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Michael Jackson's "Thriller" Will Be Recreated Through Flash Mob On Halloween
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 15, 2014
Modified Oct 15, 2014
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 15, 2014
Modified Oct 15, 2014
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On Halloween night, hundreds of zombies will recreate Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in Harlem... or at least, form a flash mob and perform the famous video's dance. Just like Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30.
Organizer Chet Whye told the Daily News, “It’s iconic. It’s Michael Jackson’s signature. We feel we had to do this tribute for him on Halloween.”
During an interview in the '90s, Jackson talked about the video's dance moves, saying, "It was a delicate thing to work on because I remember my original approach was, 'How do you make zombies and monsters dance without it being comical?' So I said, 'We have to do just the right kind of movement so it doesn't become something that you laugh at.' So I got in a room with [choreographer] Michael Peters, and he and I together kind of imagined how these zombies move by making faces in the mirror."
The "Thriller" tribute/dance party will go down on Lenox Avenue near 124th Street on Halloween night. Get there by 8 p.m. to witness it, but you're also invited to join in, so just play this video a few hundred times and practice the moves in your bedroom before then...
Fun fact: The epic 13-minute long video wasn't released on Halloween, or even in October—MTV premiered it on December 2, 1983.
Tagged
flash mob
harlem
michael jackson
thriller
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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