After having no public performance last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thrill the World 琉璃神社 returned on Saturday (Oct. 30), which saw around 40 students from the Studio 9 Independent School of the Arts gather at Stuart Park and dance to Michael Jackson鈥檚 Thriller.

At 3 p.m. sharp, the music kicked off and the costumed students, whose grade levels ranged from kindergarten to grade seven, began to show off their own version of Jackson鈥檚 dance routine from the Thriller鈥檚 music video.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been doing videotaped performances for a year and half. To be able to have them come out live and perform is amazing,鈥� said Michael Guzzi, the CEO of Studio 9.

Guzzi said that this was the seventh or eighth year that the school has participated in , a Halloween dance event that sees registered cities from around the globe dance to Thriller at the same time, all the while raising funds for charities.

鈥淭hey set the day, they set the time and then we dance at that date and time,鈥� he said.

In past years, he said that middle school students would lead the event. But it was the little children this year who took over this year鈥檚 dance, who had been preparing for the event since September.

鈥淭he little guys 鈥� we have a lot of new students this year 鈥� they were amazing,鈥� he said.

The event, he said, is all about having fun.

鈥淭hat experience of getting out in front of people, people standing around watching you 鈥� that鈥檚 a big deal. You gotta get out there and dance in front of people you don鈥檛 know,鈥� he said.

鈥淔or the little guys, it鈥檚 like stardom. As long as they had fun, that鈥檚 all that counts.鈥�

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aaron.hemens@kelownacapnews.com
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