On Saturday, Oct. 27, at 3 p.m. sharp, hundreds of Santa Barbara zombies will be performing “Thriller” at the Courthouse Sunken Gardens, as part of Thrill the World, a global dance event that takes place each year on the Saturday before Halloween.
Just before the big performance, there will be a free Thriller Dance Party, 2-3 p.m. at the Sunken Gardens.
At 3:30 p.m., the community is invited to join the zombies for a Halloween Rock n’ Roll Romp down State Street.
On Sunday, Oct. 28, the zombies will head to the Santa Ynez Valley for flashmobs at select wineries, at the gates of Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch at 4 p.m., and ending at Cold Spring Tavern for a performance to live music.
On Halloween, catch the zombies at Ghost Village Road in Montecito.
The event is hosted by local nonprofit World Dance for Humanity. Proceeds from the Thriller event go to the World Dance Rwanda Education Fund, which will make it possible for 170 Rwandan students to attend high school and college in 2019.
Without the help, these young people would have no chance to get an education.
A portion of the proceeds also provides scholarships at the Westside Boys & Girls Club, so students in the Santa Barbara community can take part in the club’s after-school program where World Dancers volunteer year-round.
For more information, visit http://worlddanceforhumanity.org/thriller-2018/ or contact Janet Reineck, WD4H director at janet@wd4h.org or 805-966-5439.
World Dance for Humanity offers five classes a week for women looking for fun, exercise, community, and a chance to help people in need.
All class proceeds and donations go their aid work in Rwanda, where they are helping 9,500 people in 25 communities left divided and destitute by the 1994 Genocide.
World Dance provides goats and cows, education stipends, training in agriculture, business and leadership, and support for community-run businesses. With this support, the communities now have resources, skills and confidence to rebuild their lives.
World Dance for Humanity receives an annual grant that covers its overhead, meaning every penny from its classes, donations, and grants goes to Rwanda.
The group is also active locally, where they reach out to wheelchair-bound seniors and disabled adults through dance and music, and volunteer year-round at the Westside Boys and Girls Club.
— Janet Reineck for World Dance for Humanity.