'Thriller' Flash Mob Hits Buzzards Bay
Those in the vicinity of Bourne’s Main Street last Saturday, October 22, might have noticed a pack of zombies dancing their way through Buzzards Bay Park to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” But have no fear, for these are not just any zombies: they were part of a flash mob that had been organized to celebrate both Halloween and a very special birthday.
Lauren DeGregorio, a former teacher and Cub Scout leader living in Monument Beach, was the primary organizer of the flash mob. She came up with the idea last year after seeing a video of another flash mob performing in a different city and felt compelled to organize an event to help local children express themselves in a fun and festive way.
“I put it on the Bourne residents [Facebook] page and was like ‘Hey, is anybody interested in doing this? If so, I’ll try to spearhead it next year,’ not thinking much of it,” Ms. DeGregorio said. “Then the time came around and I was like, ‘I’m going to make this happen and it’s going to be amazing.’”
And make it happen she did. Ms. DeGregorio reached out to another local woman, dance instructor and owner of Studio 721 Julia Sykes, for help with choreography. Ms. DeGregorio said Ms. Sykes typically teaches “Thriller” choreography to her students this time of year and was incredibly helpful by recording the steps in a video that was shared online, allowing anyone to learn the dance ahead of time and join the flash mob on the day of the event.
“TikTok is the big trend,” Ms. DeGregorio said, “so I figured they could learn the dance online and then on the day they could just show up and anyone could join in—any age, whether you had kids or not, came with a group or by yourself. And they did; I couldn’t believe it.”
As darkness fell across the land, hordes of both spectators and dancers turned out for the event. Students from Studio 721 and from nearby Center Stage Dance Academy were there, all decked out in spooky costumes.
Also in attendance was Madelene Jackson, a Bourne resident who will be celebrating her 109th birthday on October 31. Ms. DeGregorio invited Ms. Jackson, whom she knows from another Halloween event she did in 2017 as a local Cub Scout leader. Ms. Jackson and her daughter, Gail Mahanna, had celebrated her 104th birthday with Cub Scout Pack 44 at its Fall Festival costume party.
“Now five years later, I’m throwing another Halloween party and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity,” Ms. DeGregorio said.
After the flash mob finished its performance, children in costumes flocked to Main Street to do some trick-or-treating at the local businesses and shops.
As a former preschool teacher, Ms. DeGregorio said that she almost can’t help herself when it comes to organizing fun activities for children: bringing joy to them is a passion of hers. The flash mob is something she plans to make an annual tradition, along with a slew of additional events she hopes to plan within the community.
“We’re going to do it next year; we’re already ready,” she said. “I still want to give back to the kids. I left the classroom but I can’t not do things for the kids.”