How local were the "R2D2 Circle" and the "C3PO Walk?"

February 2, 2008 8:44 AM

Were the "R2D2 Circle" and the "C3PO Walk" widespread children's exercises in the late Seventies, or were they just something my Phys Ed teacher made up?

Sometime around 1979, my Central Maryland elementary school PE teacher had us do a series of calisthenic-type exercises with a record of the disco version of the Star Wars theme playing in the background. As I remember, there was a voice on the record that would periodically say, "R2D2 Circle!" or "C3PO Walk!" and we would march around in a tight circle with our hands on our heads or do a tinmanesque goosestep with our arms straight out, respectively.

Was this something my PE teacher invented, or was it more widespread, possibly part of a PE curriculum for the state, or even a disco instruction record intended for adults? Was the voice actually on the record, and if so, how can I get a hold of it?

posted by breezeway to education (24 answers total)

I remember exercising to Star Wars music in P.E., but not those particular exercises. Apparently the elementary school of the K-12 school I later attended had an eight track of the Star Wars music that they were still using for elementary school kids in the 1990s.
posted by Frank Grimes at 8:55 AM on February 2, 2008

Oh my god. This question made me crack up. Is it just me or were we *way* more innocent than kids that age now?

My little data point is that I grew up on the east coast of Canada and no, we didn't do this (to my recollection) but do I ever wish we did.
posted by loiseau at 9:05 AM on February 2, 2008

mid 80's I remember a PE teacher playing a Disney exersice audio recording that had the voices of Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy. I can't remember what the exercises were... I have no recollection of a similar Star Wars product though.
posted by jrishel at 9:24 AM on February 2, 2008

oh, and this was in southern PA.
posted by jrishel at 9:24 AM on February 2, 2008

the disney stuff was Mousercise even on youtube. I have no memory of anything Star Wars exercise related.
posted by busboy789 at 9:38 AM on February 2, 2008

Similar time, western Canada, no Star Wars in gym class. We did, however, do the hustle.
posted by Rumple at 10:00 AM on February 2, 2008 [1 favorite]

I was in elementary school in Central MD at the about same time as you -- first grade in 1979-- but I don't remember anything like this. I'm voting for it being something your gym teacher dreamed up.

(It sounds more like something my music teacher would do than my PE teacher. Dunno how my hippy music teacher knew Styx, but she had us doing dance moves to Mr. Roboto.)
posted by desuetude at 10:21 AM on February 2, 2008

I went to elementary school in MD in the late 70's and we did not have R2D2 circle or C3PO walk. I think I would have much preferred that over the sadistic dodgeball-type activities we did in PE instead.
posted by brain cloud at 11:09 AM on February 2, 2008

I think it's just you, but I would have much preferred these exercises to the Virginia Reel that we had to do during the same era!
posted by rhizome at 12:40 PM on February 2, 2008

Hm, I was in elementary school in the early 1980s in southeastern Wisconsin. Can't say I've heard of this.
posted by desjardins at 1:15 PM on February 2, 2008

Elementary school, MA, late '70s, no Star Wars. Just sadistic dodgeball and some screaming naval orders like "Watch the boom!," which upon hearing you must drop facedown on the ground or get yelled at.
I'm shivering with the bad memories.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 1:36 PM on February 2, 2008

Hey, at least you didn't have to do the Special Dance Of Children In Admiration Of Papa Tito, like we did!
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 2:07 PM on February 2, 2008

I grew up in Fairfax, VA, not far from Maryland .. and was in grade school in the late 70s - early 80s. I've never heard of this in my life.
posted by j at 2:35 PM on February 2, 2008

Elementary school, MA, late '70s, no Star Wars. Just sadistic dodgeball and some screaming naval orders like "Watch the boom!," which upon hearing you must drop facedown on the ground or get yelled at.

We must have gone to the same elementary school. This was my experience. There were no recognizeable characters or products in my gym class.
posted by jessamyn at 2:41 PM on February 2, 2008

Never heard of it, Chicagoland USA, but I wish we did that. :(
posted by iguanapolitico at 4:07 PM on February 2, 2008

I grew up in southern PA around the same time, and we had nothing like this -- I think you just had a really cool gym teacher. We did have the abusive teachers and inane drills.
posted by anildash at 6:17 PM on February 2, 2008

Did not do that in Central Jersey. I'm assuming you didn't have square dancing in high school either? One of our gym teachers was a "caller" as a hobby and we were subjected to the pain every year. I also assume that was a local event.
posted by rholly at 7:27 PM on February 2, 2008

I would just like to point out that every (relevant) mention of the R2D2 Circle and the C3PO Walk registered on google leads back here. This, along with all the anecdotal stories, makes me think it was very localized.

I do want to thank you for posting the funniest and most endearing question posted to AskMe that I've seen in a long, long time.
posted by piratebowling at 8:20 PM on February 2, 2008

I'll venture a guess that your class boogied to Star Wars Disco by Meco. Perhaps your PE teacher shouted out the instructions or custom-recorded the commands over the track (assuming your instructor was equipped with the advanced home analog technology needed to pull off such a feat).

My brother and I logged many, many hours reenacting scenes from Star Wars to this song--often pretending we were in a live action tribute show at Disneyland--so I guess one can say I'm a subject matter expert in this sort of thing.
posted by prinado at 11:55 PM on February 2, 2008 [1 favorite]

One of our gym teachers was a "caller" as a hobby and we were subjected to the pain every year. I also assume that was a local event.

I had square dance in elementary school too, in NJ. I assume it was part of the curriculum, crazy as that sounds.
posted by smackfu at 11:12 AM on February 3, 2008

I had square dance in elementary school too, in NJ. I assume it was part of the curriculum, crazy as that sounds.

Getting OT, I suppose, but I'll add that square dancing was a huge part of our music-class curriculum in MD.
posted by desuetude at 1:24 PM on February 3, 2008

Elementary school in mid 60's here. We had to do toe touches and jumping jacks to the humilating refrain of "Go You Chicken Fat Go". See "Great Moments in Public Policy".
posted by marsha56 at 1:51 AM on February 6, 2008

smackfu: One of our gym teachers was a "caller" as a hobby and we were subjected to the pain every year. I also assume that was a local event.

I had square dance in elementary school too, in NJ. I assume it was part of the curriculum, crazy as that sounds.

I did too in eastern Canada, but I've always figured it was because my school had no gym and they had no idea what to do with 100 annoying fifth-graders in winter.
posted by loiseau at 5:56 AM on February 6, 2008

PS. Talk about humiliating to be square-dancing with the opposite sex whilst precariously perched on the cusp of puberty. I bet the teachers thought our suffering was hilarious.
posted by loiseau at 5:58 AM on February 6, 2008