Have you ever heard of a “flash mob?” Don’t worry, we hadn’t either until Emory sophomore, Julio Medina filled us in.
On September 10, 2009, Oprah’s Season 24 Kickoff Party introduced this history-making dance during a Black Eyed Peas performance. According to Oprah’s website, a flash mob is “a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place and perform an unusual action to surprise onlookers.” In a flash mob, an individual begins dancing and more people join in until the entire crowd is dancing in unison. Twenty dancers taught 800 fans the routine and surprised Oprah with their performance.
Medina, a double major in Dance and Movement Studies and Cultural Anthropology, is an active participant in several of Emory’s dance companies. Last year his roommate, Jarvis Dean, encouraged him to organize a flash mob in order to bring together the many talented dancers on campus. After careful consideration and planning, Medina decided to email all of the dancers he knew over winter break and organized practices during the beginning weeks of January.
Finally, on Thursday, January 27th during dinner at the DUC, the flash mob, which had been a complete secret, took place. Over 60 Emory students participated in the five-minute long routine, which included a remix of hip-hop and house music. The co-ed group of dancers wore different Emory clothing, some representing the various student organizations they belong to. The crowd was shocked by the routine and no one could stop talking about it the next day.
When asked why he decided to create a flash mob, Medina said, “I wanted to unite the dancers so that they could have the same large community that I do. A lot of them didn’t know each other before.” Finding dancers with various backgrounds was especially important to Medina’s project because he wanted to “integrate different styles” in his choreography. Medina would like to thank Jordan Ayers, a representative of the Emory student group Synergy, who approached him with the idea of creating a flash mob. Synergy, according to their Facebook website, seeks “to create a more friendly community based upon the ideals of love, respect, and generosity, therefore enabling all to work together more effectively and with integrity.” Synergy provided such resources as reserving practice space and providing technical support for Medina’s flash mob.
Medina certainly proved himself to be an exceptional student leader and choreographer through his efforts and we can’t wait to see what other surprises he may have in store!
Follow the links below for footage of various Flash Mobs!
Modern Family Flash Mob
Oprah Flash Mob