Austin Flashmob

In an effort to promote Parks and Recreation month during July, the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, hosted a flash mob in Zilker Park at 11 a.m. on July 22nd.
A flash mob is a group of people who assemble unexpectedly in a public place and dance briefly in unison. In order to select a dance that is widely known and easy to dance to, the city selected Michael’s ‘Thriller,’ as the flash mob song and dance, that was performed Friday morning.

The event will be judged by the National Recreation and Park Association. The goal is to provide an event that not only educates people about flash mobs, but also emphasizes the importance of green space as well as community involvement. The NRPA will select one park and recreation agency from all participating cities throughout the country as the winner of the competition.

“They’ll be looking at the video [we will submit] on YouTube and judging that,” said Rachel Crist, Culture and Arts Education Coordinator with the Dougherty Arts Center, a facility managed by the Parks and Recreation Department. “They’re looking for creativity, looking for a decent quality video and they will be looking for general participation … how we were able to mobilize participation by citizens.”

Interested participants were able to brush up on their ‘Thriller,’ dance moves by watching an online video. A location map for the flash mob was also available online.
The event was free, and open to the public. For more information, please visit the city’s website.

Source: impactnews.com & MJWN