 Media Credit: Sam McAleese/The Daily Northwestern NU students broke the Guinness Book record for the largest number of people participating in Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' dance.
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By Emily GlazerThe Daily Northwestern
It's not Halloween, but 78 Northwestern students decked out in ragged clothing, zombie makeup and fake blood gathered at the Sports Pavilion and Aquatics Center basketball courts Wednesday afternoon with one goal: to break a world record.
Dance Marathon set the new world record for the largest number of people performing Michael Jackson's "Thriller" dance as part of DM's "30 Before 30" kick-off events.
The dancers, ranging from freshmen to seniors, learned the two-and-a-half minute routine Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. The previous record,62 people, was set in Canada in October.
"We knew we could slash the record," said Krysta Kauble, DM's media and public relations co-chairwoman.
The Communication junior, along with Kunal Kadakia, the other media and public relations co-chairman, decided to organize the dance to spread the word about DM.
"'Thriller' is a song that's played all the time - students got so into it and were excited," said Kadakia, a Communication senior.
While they prepared for the dance, dancers could be heard discussing their unusual appearances.
"Can I bleed from the eye?" one student asked. Another student wanted to cut up her shirt "like (in) 'Mean Girls.'"
The dance would not have been possible without a teacher. Mark Underhill, a Communication sophomore, led the rehearsals and taught students the dance.
Underhill, who is also a Project Wildcat counselor, said he learned the dance so he could entertain freshmen PWild participants upon their arrival at NU in the fall.
Kauble heard of his expertise through a friend and said Underhill was excited to help DM.
"He's a 'Thriller' expert and absolutely phenomenal," she said.
Underhill said it was fun to teach everyone and that many students "got into it."
He led two rehearsals, one Tuesday night for an hour and a half and another Wednesday afternoon before crews from WGN, FOX and NBC covered the event.
He said he was impressed with how quickly participants learned the dance.
