True Life: I Was in a Flash Mob

Ever since I first saw the video of the “Do Re Mi” flash mob in a Belgian train station I knew that being in a flash mob was something I wanted to do before I died. But it was one of those things you’re like “yeah, yeah, I really want to do that” and never really do anything about it. I thought it would be cool – just like it would be cool to swim with fish that glow in the dark or spend a month in a Buddhist monastery. They don’t qualify for my bucket list because I don’t plan to DO them but if the opportunity falls into my lap I’ll take it. I kind of think of that list as the “Things that Would Make my Life” (rather than just “my day”).

Which was how I ended up in this flash mob two weekends ago. It fell into my lap one day via text message. A girl I went to high school with was doing the choreography and needed dancers. Kathy saw her Facebook status and texted me with the details. This wasn’t just any flash mob though, it was a flash mob proposal – and no, we were not dancing to Bruno Mars.

Preparations.
So for the lay person who isn’t part of a dance company where they have access to each other and studio time for practicing, how exactly does the process work? Because that’s certainly what we were – a group of amateurs who happened to find their way into the whole thing. In this case we had a secret website where we could access the videos of the choreography and practice on our own at home.

Let’s just say that hilarity ensued. I can’t tell you how many times I ran through the dance trying to break down all the steps – and I have a dance background! It was better but worse when Kathy and I finally got together to run through it because we each had our little things we were worried about. Was that really an 8 count? It worked better as a 4 count. And should that be a step or a slide?

Practice?
We only had one day to practice as a group and it had to be a quick practice not just because we didn’t want to cause a scene the day before the actual proposal but also because it was raining! Still, a few of the bravest souls were there and we seemed to get all of the kinks ironed out. It was awesome to finally do the dance in the space and see how it would look on the day of. Finally I could stop worrying about getting the steps just right and start being excited. There were a lot of moving pieces and parts but everyone wanted to make it work.

The Story.
Thomas, the groom to be, is a professional wedding photographer. His plan was to bring his future fiancee to Fairfax Corner to “meet a really important client for lunch.” And as they crossed the plaza, that was when the dance began. Kerry, the bride to be, started crying almost immediately and it was impossible to stop smiling as we danced.

Highlights
1:28ish – You can see Kerry start really freaking out here – that’s when the second wave of dancers joined in and she’s losing it because they were all her friends and family members.

2:35 – Thomas had always told Kerry that he wanted to propose to her on September 11 so they could make a happy memory out of the day that has so many bad memories associated with it. But he obviously couldn’t wait that long, so you see in the video he hands her a piece of paper. It’s a picture of the ring that says, “You don’t have to wait until September…can you wait 60 more seconds?” – that’s when the music kicks back up and the dance goes on.

3:53 – And then of course, she said YES!

The song, if you’re wondering, is “Proof” by Twin-A and they had done an edit to take out the verse that didn’t really fit the “proposal” theme. It doesn’t seem like a super flash mobby song at first but the lyrics make it.

So that’s something I got to check off my life list – and it was really cool to be part of such a special day for someone else. It was amazing to see how much energy and love went into the whole thing and to see these two people (who I’d never even met before!) have such an awesome moment.

Do you have a Life List? Have you ever seen or been part of a Flash Mob?

Tagged as: flash mob, proposal