2010: A Flash Mob Odyssey

2010 was the Year of the Flash Mob in the Emerald City. On Saturday, April 10th, mobbers celebrated the return of another season of Glee by dancing at Westlake Park, Pioneer Square, and under the Space Needle:

Organized by Egan Orion, and choreographed by Bobby Bonsey and Beth Meberg, the event was the first, and arguably one of the best, of 2010′s mobs. It certainly was not the last.

June brought mobbers together in Gasworks Park to form a human heart for photographers from Aerial Magazine and Seattle Met Magazine. Needless to say, it was not an anatomically correct heart.

In July, Nick and Anna Golla organized a fabulous flash mob at the Central Branch of the Seattle Public Library. Dancers clapped and stepped to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” much to the delight of patrons.

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August saw the musical mob turned to political purpose on 8/14, as members of Seattle “subvertising agency” Agit-Pop invaded the Westwood Village Target store to protest the company’s support of right-wing and anti-gay political candidates.

Seahawks’ fans got as up close and personal as Qwest Field allows on September 12th, as fellow fans (and friends of fans) took over the turf to gyrate more or less in unison to a medley of classic stadium rock songs. The performance was not universally adored, but as a participant, I have to admit, it was great fun. Like many of the mobbers, I can’t dance for shit, but that’s why the very tan women in skimpy outfits get paid to dance, and I (we) don’t.

On October 1st, 100 or so Friends of the Seattle Library got together in Westlake Park to read. Probably the quietest mob of the year, the event was organized to raise awareness for the Seattle Public Library, which is facing brutal budget cuts, yet again.

November brought the musical Hair to the Paramount Theatre, and then to a half-baked, half-time performance featuring members of the cast and local fans during a Seahawks’ game. Billed as a flash mob, it was more of a blip, unfortunately.

December was a very mobby month. On December 4th, One Degree Events hooked up with SDOT to perform an “Umbrella/Singin’ in the Rain” mash-up to promote pedestrian safety, and Gerard Schwarz of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra got in on the crowd-sourcing action, conducting Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus in the Downtown Seattle Nordstrom Store.

Egan and company wrapped up the year with another multi-location mob, this one in honor of Ms. Janet Jackson. Dancing to a medley of Ms. Jackson’s hits, the mobbers flashed on Capitol Hill, in University Village, and in Occidental and Pioneer Square Park. The video quickly caught the attention of Ms. Jackson’s management: it went live on Janet Jackson’s website on December 30th, just in time for the new year. If the mobbers’ plan worked, Ms. Jackson will include Seattle on her 2011 tour schedule.

Watch the “official” video, edited for your viewing pleasure:

It’s all for you, Seattle.