Over 1,000 robots have performed a synchronised dance routine in China, and consequently broken a world record. 1,040 identical robots, each under 44 centimetres in height, began their synchronised dance routine in Qingdao city. 1,007 finished the challenge, setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous robot dance which is nearly double the previous record of 540, again achieved in China.
The dancing machines broke the record at the Qingdao Beer Festival, controlled using just one mobile phone. To break the record, they had to dance for a full minute, however some robots were disqualified because they either did not dance or fell over. The majority of the robots completed the routine in unison as an uber-disciplined mechanical dance group. In order to break the record, the robots were fitted with special encryption technology in order to reduce radio frequency inference from other mobile phones and Bluetooth devices nearby, to aim for optimum success.
There have been many other world records achieved in dance over the years, featuring all different styles of dance.
The largest Kaikottikali dance was performed solely by women during the Malayalam festival of Onam, as one of the most popular South Indian dances from the Hindu communities of the state of Kerala. Led by choreographer Jitha Binoy, the successful attempt at the record formed part of the Thanima Arts Festival in Irinjalakuda (India) in January 2016. It saw 5,211 dancers perform in front of audience of over 55,000.
The most breakdance windmills in 30 seconds was achieved by LeeRoy Bailey, a break-dancing expert from the UK, performing 46 windmill moves. The record of 2009 was beaten a year later by Italian street dancer Mauro Peruzzi, who managed 50 revolutions during the Sony Ericsson UK B-Boy Championships World Finals, in London in October 2010. The Largest Tap Dance was first recorded in 1977 with 500 tappers at the London BBC Television Centre. The record now stands at 6,951 people, for a dance which took place in Stuttgart, Germany in May 1998.