Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” in the Grove — for a cause

Rob Collins takes on the leading role as Michael Jackson for the second year at the Miami performance of Thrill the World in CocoWalk.Photo by Taylor Edwin

As the clock struck 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, the rocking began with 25 men, women, and children performing Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller” dance. The Miami dancers came together as part of the Thrill the World project, a global venture committed to setting a world record for the largest number of people simultaneously performing a dance.

At midnight on Halloween, Sunday, Oct. 31, another local Thrill the World performance will go on at Miami’s oldest bar Tobacco Road, 626 S. Miami Ave.

For the first performance, dancers assembled at CocoWalk dressed in homemade zombie-themed costumes.

Kentucky native Mehrnoush Zagari, 26, found her way to the Miami performance after a tip from hometown friends. She then went online, found the Miami group and signed up.

“That’s what I love, he’s bringing people together from all around the world,” Zagari said. “Only MJ could do that.”

In the Zoomba dance classes she teaches, Zagari said she plays Jackson’s music constantly.

Canadian dancer Ines Markeljevic  started the Thrill the World project in 2006. This is the second year that the city of Miami has participated. Last year the event was held on the University of Miami campus.

Donations from the event will be given to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, said Claudia Osorio, manager of the local event. Last year, the Miami group collected more than $2,000 for the Smile Train charity.

This year, Osorio, 35, began organizing group members and dance practices in early September. Her day job is assistant registrar at the University of Miami Law School.

Participants for the Miami edition were recruited online via Facebook and Craig’s List, as well as from the Zombie Walk that took place on Lincoln Road earlier this month. A majority of the performers are returning after participating in last year’s dance.

For the past two years, University of Miami law student Rob Collins, 27, has led the performance, dressed in red — in the role originally danced by Michael Jackson.

Newcomers to the group and lifelong friends, Kiana Sein and Sophia Guilarte,  both 9, said they decided to get involved with Thrill the World after hearing about it from Sophia’s stepmother, Carmen Guilarte.

Both of the girls are Michael Jackson fans and plan on participating in the dance again next year.

Amy Weisman de Mamani, 44, and Melanie Bonadies, 37, both work at the University of Miami and came back to perform the dance for a second time.

They brought their own props, make-up and costumes, mostly purchased from consignment stores. Bonadies said she got her dress from her 88-year-old mother.

Last year, following Jackson’s sudden death, the number of individuals and countries participating in Thrill the World nearly doubled for an all-time high. Jackson probably would have been delighted as more performances leads to more money going to charities worldwide, Bonadies said.

“Every little bit helps,” she added.

Sponsored by 24-Hour Fitness and CocoWalk, and enhanced by the sounds of DJ Trav Machine, the Oct. 23 event attracted a large crowd.

In an interview Dec. 11, 1999, for MTV’s 100 Greatest Videos Ever Made, Jackson said he wanted to make the now iconic 1983 “Thriller” video about zombies and monsters “without it being comical … So I said, ‘We have to do just the right kind of movement so it doesn’t become something that you laugh at.’ But it just has to take it to another level… “

Thus became the makings of a dance that still unites people.

Jackson’s record-sales original Thriller video runs 14 minutes and may be viewed free on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA

For more information about joining or viewing Thriller reenactments, visit www.thrilltheworld.com.