punchrobert.com

This is all taken from his official website. There's a lot more stuff there, including a radio interview, and a voicemail from his friend Kato Bonner, the infamous Kiki from the Yes Dance, so check it out.

About Me / FAQ

Hey everyone. So here is just a history of how I got started and stuff like that, and other questions I frequently get asked:

I was born in Gainesville, Florida. As soon as I saw Michael Jackson dance I knew what I had to do. I didn't know I wanted to be a "dancer", I just knew I had to obtain what it was that he had that made his body turn into something magical when he moved to the music. So, of course I started imitating Michael's moves and in kindergarten my mom asked me if I wanted to try an after school dance class. I said sure. As corny as it is, I think it is kinda cool that apparently after the first class the teacher said that I was different from the other kids and that I wasn't just doing her steps, I was "dancing from somewhere inside". Around age 7 we moved to Madison, Alabama and I started taking more formal dance classes. I was never too stoked on the technical side of ballet and jazz, but everyone told me I had to do them to be a good dancer. I sucked it up and trained hard. Tap was always fun. For a while I thought I was definitely gonna be a tap dancer. My interest in movement also lead me to train in Tae Kwon Do for a number of years. After receiving my black belt I took some time off to focus on dance, but never returned to it. Around 4th grade me and my buddies picked up the home video camera and started making short movies. They were usually "Friday the Thirteenth"-esque horrors with as much gratuitous blood as possible. And boy were they bad. This is back when we were using VCR to VCR to edit. We never stopped making videos and as time went on we got better and more sophisticated until now and you can see where they've evolved to on my videos page. Back to middle school. I was a big baseball and basketball player but there came a point where I had to choose between dance rehearsals and sports- and dance won. No, I was never picked on for taking ballet aside from a few harmless jabs. I was a fairly cool kid in school so I never really got the bad end of that stuff. At 15 I packed up and moved to Birmingham, Alabama to fasten down on my training. It was there that I met my mentor and one of the most amazing dancers ever, Kim Wolfe. During the day I would study classical ballet with the Alabama Ballet who provided a tutor so that I could get my high school diploma. In the evenings I would train with Kim at jazz. Then at night I would go downtown to work on my b-boyin with the B.M.W. (Birmingham's most wanted) hip-hop crew. This was the regimen every day and every night. In 2001 I accomplished something I had always wanted but never dreamed would come true when I won Mr. Dance of America. Cheesy, but true. A year after that I was ready to move to LA.

If there is one thing I would attribute to my success above anything else - it would be my mother. She supported and loved me the the fullest extent no matter what and I believe that is the greatest gift you can give a child - with it the possibilities are endless.

LA: I was very fortunate to start working as soon as I got to LA. I would like to think I had over-prepared myself but I'm sure luck was a factor as well. For a number of years I continued to work steadily and had a great time. Then one night the producers of You Got Served spotted me in a club and asked me to come in and audition for them. I got the role and the choreography job the next day. After You Got Served I met my kick ass manager who opened up all the doors for me to get to where I am today.

My inspirations:

Dancing: Wade Robson is my biggest inspiration. Michael Jackson is what made me want to dance, but the day I saw Wade dance was the day I saw everything I was craving from dance all packaged into one. I like action packed dancing. I like dancing that almost looks like a fight. His work epitomizes "cool" and "wild", yet controlled. Second up would be David Bernal also known as Elsewhere. I have drawn hugely from his style lately. The B-boys who I grew up watching and drawing from the most were Kamel, Ivan, and Easy Roc- and more recently- Do-knock and Cloud. Update: If you haven't seen any footage bboying since You Got Served, do yourself a favor and buy Freestyle Session 2005, or any other recent bboyin event. Your mind will be blown. The bboys of today are probably the best dancers of all time. I've also drwan largely from Flattop and Salah.

Comedy: My Dad is first and foremost. He is one sick man. His ability to create an awkward situation out of nothing is impeccable. Only humorous to the outside viewer. Close second is Johnny Brennan of the Jerky Boys. His characters are legendary. So intricate, fantastic, and fascinating. What happened to him? Then of course is Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali-G). I would say the same of him that I say about Johnny Brennan. Also Dane Cook - the best stand up comedian of all time. Update: Two words: Michael McDonald (MAD TV).

FAQ:
Boxers or briefs: Boxer briefs
Fave color: Blue
Age: You can find it if you really look for it, but who cares
Status: Straight and Single
Siblings: 1 brother, 2 sisters all younger and the coolest people you'll ever meet
If I wasn't a dancer or actor: I would be the guy who gets paid to mess with people while they file into their seats at a show, like at "Cirque" shows
Where do I get a ninja costume?: There are many many places online to purchase one. Just google "ninja costume"

Autographs: If you would like to send a picture along with a self addressed postage paid envelope to my management (info on the Where's Rob page) and please have my management's address already filled in as the return address. If you don't have a picture, I can send you an old 8x10 headshot so make sure the envelope is big enough
You Got Served 2: I highly doubt this movie will be made and if it does, thus far there has been no talk of me being in it...
Urban Ninja locations: Urban Ninja was filmed in Vancouver and Cocoa Beach. Urban Ninja II was filmed in Ireland.
Do I read my messages?: Yes I read my messages. Myspace and email, I read every single one.
Teaching: I rarely teach anymore. I used to do master classes at the Millenium but have not in a while. I will on occasion go to a studio to teach, if you and your studio owner are interested please contact my management.
Music on this page: "La Ritounelle" by Sébastien Tellier
Music In Videos: Listed in the "Vids" section

Bio

Robert Hoffman has quickly become one of the break-out stars from MTV's new hit series "Wild 'N Out," an improv show produced by Nick Cannon. Currently in its second season, the show has drawn many guest stars (including Tyra Banks, Method Man, Lil' John, Kevin Hart, and Omarion) and has proven to be an impressive talent showcase for Hoffman as his effortless comedic timing and creative flair consistently keep him on top in the shows' improv competitions.

This March, Hoffman will hit the big screen opposite Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum in DreamWorks' romantic comedy SHE'S THE MAN. The film, inspired by William Shakespeare's play "Twelfth Night," has Viola (Bynes) posing as her male twin brother to play on the opposing school's soccer team after her boyfriend (Hoffman) tells her that she can't play on his team - because she's a girl. The scheming Viola engages in to prove him wrong leads to a comedy of mistaken identities in sports - and love.

Last year, Hoffman appeared on Fox 's comedy series with Andy Richter, "Quintuplets." But, in addition to his acting skills, Hoffman has been much sought-after for his skills as a dancer and choreographer. He shared in an American Choreographer Award for the film "You Got Served," in which he also co-starred. In addition, he has been seen dancing in such films as "Guess Who?," "Coach Carter," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Vanilla Sky." As a dancer, Hoffman has also worked with such stars as Christina Aguilera, Usher, Mya, Marilyn Manson, and Ricky Martin, for whom he also served as a dance double in a music video.

Growing up in Florida, Hoffman was first inspired to dance when he was mesmerized by Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video. He began his dance training while still in kindergarten and went on to attend a fine arts high school. He later joined Ballet South, headed by American Ballet Company legend Wes Chapman.

When not acting or dancing, Hoffman spends his time making short films. His wide range of self-depicted characters continues to shock and entertain his growing fanbase. The videos can be seen on his website at www.PUNCHROBERT.com.

Advice

Acting
I often get asked on how to get into the business and what not, here's what I have to say:

Acting: Sorry, but I have little to no advice for anyone on this. I was totally lucky in meeting a VERY good manager who essentially does all the work for me. True it is up to me to get the job through the audition, but I don't know anything about "breaking in".

Dancing
I often get asked on how to get into the business and what not, here's what I have to say:

Dancing: There is one way and only one way to make it as a dancer, train harder than anyone else. If there isn't any good training in your area, find it. I moved out when I was 15 to pursue dancing. It's all about how much it means to you. When you can get to a kick ass level at many different styles, any choreographer will want to hire you and the dance world will be a cinch. But it takes time to get your body that versatile and controlled. However, being trained technically is not necessarily the answer. If you can discipline yourself, then first seek out your biggest inspirations whether it be music videos, movies, instructional tapes, b-boy event tapes, old swing dance footage, some guy you saw dancing on the street... whatever it is, sieze it and juice it for all it's creative influence on you. Next, commit all your time to practicing, or working with that person, or perfecting the moves, or going to the clubs where the people get down. That is the way to evolve your own personal style and become the next hotshot freestyler who everyone wants to get a piece of. Of course, there's nothing wrong with being a sick freestyler who can also do technique and choreography. And when you train hard, you gotta train HARD. You don't stop when you get it. You do it better. You don't stop when you get the trick; you evolve the trick into a better trick. You dance until you throw up. Nothing less. That is how you build super endurance. There is no excuse. It is up to you. Do you wanna make money DANCING for the rest of your life? Well so do alot of other people. All you have to ask yourself is: Are you willing to practice harder and longer than them?

Here's the best part: nowadays, ANYONE, regardless of physical genetics, can be a successful dancer. There was a time when you had to be a long legged, attractive, slender, flexible person to make a career of dancing. Well those days are over. Unless you just HAVE to do Swan Lake with ABT, you don't have to be worried at all about your body type. If you can inspire the hell outta people by the way you move to music, or you can nail choreography faster and harder than anyone else, or you have a trick that nobody has ever seen, then it doesn't matter what you look like. I can name a few overweight dancers who are making a beautiful career for themselves because they simply kick ass. So, putting 2 and 2 together- dance is more less a guaranteed career. The only determining factor is your own personal passion and dedication.

And to the people who say, "Well what if you break a leg?", I say shut up, go to hell, and quit discouraging me and everyone else. HELLO, if you break a leg, there is alot more than dance that you won't be able to do. You don't determine your life's plan based on "potential" disabling accidents. And HELLO, there are wheelchair companies. But of course then there are people who say, "Well what if you become totally paralyzed?". Ok moron, what the hell good is a PHD gonna do for me if I am paralyzed? Don't let those people in your ear. I highly encourage any youngster reading this to stand up to your parents if this is a similar situation to the one that you face. It is your life, not theirs.

As far as breaking into LA: There are hundreds of articles in all the dance magazines and websites on how it works. They are all right. Whether you audition for an agent, get introduced to an agent, or just start landing jobs on your own, the only thing that really matters is that you come out here ready to make a huge impression. Dance agents are NOT hard to get if you are good. And here's the other thing, there are plenty of dancers out here who are so-so, with decent looks, but who can get the job done and are cool to hang out with, so they get enough work to get by financially. That is totally a possible and acceptable career choice, but it is a bit more inconsistent and takes a bit longer to break into the business that way. I personally have no interest in doing anything but kicking ass and working with the best of the best and having an exiting, fruitful career, so that is the only type of career I can give advice on.

[note from I Am Not Rob: I have to say, that I find Rob to be an intelligent and well-spoken individual. Either he has a great proofreader, or he's very smart. After following a few celebrities on Twitter, I find it disappointing when I find grammatical errors and misuse of punctuation marks, etc. in their tweets, especially from news journalists and even doctors who are supposed to be smart, right? Well, I think Rob is a great writer and if he writes an autobiography one day, it will be a fascinating read.]