charlie the Robot from the 60's dance group The Lockers.  The robot style is a representation of the modern technical age and we celebrate this technological revolution in this dance.  We look to the old industrial era of having slow, heavy, and rustic mechanical techniques, to the new, sleek, and advanced mechanics of future cybergs and super computers.  Pioneers of the Robot & Animation style are Robert Shields, Madd Chadd, Poppin John, Bop'N'Andre, Flattop, Mori 516, Pop N Todd, and Megaman. 

Animation is associated with the Lightning element because one of the most fundamental concepts within Animation is Vibration, which looks as if you have been struck by lightning or electricity. Animation and all its sub-styles are mostly considered to be electric in nature, and are responsible for creating the Electric-Boogie style of New York. Also, we bring in the Metal element of Robot because in order to wield lightning and electricity we must have a conductive element to harness it. Robot is associated with metal, not only because of its obvious nature, but metal can also be very rigid, mechanical, technological, and fueled by electricity.   To do the Robot style correctly one must develop great patience and slowness, just as it takes millions of years for metals to form within the Earth.  The Robot style teaches us to be patient with our actions, and also the master of our emotions. To become the robot one must step out of their ordinary personality and into the cold, emotionless, thoughtless nature of the Robot.  To be a master of our emotions and not be swayed by the environmental distractions, while having amazing high technique, slow to fast computer like intelligence, and proper form is the true marker of a master Robot. ​

2. LIGHTNING-ANIMATION: ROBOT MENTALITY & 
ROBOT MOVEMENT BLUEPRINT

In order to move like a Robot, we must understand how to think and act like a Robot. In the beginning of this tutorial I share with you concepts and ideas on how to best embody the essence of a Robot. From mind-state to meditation exercises to keep you in character. 
In the second portion of this tutorial I share with you the basic movement vocabulary of the Robot Style. These movements are considered to be the basic and most traditional of the Robot Form. This is a great way to teach you about the essence of the style and get you started on the path of Animation. ​

3. LIGHTNING-ANIMATION: ROBOTIC ISOLATION

In this tutorial I share with you one of the hallmark moves of the Robot style. It is commonly known as the Head-Neck isolation. This movement creates the effect that your head and torso are disconnected yet connected, creating a very illusional look. This movement is a classic move and is a great move to have in your arsenal. ​

4. LIGHTNING-ANIMATION: HYDRAULICS , TICKING & STROBING

In the first segment of this tutorial I share with you a concept called Hydraulics, which is inspired from the animatronix robots of theme parks such as Disneyland and Rainforest Cafe. This is an amazing effect to add on to all of your robotic movements and further captures the look and feel of being "unreal".
In the second segment of this tutorial I share with you one of th most fundamental moves within Animation, and that is Ticking & Strobing. It is the technical stop-and-go effect created by your movements. The idea is to look like you are under a strobe light. This movement is one of the greatest first movements to learn on the animation path, for it will help you not only look unreal but also be able to interpret the music in a variety of ways. ​

5. LIGHTNING-ANIMATION: CONCLUSION

Now that you have learned some of the basic elements of the Animation and Robot styles, we will now cover everything we have learned in a quick combination. I also end with some lasting advice and wisdom to keep you going on your Animation Dance journey. ​

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