30th Anniversary of “Thriller” Goes Global
October 25, 2013

MJ and his ghouls have been thrilling fans for three decades!

In 1983, “Michael Jackson’s Thriller” made its debut. The John Landis–directed music video features plenty of zombie gore and special effects—including M.J. morphing into a werewolf—as well as the iconic dino-armed undead dance break, co-choreographed by Jackson and Michael Peters. The anniversary makes this year’s Thrill the World (TTW) dance event particularly exciting, as groups of dancers from six continents prepare to perform “Thriller” at the same time.

The Halloween-themed event was first organized in Toronto in 2006 and has grown steadily since then, each year a new world-record attempt. TTW’s 2013 registration page lists participants in Australia, Austria, China, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Rwanda, Scotland, Turkey, Venezuela, Wales and 33 U.S. states.

Thrill the World had a huge turnout in Austin, TX, in 2008.

“Zombie” groups register online to learn choreography and raise funds for a charity of their choice. The TTW website offers video links to learn the moves, plus written and recorded “dance scripts” that state the dance steps rhythmically, a gesture intended to assist nondancers and anyone who prefers to learn verbally. (“Down clap slide slide slide stomp and shoulders look left.”)

This year’s event will take place tomorrow, Saturday October 26, at 9 pm Greenwich Mean Time, 5 pm Eastern. Participants worldwide can tune in to TTW’s official online radio station to make sure they start perfectly in sync, down to the 5, 6, 7, 8. Visit thrilltheworld.com/world-wide-dance-locations to find a performance in your area.

Photos: fanpop.com; thrilltheworld.com

 

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