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Glee Flash Mob Hits Seattle This Saturday

Arts & Culture   April 7, 2010 at 4:53 pm Jonathan Cunningham

It’s been several months since the folks at One Degree Events have put on one of their notoriously well-organized flash mobs, but I just received an email that a Glee Flash Mob is happening on Saturday at three to-be-revealed locations.

If you’re not familiar with a flash mob, it’s essentially an impromptu dance party, usually in the middle of a crowd or on a busy street, that appears to happen out of nowhere but is actually planned and highly choreographed. The most recent local flash mob happened last August, when several hundred dancers celebrated the music of Michael Jackson by doing all of the syncopated dance moves in “Beat It” on the streets of Pioneer Square, Park Place Market, and at Kerry Park.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLVVFxAdta4&feature=player_embedded#[/youtube]

This time around, organizers Bobby Bonsey and Egan Orion are focusing on music from “Glee,” the popular FOX show about a high-school glee clubs, which starts its second season next Tuesday. On Saturday, you can expect to see dancers in the streets of Seattle to a mix of “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Proud Mary,” “Gold Digger,” and “Somebody to Love.” That’s a tough mixture, and people have been practicing for months to get ready. Bonsey recently recorded a set of instructional videos to help people practice at home.[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO1Frx5gJ84&feature=player_embedded#[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vHG3fO6aJc&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmPFVKHW6Ek&feature=related[/youtube]

There’s one final group practice session this Friday from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Century Ballroom  (915 East Pine St.) before everyone meets up Saturday in Cal Anderson Park at 10 am.


  • mathewrenndawgrenner

    Sounds like somethine done by those who have too much free time. What is glee anyways?

  • aw

    A pre-planned and rehearsed flash mob just sounds so wrong.

  • natelk

    Is it a flash mob if everybody knows all the details?

  • Sparky

    Geez, tough crowd here! It's called having fun. But, for those of you who are concerned about what a “real” flash mob is, check the definition on Wikipedia. It's not a random event – it's organized via social media.

  • rprins

    But once it hits the front page of the PI and is on the news, regardless of definition, part of the essence of what it is has been lost.

  • http://www.jasonosgood.com Jason Osgood

    This is what we'd normally call a “public performance”.

  • John

    Yeah, if it wasn't rehearsed, nobody would know the choreography. Do you see the flaw in your argument anywhere?

  • John

    Not everybody knows all the details. Its just the day of that is being announced, not locations. I certainly feel more comfortable knowing that people can be included instead of excluded from a fun event that brings people together of various backgrounds, don't you?

  • John

    Well, I guess its lucky for us that nobody reads P-I anymore then, isn't it?

    And the spirit of the event is in celebrating our uniqueness and yet our ability to come together for one quirky thing. I don't know who told you what a flash mob was, but its not something that you can define by what you think you saw on one video on youtube.

  • Cecilia

    Why are people being so bitter towards this? The most important thing is to be happy and have fun…

    I agree with John; if flash mobs weren't planned, can people actually just break out into a uniformed dance when there's music playing in the background? I think not…

    Personally I don't care whether it's planned or impromptu, whether people already know the details or not, whether it's called a flash mob or a public performance, whether people had too much free time or whether they actually try to fit in the rehearsals during their busy schedule (and you know, most people who are having too much free time would just sit around doing nothing, while a lot of busy people actually try to fit in activities in their calendar.)

    And so what if these are planned? Obviously all those people organizing the event did an awesome job, teaching all these people to dance. People who scorn at this really had no feelings — how would you feel if something you've worked on so hard for is not appreciated? They bring joy to all these people… at least 1000 dancers and watchers… how many people have you made happy today while you scorn at this?

    Everybody there had fun. The dancers had fun, and the people who were just watching definitely had fun too…so what's not to like?