Comments on: How local were the "R2D2 Circle" and the "C3PO Walk?"

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

breezeway — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:44:52 -0800

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?

By: Frank Grimes

Frank Grimes — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:55:30 -0800

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.

By: loiseau

loiseau — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 09:05:22 -0800

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.

By: jrishel

jrishel — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 09:24:37 -0800

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.

By: jrishel

jrishel — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 09:24:55 -0800

oh, and this was in southern PA.

By: busboy789

busboy789 — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 09:38:20 -0800

the disney stuff was Mousercise even on youtube. I have no memory of anything Star Wars exercise related.

By: Rumple

Rumple — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 10:00:41 -0800

Similar time, western Canada, no Star Wars in gym class. We did, however, do the hustle.

By: desuetude

desuetude — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 10:21:36 -0800

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.)

By: brain cloud

brain cloud — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 11:09:54 -0800

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.

By: rhizome

rhizome — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:40:10 -0800

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!

By: desjardins

desjardins — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 13:15:21 -0800

Hm, I was in elementary school in the early 1980s in southeastern Wisconsin. Can't say I've heard of this.

By: kuujjuarapik

kuujjuarapik — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 13:36:08 -0800

By: Dee Xtrovert

Dee Xtrovert — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:07:13 -0800

Hey, at least you didn't have to do the Special Dance Of Children In Admiration Of Papa Tito, like we did!

By: j

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:35:04 -0800

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.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 14:41:20 -0800

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.

By: iguanapolitico

iguanapolitico — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 16:07:53 -0800

Never heard of it, Chicagoland USA, but I wish we did that. :(

By: anildash

anildash — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:17:48 -0800

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.

By: rholly

rholly — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:27:04 -0800

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.

By: piratebowling

piratebowling — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 20:20:29 -0800

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.

By: prinado

prinado — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:55:52 -0800

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.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:12:45 -0800

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.

By: desuetude

desuetude — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:24:22 -0800

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.

By: marsha56

marsha56 — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 01:51:50 -0800

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".

By: loiseau

loiseau — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:56:53 -0800

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.

By: loiseau

loiseau — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:58:07 -0800

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.