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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – In the 1980s, a young Sharonda Jackson was frightened by the music video for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” On Halloween night, Jackson and nearly 200 others will perform the iconic dance routine in front of the Paramount Theater on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall as part of a flashmob.
It’s the second year for the flashmob, organized by local dance instructor Marlon Proverbs.
Jackson was part of the crew that showed up for last year’s production. She’s one of many of the dancers who met Proverbs through hip-hop classes he teaches in the area.
“Everybody gets along so great,” Jackson told Cville Right Now. “We help each other. We don’t judge one another. We work together. We work hard at this and we help one another out when it comes to doing this dance.”
The flashmob will perform the “Thriller” routine three or four times Halloween night, starting around 6 p.m. Because the production includes a sound system and a smoke machine, Proverbs said the group won’t be venturing off the mall, though it’s something he’s considering for future years.
Proverbs has this year’s group rehearsing on Sundays at Live Arts. He also has Friday zoom classes for the dancers. There are about 200 people on the email chain for the flashmob, and participants at the most recent rehearsal ranged in age from elementary school students to senior citizens. A group of about 60 dancers spent an hour Sunday rehearsing the routine, led by Proverbs, a 40-year-old Harlem native who moved to Charlottesville in 2022.
“Wear any costume you want,” Proverbs told the group Sunday. “Be the Statue of Liberty. Just wear zombie makeup.”
He recommended white face paint, black eye makeup and getting further tips from “Youtube University,” he said.
Proverbs spent the recent Sunday session guiding the dancers through the steps, answering questions and ensuring that the energy in the rehearsal room was through the roof. Between takes, he taught a young boy how to moonwalk. At the end of the rehearsal, he said he wanted the dancers most confident in the moves up front on Halloween night, along with the kids – so they could be seen.
“If you’re completely clueless, be in the back,” Proverbs joked.
In reality, many of the dancers who took part last year are rehearsing to do it again, giving the group a collective knowledge that has helped preparation be “ahead of schedule,” Proverbs said.
Like Sharonda Jackson, Eileen Krepkovich is back for her second year with the group.
“A flash mob was always something that sounded like it would be fun,” she told Cville Right Now. “It was kind of a bucket list thing for me. There’s just something about the energy that’s different.”
Sarah Memmi is also returning for a second time with the flashmob. This year, she’s hoping her 9-year-old son will join her. Memmi, a college professor, said she didn’t have any reservations about performing in public thanks to her day job.
“I’m used to kind of being on stage every day,” Memmi told Cville Right Now. “This is kind of relaxing. No one is asking me any questions back.”
Emily Little missed out on joining the flashmob last year and has spent the past 11 months recovering from missing out and looking forward to the experience.
“I’m really excited. I saw the videos of last year and had FOMO so badly,” Little told Cville Right Now. “They just looked like they were having so much fun.”
While the vibe in rehearsal is all about fun and energy, Proverbs said projects like the “Thriller” flashmob have a deeper value and meaning, as well.
“I learned my purpose through what I do,” he said. “I use dance to bring people together and bring that kind of joy and feel.”
