Thrill the World
Encyclopedia
Thrill the World is an annual international dance event and world record breaking
attempt, in which participants simultaneously emulate the zombie
dance seen in the music video
of Michael Jackson
's "Thriller
", and the title of the event is an allusion to another of Jackson's songs, Heal the World
. The dancers perform in unison at locations throughout the world, and can range from pre-teens to the elderly. The idea came to fruition after a group of 62 zombies set a Guinness World Records
for Largest Thriller Dance in one location, at a community hall in Canada
. This was followed up by another event—Thrill Toronto.
Following the two precursor dance events in 2006, Thrill the World was launched in 2007. 1,722 people in 80 cities from 17 different countries participated in the event. Donations were made during the Irvine
, California
dance to the American Red Cross
, who used the money to aid victims of the October 2007 California wildfires
. The year after, Thrill the World returned for its second event, in which 91 venues from 13 different countries participated. The event coincided with the 25th anniversary
of Jackson's Thriller
album.
, Honduras
, New Zealand
, the Philippines
and Sierra Leone
. The majority of people discovered Thrill the World through their official website and YouTube
, where Markeljevic posted instructional step by step videos on the Thriller dance. Markeljevic stated that she chose Thriller because it has a special hold on people. "Regardless of where people are in the world, they love Thriller, they want to do the dance."
's event ranged from teenagers to women in their late 50s. One female participant danced to "Thriller" with her 4 ½-month daughter strapped to her waist. Another participant, 57 year old Valerie Cardinal, wore a lime-green wig and scary makeup. "This is more fun than ballet", she proclaimed. "It's life affirming, even though it's about death." The Irvine event was organized by resident Tom Nguyen and dance instructor Jeremy Heckman. The pair arranged rehearsals and the main show in two weeks, upon hearing that a Canadian dance instructor was aiming for the "Largest Simultaneous Thriller Dance" world record. During the event, Nguyen and Heckman collected donations for the American Red Cross
, which would then be used to aid victims of the October 2007 California wildfires
. One of the wildfire victims, 26 year old Kim Deans, participated in Irvine's "Thrill the World" event. At the time, Deans had been evacuated from her home and not allowed back. She later spoke of the escapism in performing at the event. "It's a break – a physical and mental break. It was either this or Disneyland."
4,179 people in 91 venues from 13 different countries participated in the 2008 Thrill the World dance. Thrill the World 2008 featured Australia
participating for the first time. Their Brisbane
event was coordinated by Andrew Curnock, a Queensland University of Technology
tutor and gaming software sound engineer. The tutor sought to have Australia join the dance event after watching a viral video
of prison inmates dancing to "Thriller"
. "We basically came across that viral video that featured a bunch of (prison) inmates performing the Thriller dance", Curnock revealed. "One YouTube clip really just led to another and that's how we found out about Thrill the World and recognised the potential to get involved locally." Participants went through weeks of dance classes and costume preparation before the event, although Curnock added that those involved didn't have to be great dancers. "It's more about getting out there and getting involved." Curnock stated that he hoped Thrill the World wouldn't be a passing fad for Brisbane, but would be a permanent fixture on their social calendar.
The 2008 event, which coincided with the 25th anniversary
of Thriller
, also had Austin
, Texas
participate in their record break attempt. Texan artist Shawn Sides oversaw the rehearsals for the Austin dance. Some classes drew more than 200 people at a time. Sides became interested in the event after watching a commercial featuring lizard
s emulating the Thriller choreography. "I realized that Thriller is like the national choreography of the United States
", Sides explained. "I'm so excited that there's this choreography in the world that our entire nation recognizes." Indiana Adams, who also helped with the Austin dance, remembered being so obsessed with Thriller as a child that she started to tell people her mother had been one of the zombies in the video. "It was just the most amazing choreography a 4-year-old had ever seen", Adams added.
Thrill The World 2009 was performed on October 24/25. There were a total of 22,923 participants, in 264 cities from 33 countries, setting a new world record
The event raised considerable publicity across most forms of media, including TV, radio, online and print. The events raised over $100,000 USD for 80 charities.
.
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
attempt, in which participants simultaneously emulate the zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
dance seen in the music video
Thriller (music video)
Michael Jackson's Thriller is a 14-minute music video for the song of the same name released on December 2, 1983 and directed by John Landis, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jackson....
of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Thriller
Thriller (song)
"Thriller" is a song recorded by American recording artist Michael Jackson, composed by Rod Temperton, and produced by Quincy Jones. It is the seventh and final single from his sixth studio album Thriller. It was released on January 23, 1984 by Epic Records...
", and the title of the event is an allusion to another of Jackson's songs, Heal the World
Heal the World
"Heal the World" is a song from Michael Jackson's hit album, Dangerous, released in 1991. The music video features children living in countries suffering from unrest, especially Burundi. It is also one of only a handful of Michael Jackson's videos not to feature Jackson himself, the others being...
. The dancers perform in unison at locations throughout the world, and can range from pre-teens to the elderly. The idea came to fruition after a group of 62 zombies set a Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
for Largest Thriller Dance in one location, at a community hall in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. This was followed up by another event—Thrill Toronto.
Following the two precursor dance events in 2006, Thrill the World was launched in 2007. 1,722 people in 80 cities from 17 different countries participated in the event. Donations were made during the Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
dance to the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, who used the money to aid victims of the October 2007 California wildfires
October 2007 California wildfires
The October 2007 California wildfires were a series of wildfires that began burning across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 homes were destroyed and over 500,000 acres of land burned from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.–Mexico border...
. The year after, Thrill the World returned for its second event, in which 91 venues from 13 different countries participated. The event coincided with the 25th anniversary
Thriller 25
Thriller 25 is a 25th anniversary special edition reissue of the Michael Jackson album Thriller, the world's best selling album. The prospect of a "second chapter" to Thriller was first publicly discussed on Access Hollywood in late 2006. Jackson said he would discuss the idea with collaborator...
of Jackson's Thriller
Thriller (album)
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...
album.
Background
The idea to create an international event, in which participants simultaneously emulate the zombie dance in the music video of Michael Jackson's "Thriller", came about in 2006. At the time, a group of 62 zombies set a Guinness World Record for Largest Thriller Dance in one location, at a community hall in Canada. The event garnered worldwide attention. The world record, however, was subsequently broken, when 1722 people from 52 cities on five different continents emulated Jackson's zombie dance. The event—part-charity fundraiser, part-world record attempt—evolved into Thrill the World, one of the world's largest simultaneous dance events. Ines Markeljevic, a dance instructor, aimed to unite the world in dance and followed this event up with Thrill Toronto. The popularity of the event spread, and it visited CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. The majority of people discovered Thrill the World through their official website and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, where Markeljevic posted instructional step by step videos on the Thriller dance. Markeljevic stated that she chose Thriller because it has a special hold on people. "Regardless of where people are in the world, they love Thriller, they want to do the dance."
2006
On Sunday, October 29, 2006, Thrill Toronto’s 62 zombies officially set the first Guinness World Record for “Largest Thriller Dance!” (in one location)2007
Thrill the World's official website expected the 2007 event to include 60 separate dancing events in 15 different countries. On the day of the performance, October 27, 2007, it was revealed that 1,722 people in 80 cities from 17 different countries had actually participated. The dancers in Irvine, CaliforniaIrvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
's event ranged from teenagers to women in their late 50s. One female participant danced to "Thriller" with her 4 ½-month daughter strapped to her waist. Another participant, 57 year old Valerie Cardinal, wore a lime-green wig and scary makeup. "This is more fun than ballet", she proclaimed. "It's life affirming, even though it's about death." The Irvine event was organized by resident Tom Nguyen and dance instructor Jeremy Heckman. The pair arranged rehearsals and the main show in two weeks, upon hearing that a Canadian dance instructor was aiming for the "Largest Simultaneous Thriller Dance" world record. During the event, Nguyen and Heckman collected donations for the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, which would then be used to aid victims of the October 2007 California wildfires
October 2007 California wildfires
The October 2007 California wildfires were a series of wildfires that began burning across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 homes were destroyed and over 500,000 acres of land burned from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.–Mexico border...
. One of the wildfire victims, 26 year old Kim Deans, participated in Irvine's "Thrill the World" event. At the time, Deans had been evacuated from her home and not allowed back. She later spoke of the escapism in performing at the event. "It's a break – a physical and mental break. It was either this or Disneyland."
2008
4,179 people in 91 venues from 13 different countries participated in the 2008 Thrill the World dance. Thrill the World 2008 featured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
participating for the first time. Their Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
event was coordinated by Andrew Curnock, a Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
tutor and gaming software sound engineer. The tutor sought to have Australia join the dance event after watching a viral video
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
of prison inmates dancing to "Thriller"
Thriller (viral video)
Thriller is a viral video featuring the dancing inmates of a high-security penitentiary. In 2007, the inmates of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center , a maximum security prison in Cebu, Cebu, the Philippines, imitated the zombie dance featured in the music video of Michael Jackson's...
. "We basically came across that viral video that featured a bunch of (prison) inmates performing the Thriller dance", Curnock revealed. "One YouTube clip really just led to another and that's how we found out about Thrill the World and recognised the potential to get involved locally." Participants went through weeks of dance classes and costume preparation before the event, although Curnock added that those involved didn't have to be great dancers. "It's more about getting out there and getting involved." Curnock stated that he hoped Thrill the World wouldn't be a passing fad for Brisbane, but would be a permanent fixture on their social calendar.
The 2008 event, which coincided with the 25th anniversary
Thriller 25
Thriller 25 is a 25th anniversary special edition reissue of the Michael Jackson album Thriller, the world's best selling album. The prospect of a "second chapter" to Thriller was first publicly discussed on Access Hollywood in late 2006. Jackson said he would discuss the idea with collaborator...
of Thriller
Thriller (album)
Thriller is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on November 30, 1982, by Epic Records as the follow-up to Jackson's critically and commercially successful 1979 album Off the Wall...
, also had Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
participate in their record break attempt. Texan artist Shawn Sides oversaw the rehearsals for the Austin dance. Some classes drew more than 200 people at a time. Sides became interested in the event after watching a commercial featuring lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s emulating the Thriller choreography. "I realized that Thriller is like the national choreography of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
", Sides explained. "I'm so excited that there's this choreography in the world that our entire nation recognizes." Indiana Adams, who also helped with the Austin dance, remembered being so obsessed with Thriller as a child that she started to tell people her mother had been one of the zombies in the video. "It was just the most amazing choreography a 4-year-old had ever seen", Adams added.
2009
Thrill The World 2009 was performed on October 24/25. There were a total of 22,923 participants, in 264 cities from 33 countries, setting a new world record
The event raised considerable publicity across most forms of media, including TV, radio, online and print. The events raised over $100,000 USD for 80 charities.
2010
Thrill The World 2010 took place on Saturday October 23, with two events taking place, 12 hours apart, to avoid the problem of some countries having unsociable hours. There were a total of 13,042 zombies participating in 221 events around the world.2011
Thrill Day was October 29, 2011 at 2PM & 2AM GMT/ UCT. There were 227 events, which raised money for the victims of the 2011 Van earthquake2011 Van earthquake
The Van earthquake was a destructive magnitude 7.1 Mw earthquake that struck eastern Turkey near the city of Van on Sunday, 23 October 2011 at 13.41 local time. It occurred at a shallow depth of 20 km , causing heavy shaking across much of eastern Turkey and lighter tremors across neighboring parts...
.