Stevenson tries to crack record in robot dance

It's already recognized for academic and athletic prowess, but Stevenson High School could soon be honored with a world record in, of all things, robot dancing.

That's right: robot dancing, the once-popular but now-oft-satirized dance style in which the dancer tries to imitate the stiff poses of robots or mannequins.

To kick off homecoming week at the Lincolnshire school this past Sunday, 525 people gathered on the Stevenson High football field and danced like robots.

They did so for five minutes - a requirement of Guinness World Record officials - and have the photographs and registration forms to back up their claim.

If verified, the total would top the current record of 429 robot dancers, which was set in May by students in London.

"On behalf of Styx, the Alan Parsons Project and any other rock bands that have incorporated robots into their song or album titles, here's hoping that this is a record that will never be broken ... or scratched," Stevenson spokesman Jim Conrey said in an e-mail.

The event was open to students, staffers and local residents. Organizers had wanted to set some sort of record and settled on the robot dance, said Brett Erdmann, the school's community service coordinator.

"They were looking for something that was doable," Erdmann said. "And they were looking for something that was fun."

Sunday's participants weren't just flailing about on the field. They were organized into 21 rows, and those rows were supervised by adults, Erdmann said.

The dancers also got some robot training from Mélange, a Stevenson dance troupe. Members showed the dancers basic robot moves, Erdmann said.

"(Guinness) wanted it somewhat coordinated," he said.

Erdmann didn't dance but oversaw the effort.

"It was really neat," he said.

Erdmann plans to submit an application to Guinness within a few weeks. If the school is awarded the record, it comes with no cash or prizes - only the honor of the accomplishment.

Even if the effort doesn't set the record, the participants can take pride in another accomplishment. As part of the Spirit Fest event, they helped raise approximately $20,000 for the Saving Tiny Hearts Society, a group that raises money for the research of congenital heart defects.