Amanda Ayres never thought that, at age 29, she’d still be passionate about dancing to Michael Jackson’s tunes.
Yes, she grew up in a dance studio. Yes, she and her mother oohed and aahed over the moves in
Amanda Ayres thrills to "Thriller" (Photo courtesy Hot 92.3 Radio)
“Smooth Criminal.” By the time she went off to college, however, she thought she’d better get serious about her future. Dancing seemed a closed chapter in her life.
Then came “Thrill the World,” an event aimed to incite the greatest number of people possible to dance the “Thriller” dance, all around the world, all at the same moment. This weekend, Ayres will be one of several dancers performing the song and leading lessons during the Autry’s celebration on Sunday of what would have been Michael Jackson’s 52nd birthday.
“I’m doing it more than I ever thought I would at this age,” Ayres said. “I wasn’t that much of an MJ fan, really. I appreciated the songs; I had his albums. But I never honestly thought I would be where I am today with Michael.”
“Thrill the World” began as a citywide event in Toronto, Canada, in 2006, when 62 dancers set a Guinness world record for the most people in one to perform the dance. But soon after that, Ayres says, organizer Ines Markelle began exploring the possibility of a simultaneous performance all around the world.
Amy Chang as a "Thriller" zombie (Photo courtesy Hot 92.3)
“Everybody always wants to learn the Thriller dance,” Ayres said. “It’s a lot of fun. That’s what it’s really all about.”
On Oct. 27 and 28, 2007, 1,722 people in 52 cities on five continents danced the song at the same moment, setting a world record for Largest Simultaneous “Thriller” Dance in Multiple Locations. The record was registered by the World Records Academy and the Record Holders Republic.
Also in 2007, a friend of Ayres brought the event to Los Angeles. The following year, Ayres volunteered to lead it here in the city.
“There’s a wide variety of reasons that people do this,” she said. “Many people have never danced before in their lives. It’s a great opportunity to commune and be part of one thing, and to grow.”
During her involvement with “Thrill the World,” Ayres also met John Tobin, one of the performers who appeared in the original Michael Jackson video. Even though she and other organizers had made minor changes to the choreography to accommodate
Ayres and a fellow zombie (Photo courtesy Hot 92.3)
amateur feet, she took that opportunity to ask Tobin to show her the “real Thriller” dance.
As she got more involved with the dancing and the music, Ayres learned other songs, like “Beat It” and “Smooth Criminal,” fragments of which she learned for a fundraiser at her church.
Joining Ayres this weekend are Sophia Borges, Mark Alvarado, Amy Chang, Brent Truehart, and Greg Lopez Grant. Borges also has participated in “Thrill the World” in 2009. Chang is an accountant by day, but she trained as a dancer and listened to Michael Jackson since her girlhood.
Besides the Autry’s new installation in the Imagination gallery, Radio Station Hot 92.3 will be there, spinning Jackson’s music. The dancers will perform and give lessons. There will be cake, and the Cafe will serve Michael Jackson’s favorite dishes. Jackson designers Michael Bush and Dennis Tompkins will sign autographs in the Store.
