Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Teacher Becomes Internet Hero After Leading Students In Epic 'Thriller' Dance Down School Hallway

Teacher Becomes Internet Hero After Leading Students In Epic 'Thriller' Dance Down School Hallway
OJ Spivey / Twitter

We wonder what it is about teachers whose students come back to see them years after they graduate—until a story like this one pops up.

Just in time for Halloween, K-8 dance teacher at Birney School of Southfield, Michigan, Jennifer Hawkins, led her students in a flash-mob-style dance to "Thriller" down their school's main hallway.


A video of the event was posted to YouTube then on Twitter and has rapidly gone viral, with more than 32-thousand retweets and more than 101-thousand likes on Twitter alone so far.

In the video, we can faintly hear Michael Jackson's "Thriller" playing, its beat matched seamlessly by the group of students, as well as Hawkins, leading the group.

You can watch the video here:

Birney Dance Team - Thrilleryoutu.be


People have been wildly impressed by the video, readily agreeing with the Twitter caption:

"The Undisputed Teacher of the Year."



Some who were unaware Hawkins is the school's dance instructor—so this flash mob relates to her curriculum—failed to understand how it could make her teacher of the year.

Whether or not Hawkins was the dance instructor, however, performing to this song is a huge undertaking.

At the time Michael Jackson's full-length "Thriller" video was released, no other music video of its kind had been witnessed, including length, story-style, costume design and most importantly, choreography.

Even now, the stylings and dance combinations are hard to beat, and still difficult to master—and surely this remains true in a middle-school dance class.


For some, this has been a great example of what makes teachers so invaluable and worthy of praise for their hard work.

For others, it was a dance down memory lane, as "Thriller" was an early introduction to Michael Jackson's music for many, and since "Thriller" is a popular showcase around Halloween.

No matter the appeal, Hawkins' successful rendition of "Thriller" is a quality example of implementing complicated and admirable choreography into a K-8 classroom.

Thriller 25th Anniversary Edition album is available here.

George Takei's Halloween Costume Contest 2019

More from Trending

Lamar Odom; Khloé Kardashian
Monica Schipper/Getty Images, Kevin Mazur/WireImage/GettyImages

Lamar Odom Admits He Bought Life-Sized Doll That Looks Like Ex Khloé Kardashian—And Yikes

Former NBA player Lamar Odom reportedly bought a life-sized doll made to resemble his ex-wife Khloé Kardashian because he "missed her" so much.

Odom, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers, made regular appearances on the reality TV show Keeping Up with the Kardashians after he married into the family in September 2009.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ridley Scott; Denzel Washington
Samir Hussein/WireImage/GettyImages, Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

Ridley Scott Disputes Denzel Washington's Claim Same-Sex Kiss In 'Gladiator II' Was Cut

Gladiator II director Ridley Scott denied Denzel Washington's claim of a same-sex kiss in a scene that was cut from the new sequel to 2000's Gladiator.

During a red carpet interview with Variety at the Los Angeles premiere of Gladiator II, Scott called B.S. on Washington's so-called "kiss of death" he mentioned in a previous interview with Gayety’s Caitlynn McDaniel.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Tanya Tsikanovsky and Donald Trump
Fox 11

Lesbian Criticized For Complaining She Lost LGBTQ+ Friends After Voting For Trump

Former Democrat and Los Angeles resident Tanya Tsikanovsky told Fox 11 that she's been ostracized by her friends over her decision to vote for Trump—and the internet doesn't have much sympathy for her.

Tsikanovsky revealed that she wasn’t always a Republican. She voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020, even working with Clinton’s campaign in Iowa. At the time, she admitted to having strong disdain for Trump supporters.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jim McGovern; Donald Trump
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images

Democratic Rep. Says What We're All Thinking About Trump's 'Beyond Insane' Cabinet Picks

Democratic Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern gave his blunt assessment of President-elect Donald Trump's bizarre Cabinet picks thus far, calling them "beyond insane."

With Trump recently having picked Matt Gaetz (who faces sex trafficking accusations) for attorney general, Tulsi Gabbard (who has ignited concerns due to her ties to Russia) for director of national intelligence, and Pete Hegseth (a Fox News host accused of sexual assault) for secretary of defense, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (an antivaxxer and conspiracy theorist) for secretary of health and human services, Senate Republicans are very much divided on confirming them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Cynthia Erivo; Dax Shepard
Jeff Spicer/WireImage; Raymond Hall/GC Images

Cynthia Erivo Shuts Down Dax Shepard After He Asks TMI Question About Her Long Nails

Wicked star Cynthia Erivo has made it clear she has little time for people's nonsense—that's one of the things fans love about her.

And the latest to test her patience was podcaster Dax Shepard, who asked Erivo a TMI question that left her bristling a bit even as she took it in stride.

Keep ReadingShow less