Man's 'robot' dance moves are so smooth that people are convinced he's not real
Dancer Maikon Alves was inspired by Michael Jackson.

Maikon Alves has people shook over is robotic style dancing.
"The Robot" is a classic dance move that's been seen on dance floors since the early 1900s, according to Vox. The mechanical move was also mastered and brought to the mainstream by dance legend Michael Jackson.
And a dancer from Brazil has put his own modern (and humorous) twist on the dance technique. Maikon Alves has been turning heads on social media with moves so fluid and robotic that people around question if he's human.
Alves got a big break after a dance to to "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black Eyed Peas went viral back in 2024—to say his moves are impressive would be an understatement. Alves popped his chest to the beat while slowly stepping in place making it look like he was gliding from move to move. Some movements were crisp and sharp like a robot while others were so fluid it was nearly unbelievable that it could be coming from a human.
Viewers respond to Maikon's moves
Comments on the video ranged between being in awe of his abilities to questioning if he was truly part robot.
"Loved. I like how everything is in sync - from the music to the moves to face expressions. 👏👏👏 and your cool personal style," one person writes.
"Doesn’t even look real it’s that good..!! Love this," someone says.
"You will be the dance instructor for the children of our AI overlords someday," a commenter thinks.
"Nah, this is God-level pop-locking," someone compliments.
"You are a legend!" Nicole Scherzinger, actress, singer and former member of the pop group and dance ensemble, Pussycat Dolls, wrote.
@maykonreplay Minha apresentacao no AGT para vocês com as musicas originais… heheh. 🤖❤️ #agt #robot #talent
Alves' uncanny robot dance even made its way to Season 19 of America's Got Talent in 2024. His audition routine included pretending to play the violin and a fun moonwalk to robotic themed music.
During a June 2024 interview with Chupim Metropolitana, he shared about his experience on the show. "It was a dream come true because since I was a child I watched videos of the dancers I used as inspiration from there," he said. "It was magical."
Where is Maikon Alves now?
Since then, Alves has continued to display his unique robot dances on social media. Another robot dance he posted in July 2025 garnered over 60 million views on TikTok (@maykonreplay), where he has grown a strong following of fans in awe of his moves.
@maykonreplay Hahahahahahaha
"I know it's talent but it low-key scares me," one viewer commented. And another added, "this gives me uncanny valley vibes. like great job, but I'm uncomfortable 😅."
How did Maikon Alves start dancing?
Alves shared more about how he got into dancing during his interview with Chupim Metropolitana.
"Since I was a kid I watched Michael Jackson videos in the living room. My mom would put them on," he said. "I watched the Michael Jackson videos and I took them as a reference. As I grew up, I saw other dancers too, like Chris Brown and Usher. And then I mixed everything, adding humor too. And I just kept growing."
- YouTube www.youtube.com
Alves also explained that his style of robotic dancing has taken lots of "dedication", and it started by learning Michael Jackson's classic Moonwalk dance.
"I was very shy, so dancing with humor helped me a lot," he shared. "I watched his videos and practiced a lot. In the beginning it was very difficult. I did a lot of mime."
This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.



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