The Redmond Zombies (www.RedmondZombies.com) and SecondStory Repertory Theatre (www.secondstoryrep.org) will host a “Thrill The World” Zombie Block Party at Redmond Town Center, beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.
The event, presented in association with Redmond Town Center and the City of Redmond Parks and Recreation Department, will call for zombies of all ages.
Horror-themed street entertainment will be provided by members of the SecondStory Repertory Theatre, in conjunction with Redmond Town Center food outlets and businesses. The party will culminate with a mass “Thriller” dance as part of the “Thrill The World” attempt to break the Guinness World Record for simultaneous dance. Groups worldwide will participate in this event on the weekend before Halloween.
• The “Thrill The World” phenomenon
“Thrill The World” (www.ThrillTheWorld.com/about) is an annual, worldwide, simultaneous dance of “Thriller” for world records and charity. It is a tribute to Michael Jackson started by Ines Markelle in 2006 in Toronto. In the first year, 62 people danced “Thriller,” earning a Guinness World Record for the “Largest Thriller Dance.” The event quickly grew, with 1,722 people taking part in 2007, and 4,179 people from 10 nations in 2008.
On Aug. 29, 2009 (what would have been Michael Jackson’s 51st birthday) more than 13,000 people danced “Thriller” in Monument Square, Mexico City.
On the same day, flash-mobs danced to Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It” in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. On July 3, 2009, in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, 3,894 people participated in the world’s largest zombie-walk.
• Free “Thriller” dance workshops
Free “Thriller” dance workshops are being held throughout the region for anyone who wishes to participate. In Redmond, the City of Redmond Parks and Recreation will conduct free “Thriller” dance workshops from 10 a.m.-noon every Saturday, beginning Sept. 19 at Redmond Senior Center and at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center.
International dance instructor Teresa Osborn of Redmond Zombies will be teaching the “Thriller” workshops in Redmond.
Members of the public who are over the age of eight are welcome to attend and can register at www.RedmondZombies.com or www.MeetUp.com/SeattleThrillers. Registration is required to be recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.
• Support for SecondStory Repertory
Donations from participants and attendees will go towards SecondStory Repertory’s (SSR) educational programming, which has been affected by recent cut-backs in public funding for the arts.
Now in its 11th season, SecondStory Repertory brings high-quality theatrical performance and education to Seattle’s Eastside. SSR’s Theatre Education Program offers a variety of classes and camps for students from kindergarten through high school.
Its educational goals are to promote an appreciation of the arts, build confidence, teach methods of self-expression, and develop listening and cooperation skills. Last year’s education programming reached 646 students and their families.
SecondStory Repertory is located on the second floor of Redmond Town Center, 16587 NE 74th St., with easy access to shopping and dining.
