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 - Thriller youtu.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

The golden Oscar statue as seen at The Academy's 96th Oscars .
Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

Oscar voters skip films, upset fans

Remember to press play… then put it on MUTE?

That’s the loophole that certain Oscar voters revealed after the Academy announced that members must now watch all films nominated in each category.

Keep Reading Show less
Ilona Maher
Julian Finney/Getty Images

Olympian Ilona Maher Shows Off Bikini With Inspiring Message—And Fans Are Applauding

Even incredibly powerful Olympic rugby star Ilona Maher sometimes worries about her body size and shape, but she continues to advocate for body positivity and self-defined femininity and beauty.

Maher, a U.S. Women's National Rugby Team Olympic Bronze Medalist, was featured on the digital cover of the Sept. 2024 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

Keep Reading Show less
Robert De Niro
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM

Robert De Niro's Daughter Publicly Comes Out As Trans In Powerful New Interview

Airyn De Niro, 29, daughter of actor Robert De Niro, has publicly come out as a trans woman in a new interview with Them.

Though parts of her journey have been previously reported, Airyn says this is the first time she’s truly felt “seen.”

Keep Reading Show less
Howard Lutnick
MSNBC

Commerce Secretary Ripped For His Dystopian Vision Of Generations Of Families Working At U.S. Factories

MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, spoke on MSNBC about the Trump administration's version of the American dream.

It doesn't involve universal healthcare, a living wage, and access to food and housing.

Keep Reading Show less
Pete Hegseth
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Hegseth Gets Hit With Awkward Fact-Check After Bragging About Ending 'Woke' Program

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was swiftly fact-checked after he claimed in a post on X that he'd ended the "woke" Women, Peace & Security (WPS) program because it was an initiative created by the Biden administration.

For the political right, "wokeness" or "wokeism" generally refers to a left-leaning perspective that acknowledges the widespread existence of racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination in American society.

Keep Reading Show less