WMPH

Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video premiered in 1983, and more than 25 years later, mastery of Michael’s infamous dance is still a highly prized skill. There’s no easy way to get the hang of it, other than practice, practice, practice. The website ThrillTheWorld.com, home of the international annual event, offers a series of teaching videos which breaks the dance into 8 steps (Zombie March, March Booty Swim, Shuffle Ha Slide, Hip N’ Roar, Wuz Up, Oh Snap Rock On, Head N’ Shoulders, and Stomp) along with several demonstrations of the whole dance. The eHow article “How to Learn the Thriller Dance Step-by-Step” by Jennifer Hudock doesn’t feature any visual aids, but does offer verbal instructions for the dance that might be useful for comparison.Many people have shared their own shot at the dance online. Perhaps the best known is the 2007 viral video featuring the inmates of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC). Other popular videos include a wedding party doing the dance at a reception and a scene from the movie 13 Going On 30. Don’t view these videos as competitionjust think of them as inspiration.If you’re not familiar with “Thrill the World,” it’s an annual event that started after setting the Guinness World Record for Largest Thriller Dance in one location (62 members at a 2006 event, although this was later broken during a Thrill the World event). The event consists of simultaneous Thriller dances in cities around the world. The 2009 event also raised 100,000 for charities.