Flash mob takes over Birkdale
Josh Lanier 20.NOV.09
editor@huntersvilleherald.com
HUNTERSVILLE – Jim Thomas and his wife Joan had never heard of a flash mob before Saturday. That’s why they showed up to the Birkdale Flash, to see why it was so popular.
“This is all pretty crazy to me,” he said. “But it looks like it’ll be a lot of fun.”
Judging by the smiles, hugs and grin seemingly tattooed onto Terry Vaughan’s face, it was.
Hundreds attended the Nov. 14 flash mob at Birkdale Village and more clung to the sidelines to watch the largest choreographed dance in state history, and Vaughan’s brainchild.
“He came up with the idea during one of our meetings at Starbucks,” Stephèn Huneycutt said. “As soon as he brought it up we all thought it was brilliant. Leave it to Terry to come up with some like this … It was just perfect.”
Vaughan, a team builder and public speaker by trade, wanted to prove the power of community, he said.
He came up with the idea after watching an episode of Oprah and saw a 21,000 person flash mob in action.
“It made me smile,” he said. “And, I figured, if it made me smile it could make a whole lot of others do the same.”
A flash mob, according to Websters Dictionary, is “a group of people who organize on the Internet and then quickly assemble in a public place, do something bizarre, and disperse.” And although Birkdale’s mob doesn’t fit that description, participants said the spirit was there.
“How could you not enjoy your time in this beautiful weather and just dancing,” Laurie Cline of Greensboro said, still trying to catch her breath from the two-minute dance to the Black Eyed Peas song “I Gotta Feeling.” “This is a great day.”
Cline made the trip to Birkdale with several friends after e-mailing each other about the mob for days before.
Jay and Jess Weibel of Huntersville decided to make the trip after hearing about the event from a parent of one of Jess’ students.
“We’ve watched the video on Youtube and practiced the moves,” Jess Weibel said before the dance began. “We’ve got beat, I think we’re ready for this.”
Ian Burke of Lake Norman Dance Gallery choreographed the dance and posted the steps on Youtube weeks before the event.
Many others in attendance also were invited through Facebook.com, Twitter.com and other social-networking sites.
Huneycutt, who helped Vaughan promote the event said about 90 percent of the marketing was conducted on the social sites.
Birkdale Village used the choreographed dance as the kick off event for its tree-lighting ceremony.
Many of those who showed up for the dance said they planned to see the tree lighting and visit the shops before leaving.
But regardless of the online promotions, news coverage and discussions, some were unaware of the event.
One woman, surprised by the size of the crowd, pushed her way toward the middle to see what was happening.
“What’s going on here?” she asked a man standing nearby.
“Everyone is about to start dancing,” he said. “And I mean everyone. It’s going to be awesome.”
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