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Biography
FARMKID FROM WISCONSIN John was born July 14, 1967. He grew up on a dairy farm in Door County, Wisconsin. His parents, Joseph and Anguless Robinson, had four children of their own: Dennis, Pat, Jim, and Karen; then adopted four more: Laurie, John, Scott, and Tina. John's mom and oldest brother Dennis both passed away in 1997; the rest of his family are scattered around the USA, although many still live in the Midwest. As a youngster, John enjoyed playing outside with his friends and siblings, but he also spent a lot of time reading and writing. He was an exceptional student, getting high marks and impressing his teachers so much that they advanced him in both his mathematics and English courses. At age 19, John began working in the Business Center of a local technical college, tutoring other students in computer classes. Soon after, he moved to Green Bay, where he spent the next ten years working for Enzymatic Therapy, a vitamin supplement company. He gained experience in data entry, customer service, product line management, advertising, and marketing.
HOOKED ON COUNTRY DANCING John discovered country dancing in 1993 while visiting Nashville for a work-related trade show. He and his coworkers visited a popular nightclub called The Wrangler, where he saw line and partner dancing for the first time. Back home, a friend invited him to attend free lessons at the Grizzly Rose Saloon. John was hooked immediately, and started taking lessons and dancing socially three to four nights per week. Less than a year later, the local instructors asked John if he’d like to try teaching. He agreed without a moment’s hesitation. By 1995, John was instructing freestyle couples, pattern partner, and line dances three nights a week to hundreds of eager students. He and his dance partner developed a 12-week two-step program, which attracted more than 200 students the first night alone. John introduced west coast swing and cha cha to the area, as well as line dances from (then) budding choreographers such as Scott Blevins. In April 2004, John returned to northeast Wisconsin for a reunion with more than 200 country dancers of the area. John was amazed to see most of them remembered dances he had taught them from 1995-1997.
AWARD-WINNING COMPETITOR John's competitive career began in 1994, when he attended his first UCWDC (United Country Western Dance Council) event. Even with no formal dance training, he consistently won first or second place in nearly every competition he entered. Later, John learned that the Country Dance Association used videotapes of his performances to train their judges - who were surprised to see the amount of body language he incorporated in his dancing! John gradually improved his style and execution, and his efforts paid off. To date, he has earned more than 40 first place titles, including that of UCWDC World’s VI Line Dance Male Showcase Champion, which he won in Nashville in January 1998. John was one of the first male line dancers to reach the highest level attainable on the UCWDC circuit: Superstar. His first solo medley as a Superstar received a standing ovation and won first place when he debuted it at the Chicagoland Festival in August 1998. In 1999, John placed 2nd overall (to his good friend Pedro Machado) in the first ever Superstars competition at the UCWDC World Championships.
POPULAR CHOREOGRAPHER John's original choreography is taught and danced around the world. He creates dances for all levels, from beginner to advanced (although he classifies most of his material as high intermediate), and he uses both country and non-country music. Several of John's dances have been nominated for (and won) awards. In 1997, his dances "Good Night Groove" and "Ready 4U" took first and second place in a field of 100 entries at the Dance Team Showdown in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. His "Switchblade USA" and "Hot Potato" were nominated as Dance of the Year in the 2000 and 2001 Linedancer Magazine Music & Dance Awards. And in 2004, the worldwide hit "Slow Burn" (co-choreographed with Kathy Hunyadi) was nominated for a Linedancer Award and won top honors in the professional choreography challenge at the jg2 Line Dance Marathon. The UCWDC used John's "Red Zone" and "Jive Walkin'" in its classic line dance competitions. John has worked with several recording artists, including the Ryes, Dallas Wayne, Nashville Attitude, Rick Tippe, Barry Amato, and Pete Martinez. He has also collaborated successfully with many other top choreographers, including Jo Thompson, Barry & Dari Anne Amato, Guyton Mundy, "Hot Pepper" Siquieros, Michael Barr, Doug & Jackie Miranda, Craig Bennett, and Junior Willis.
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To book an event, workshop, or private lesson, or if you need assistance with a dance script or your merchandise order, contact: John H. Robinson
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