Zombies Dance for the Thrill of It All in Annual Tribute to Michael Jackson
http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/santa_barbara_zombies_michael_jackson_thriller_dance/
By Gabriela Slabiak, Noozhawk Intern | @NoozhawkNews
World Dance Santa Barbara stages third annual flashmob in benefit for health-care support in Liberia
Cause this is thriller
Thriller night.
For the third year in a row, Michael Jackson fans were thrilled to gather in a zombie masquerade flashmob at noon Saturday at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden.
“It’s this incredibly unique thing because it’s worldwide,” dance instructor Janet Reineck, the day’s organizer, said of the Thrill The World flashmob phenomenon that played out in cities large and small around the globe Saturday.
“Everybody is doing the same thing at the same time.”
World Dance Santa Barbara hosts the humanitarian fundraising event, which this year is supporting the nonprofit Tiyatien Health in Liberia.
The inspiration for the day was King of Pop Michael Jackson’s hit “Thriller.” World Dance Santa Barbara was just one of hundreds of Thriller groups in cities all over the world performing “Thriller” at the same time Saturday. Thrill The World is represented in 33 countries.
Jackson, who died in 2009, once owned Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos.
“People do all kinds of things,” Reineck said. “I’m just amazed how people want to do it.”
World Dance Santa Barbara’s goal was to raise $10,000 to support Tiyatien Health, which is working to improve health care in one of Liberia’s poorest areas.
“The whole thing is to raise money for charity,” Reineck said. “We’ve kept going and going. It was amazing.”
On Saturday night, Reineck told Noozhawk that “we’re just about at $10,000.”
World Dance Santa Barbara events will continue around Santa Barbara County through Wednesday, Halloween. Click here for a complete performance and flashmob schedule.
— Noozhawk intern Gabriella Slabiak can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
http://www.noozhawk.com/noozhawk/article/santa_barbara_zombies_michael_jackson_thriller_dance/