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

Dolly Parton accepts the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in a video message from her Nashville home.
Oscars/Youtube

Dolly Parton Was Just Awarded Her First Oscar—And Her Poignant Speech Has Fans Cheering

Where would we be without Miss Dolly P?

At the age of 79, the country legend achieved another milestone in her remarkable career by receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award during the 2025 Governors Awards. Although she was unable to attend the ceremony in person, Parton accepted her first-ever Oscar through a recorded message from her home in Nashville.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trans TikToker Goes Viral With Simple Explanation After Stranger Asks What 'Nonbinary' Means
@lillytino_/TikTok

Trans TikToker Goes Viral With Simple Explanation After Stranger Asks What 'Nonbinary' Means

In a world where it seems that everyone is angry all the time and assumes the worst of people around them, it can be refreshing to see two people have a reasonable conversation about a charged topic.

An example of this is a recent TikTok clip that went viral, in which trans TikToker Lilly Contino explained to a curious passerby what the word "nonbinary" means.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jamie Raskin; Marjorie Taylor Greene
Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin Hit With Pushback After Offering Surprising Invite To MTG

Georgia MAGA Republican Representative and QAnon conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene has found herself on the wrong side of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, but on the right side of history when it comes to protecting women and children from sexual predators.

The split began in earnest with MTG's support of Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie's discharge petition to force a House vote on Massie's bill, cosponsored by California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna: HR 185, the Epstein Files Transparency Bill.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kevin O'Leary; Zohran Mamdani
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images; Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

'Shark Tank' Star Dragged After Whining About How Mamdani Hasn't Made Things 'Free' In NYC Yet

Billionaire former Shark Tank star Kevin O'Leary was criticized after sarcastically lamenting during a Fox Business interview that he expected "free" buses, meals and lodging after Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City—completely ignoring the fact that Mamdani isn't in office yet.

Mamdani won this month's election to become the next mayor of New York City, successfully weathering Islamophobic and racist attacks. The win marked a turning point in U.S. politics—Mamdani is a democratic socialist preparing to lead the global financial capital—and sent shockwaves around the world.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Clinton
Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images; Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty Images; Paul Morigi/WireImage/Getty Images

Jeffrey Epstein's Brother Speaks Out To Clear Up That Scandalous 'Bubba' Email—And Now We Have Even More Questions

Mark Epstein—the brother of the late financier, pedophile, and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein—released a statement addressing an email exchange between himself and his brother that sparked online speculation that President Donald Trump had once performed oral sex on former President Bill Clinton.

The House Oversight Committee on Friday released thousands of emails from its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, and attention quickly zeroed in on one exchange between Mark and Jeffrey Epstein.

Keep ReadingShow less